On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 19:27:01 +0100, Cuzman
wrote:


I have a full retail version of XP Pro, and the CD is the SP1a version.
I've had this on an 80GB drive for a couple of years, but now is the
time to upgrade my hard drive.

I'm going to be re-installing XP Pro onto my new 200GB drive, and I'll
obviously be using my existing product code. My friend has an XP Pro
SP2 CD, but will my product code work with this? It would make things a
lot easier if I can install from that disc, instead of having to update
my version from SP1a.

That really depends on whether your friend's XP distribution media kit
is the same "type" as your XP distribution media kit.

To illustrate:
There are several types of distribution media.
1) "Full Retail" This will require a CD key which was provided with
any "Full Retail" distribution media kit. Can't use a CD key from ANY
other type of media, nor can you use ANY other type of XP distribution
media with your "Full Retail" key. This applies specifically to YOUR
particular distribution kit and CD key, since you report that this is
the type of distribution media kit you possess.
2) "Retail Upgrade" You MUST provide an XP installation disc and CD
key which was provided in any "Retail Upgrade" distribution media
kit.
3) "Volume License" This will require a Volume License CD key. NO
other CD Key provided with ANY OTHER type of XP distribution media
will work, nor will any other type of distribution media work with a
Volume license key. These kits usually don't need to be activated.
4) OEM "Restore disc" or other XP installation disc provided by an
OEM. This will require an OEM CD key. Only CD keys provided with
THAT brand of OEM distribution media will work. (That is, you MUST
use a Restore disc provided by the OEM who sold you the computer.)
Restore discs are usually "BIOS LOCKED", and do not require activation
or insertion of a CD key when using them. Such installations almost
always must be activated via telephone, if they are even activated by
the enduser.
5) So-called "Full OEM". This key will only work with so-called "Full
OEM" kits.

IF you borrow your friend's XP installation media for the install, and
YOUR XP distribution media is NOT the same type, you will be unable to
use your CD key to install and activate XP. YOU MUST use a CD key
provided with the SAME type of distribution media.

By the way, there is no need to "update" your copy of SP1a, or even
have SP1a installed, since SP2 contains all the fixes of SP1a. Just
install XP clean, then install SP2. However, your "Full Retail"
distribution media is slipstreamed with SP1a. There is no way to
extricate SP1a from the installation, nor will you be unable to
uninstall SP1a after the installation, so you MUST "update" your SP1a
installation by applying the SP2 update, unless you use a DIFFERENT
type of install disc (e.g. same type as yours, but without SP1a
slipstreamed, or with SP2 slipstreamed instead of SP1a)

Donald L McDaniel
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