[Supercalifragilistic]

Ok, I got a PC with Windows XP Home on it. (Packard Bell) and they didn't send any replacement discs or whatever. Etc. Factory settings restore or whatever it's called or the XP Home disc.

Anyway, then, someone put Norton on it and as they were installing Norton GoBack it messed up and they had to reformat it and put XP on again but I don't have the CDs.

So I was just wondering, on the side of my PC there's an XP home sticker on with a serial number. Can I download a copy of a WIndows XP Home CD and use that key and will it work/be legal?

[Advertisements]

well to my knowledge downloading xp is always illegal...HOWEVER if you were to borrow someone's physical cd for xp home...you could (should) be able to use the cdkey that's on the side of your computer to install from that cd

[dsenette]

well to my knowledge downloading xp is always illegal...HOWEVER if you were to borrow someone's physical cd for xp home...you could (should) be able to use the cdkey that's on the side of your computer to install from that cd

[pip22]

I believe the serial number on your PC sticker only works with an OEM (pre-installed) copy of Windows XP --- Microsoft issues different types of serial numbers depending on whether it's an OEM version, a retail boxed version, or a volume-licenced corporate version. So I don't think your OEM serial number on your PC sticker will let you install a retail CD version of XP. I could be wrong of course, but that's my understanding of it.

Edited by pip22, 05 October 2006 - 01:57 PM.

[Neil Jones]

OEM keys dont' work with retail/upgrade CDs.
Likewise, retail keys don't work with OEM CDs.

Edited by Neil Jones, 06 October 2006 - 03:00 AM.

[RichP]

Not sure if that's true. I've reinstalled XP on several machines using my XP Home disk and used the serial number on the sticker on the case. Never had a problem yet.

Edited by RichP, 06 October 2006 - 01:20 PM.

[bmwboy]

It really depends on the manufacturar, I have gotten several OEM pc's with a real XP sticker on the side, not some OEM sticker, and it worked fine with a retail serial.

--bmwboy

[-OCM770-]

I've proven what Neil Jones said, and no XP will accept any license thats not what it was made for (ex. home OEM, home RETAIL, pro OEM, pro RETAIL, home UPGRADE, pro UPGRADE)

I am not sure about the legal situation but i have downloaded a Home cd and used my license although i think got rid of the CD cuz i found the original...

¿Does Pacard Bell offer system recovery like HP or Compaq? if it does you might not need the CD's. and if you can boot the machine you can make them for sure you will need 6 CD R's though.

Edited by -OCM770-, 06 October 2006 - 03:22 PM.