XP pro sp3 disc installation problem.

[ingeborgdot]

I have tried to install a new xp pro sp3 disc on a new computer but have been getting errors in the installation. I have tried 3 different times but it says that the disc is missing some components and when it is final it does not work properly. I talked to microsoft but they are of no help. I finally talked to a tech person that asked me if I had another disc and I have an older sp2 disc. He said to install that but when I put in the key for my new disc it does not work with my older disc. I finally put in my old key and it worked fine. THe installation went off without a hitch but I won't be able to use my old key when I activate it. When I install the sp3 download will I be able to change my key to the new disc key? Can someone help me here? I have never had this problem before.

 

[RebateMonger]

Assuming you are using a Microsoft-pressed XP Install CD, the first thing to check if components are "missing" is the memory. Do an overnight test with Memtest86+ or Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostics.

Regarding your actual question:
When the "old Key" fails online Activation, you'll be offered the opportunity to change the Key. It's part of the "Phone Activation" section, as I recall.

 

[ingeborgdot]

The sp3 xp disc did not work at all for installation. When I used the sp2 disc all went fine for install except that it would not even let me past the key boxes with the sp3 disc key. I used the sp2 disc key and it worked fine. Now I have to somehow add the sp3 which a tech guy sent me and then change the key to the new sp3 disc key.

 

[RebateMonger]

It's unlikely that your problem is SP2 or SP3 per se. More likely, you are mixing Key types: i.e Retail Key on an OEM Install CD or OEM Key on a Retail Install CD. XP won't get past the Key Entry page when you have the "wrong" type of Key.

 

[ingeborgdot]

Ahh, I think you are on to something. What can I do? It is a retail sp2 disc and and oem sp3 disc.

 

[techmanc]

buy a oem key or you can use nlite to roll in sp3 to your retail sp2 disk and burn it to a new cd

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
It's unlikely that your problem is SP2 or SP3 per se. More likely, you are mixing Key types: i.e Retail Key on an OEM Install CD or OEM Key on a Retail Install CD. XP won't get past the Key Entry page when you have the "wrong" type of Key.

Are you sure. MS ran out of keys for SP2, so they had to change something in SP3 to accept more keys. This could be related to that.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Are you sure. MS ran out of keys for SP2, so they had to change something in SP3 to accept more keys.

Edit: Checking, you are correct. I do see references to an XP Key shortage, which resulted in new Key verification code in XP SP2c. It looks like an SP3 Key used to install a pre-SP2c version of XP COULD cause the problem the OP is experiencing. The problem only exists with XP Professional Keys, not XP Home Keys.

The answer would seem to be to slipstream any earlier XP Install CDs to SP3 (NLite is a good way to do this). This should allow the use of ANY Key, as long as the Key is for the appropriate version of Windows XP and is of the proper type (VL, Retail, or OEM).

Seems pretty strange that MS ran out. Especially if you calculate how many Keys you can create from a 25-digit combination of numbers and letters. I did the calculation last year, when folks claimed they'd brute-forced Vista Activation Keys. Even allowing for skipping some easy-to-confuse letters and only allowing one-in-many-thousands of combinations to be valid, the number was HUGE. Almost bigger than the U.S. National Debt under George Bush.

Running out of numbers (which I assume means that the built-in RTM/SP1/SP2 algorithm for quick-checking of Keys would fail with new "SP3" Keys) would only come from a BIG miscalculation on Microsoft's part about future sales of XP. When I was doing my calculations, I believe I allowed one Key for every human on earth and then multiplied that by ten. That STILL left plenty of Keys for some future versions of Windows.

 

[redbeard1]

I have previously run into the issue of an OEM XP SP1 key not working with an OEM XP SP2 disk, so the key problem seems possible to me.

Some sort of problem related to the cd or the cdrom is most likely for the install issue. I just recently had a major problem to get a system to read a brand new XP SP2 disk. I swapped in three different cdroms to get the install to complete.

Technet blog about XP keys

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
I have previously run into the issue of an OEM XP SP1 key not working with an OEM XP SP2 disk, so the key problem seems possible to me.

It's kinda' a weird problem, since MOST PCs produced over the past few years have OEM, BIOS-locked versions of XP that never even USE the Keys on the COA stickers. So they ran out of Keys for imaginary Activations that never happen in practice.

I doubt many RETAIL XP SP3 disks were ever produced, since Microsoft quit selling Retail box XP just as SP3 was released. So the Key shortage, in practice, likely only affects OEM versions of XP Professional. It doesn't really affect the big-box makers, since they are mostly BIOS-locked versions and are never Activated. So it would really only affect those buying "generic" XP Professional SP3 CDs or PCs built by smaller System Builders. And it would affect companies building Sysprep images for mass installs inside their companies.

 

[ingeborgdot]

MS fixed the problem for me. I had a tech that got into my computer and did some looking around. He then just gave me a new key and it worked. No more problem.