[Lucifer07]

I am getting ready to reinstall windows XP Pro (2002 service pack 2) onto my HP laptop. When I bought it, it never came with a windows XP Pro disk. I was wondering, if I borrowed by cousin's XP Pro disk, would the XP Key printed onto the bottom of my laptop work with this disk and allow me to still do updates through Microsoft? Or would I have to phone in for a new product key?

Edited by Lucifer07, 26 August 2007 - 10:12 AM.

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It won't work. Who is your computer manufacturer? You need to call your manufacturer & ask them for your recovery disk.

[Metahuman]

It won't work. Who is your computer manufacturer? You need to call your manufacturer & ask them for your recovery disk.

[fleamailman]

Ok I am only guessing here but if you are running XP already on the laptop, and you want to install XP pro, that can only mean that you are running XP home, therefore the license on the sticker will be for XP home too, and will not work with your cousin's XP pro since yours is a XP home license. May I ask what is the reason for updating then, if it is just for cleaning up the system, you have better options I believe. Also, you will need more than just to right CD and license for the reinstall, there is the data to backup, the drivers to gather, the copies of programs to reinstall too, plus the activation, so it is a lot of work for little gain.

[ron350]

Call HP at 1-800-952-7689 and order the correct restoration disks.

You must tell them exactly what M$ operating system is on that HP sticker, like 2000 Pro, XP Home or XP Pro.

The restore disks for my Compac (HP) computer only cost $11.00.

PS: I think it is forbidden to talk about Keys on open computer forums.

[Lucifer07]

No no, the Laptop says Windows XP Professional underneath the product key underneath it. It's legitimate. But this recovery disk would still work for this? Even if I did a complete format of my laptop? Otherwise could I just go back to the store where I bought it from, ask them to reinstall windows XP pro for me, and then just punch in my CD key thats on the bottom of the laptop? (Just found out my cousin doesn't have Pro, he only had home) Think they would do this for me?

[ron350]

If you order the restore CDs from HP your XP Pro key code on the HP sticker will work.

The restore Cd’s are supposed to restore your computer back to its new condition.

I am not a trying to push HP restore Cd’s but it sure feels good knowing that I have those restore CD’s.

[fleamailman]

the restore disk idea is best, the other idea would be to first ghost your system as it is with norton ghost or acronis, then try your cousin's CD with your license number failing back on the ghost in the case that it fails which I beleive it will, but even if it went well, unlike the restore disk, you would have to gather the drivers and all the other steps I mentioned in my last post whereas it is far simplier to bail out the stuff you no longer use keeping the system and its updates in tack, add/remove programs and startups can regain much and , I repeat out of interest, what are you reinstalling for, what do not feel is gained by it.