[deanbo]

I promised a friend i would do her a clean install of XP Pro.

She is running xp pro,but she's got it full of bugs and i thought just installing xp pro as a clean install and start again is the easiest solution.
So as it's an OEM install on hers[no disc but definitely legal-new acer laptop],i have just tried to install XP Pro from MY again legal xp disc as i've done on my PC several times before.

But when i get to the bit where i enter the code,which is on the underside of the laptop and again is definitely genuine-it keeps telling me.

The CD key you entered is invalid please try again

So i tried using the magic jellybean keyfinder and it gives me another completely different cd key ?

Tried that but still get the same thing ?

Now i hasten to add this is DEFINITELY a legal xp pro os in her machine as it's new and passes the genuine advantage no probs.
MY XP pro disc is also DEFINITELY legal,and i've always thought as i've done it before that you can use someone else's disc[ie mine]and just enter the 25 digit code like i've always done.

I honestly can't see what i'm doing wrong,as i've done clean installs before with no probs.
We're BOTH running Pro BTW,as my first thought was she might have XP home-but she hasn't it's definitely pro and definitely legal too.

Can anyone help please ?

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So, nothing is installed yet?

[Retired Tech]

So, nothing is installed yet?

[deanbo]

There are several apps installed on it Keith like power dvd and it came with norton AV,but she is a beginner on a PC and got some nasty from a site she visited.
Norton couldn't find it but someone else uninstalled norton and tried AVG free and AVG found several nasties that norton never picked up.

It does run,but it's slow and there is IMO a lot of unnecessary startup apps.
On C Cleaner for example it shows 3 norton firewalls and other multiple entries too.

That's why i thought a straightforward clean install would be far easier,as i've saved her music and pics to disc and that's all she was bothered about.
Saved power dvd app too BTW.

But why on earth would that stop me from doing a clean install of XP ?

It's a celeron CPU with 512 megs of 533 mhz ram,new from PC world.
Thanks.

[Retired Tech]

If your CD is retail it would do that

If the PC is running, this is worth a go first because slow running will go as soon as the problem programmes are removed

Please follow the procedures outlined here: Malware Removal Guide

You will need a PC which can connect to the internet

Run all the programmes as advised then post a current Hijack This Log in a new topic in the Malware Forum

For the purpose of accurate malware analysis, Hijack This Logs are only dealt with in the Malware Forum. Posting them anywhere else will result in a delayed response

If you are unable to run any of the programmes, please ask for advice in the Malware Forum

You can run online scans while waiting for a reply from the Malware Team, then stop running them while they help you

Online Scans

Panda Scan

House Call

If Trend Micro freezes during updating, close then retry

Kaspersky Online Scan


You can do this as well, though you may need to re-run parts of it after the Malware Clean Up

Items in blue which are underlined are clickable to give more information about the process

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you need the XP CD

Windows File Protection will show a blue onscreen progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot

If you do not have an XP CD you can borrow a same version as was originally installed XP CD, if you downloaded SP2 then you need an SP1 XP CD

If you do not have an XP CD and are unable to borrow one, run the scan, click skip if it asks for the CD, if it keeps asking, click cancel.

If it kept asking for the XP CD then system files are missing

Click start then run, type chkdsk /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this.

This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

Download and install Tune Up 2007 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot. You should disable the antivirus programme to run this and check it is running after the reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor


If there was nothing on the laptop, and your CD was OEM, theoretically this should work, (install using your key but change it at activation)

http://support.micro...kb/810892/en-us

Personally, I would have a reasonable go at clearing the current install up, it will be a useful learning process

[cmw2010]

Acer has a program on their laptops to burn the Reinstall CD's. The key that you are getting from Magical Jelly Bean is the one that Acer uses to image them from the factory. If you burn the CD then you don't need the cd key, but if you use another CD it has to be the same version Pro or Home and Retail or OEM then you can use the CD key on the bottom of the laptop. If you go that method then more than likely you will need to call MS to activate your copy of Windows.