Copy xp license for reinstall

Hi guys, I apologize in advance if this question has been asked before. I have not activated my installation of XP for fear I will invalidate the copy on my m. Thank you very much for your time and please let me know if you need any more details.

All forum topics Previous Topic Next Topic. Replies Denny Denham 7 Thorium. Thirdrockfromsu 1 3 Zinc. My system does not prompt me for activation, just insert the cd, and away I go. Yours might be different though as Denney has stated. That's the issue I am unsure of. When reinstalling Windows with the original CD, you should not be prompted to activate again. Denny, Actually, so far I've not been prompted to activate the installation.

Does that mean I won't run into trouble if I don't have to activate this installation? Philip Message Edited by ploo on PM. If you are advised that the copy of XP is already activated, I would do nothing. Microsoft's interest will not be compromised since you do in fact have a legitimate Windows XP license. This will bear no resemblance to the Product ID on the sticker on your computer's case. If it is activated, please let me know. That would help to clarify what happens in a case such as yours.

Thirdrockfromsun, It doesn't help a great deal, because that is the behavior that should have taken place. Ploo installed from a different CD. It did not prompt him for a Product ID upon installation which confirms other information I have seen.

If he also reports that it was preactivated, that will be news to me. Sorry this didn't help. Thanks for your feedback. If you have a lost or unreadable product key for Microsoft software that came with your computer, please contact the manufacturer of your computer to obtain a replacement. Contact information for the manufacturer of your computer can be found here:.

Retail Windows: If you have lost a product key for software that you purchased separately from your computer, or if your product key is not working, please call Microsoft.

It will have a 25 character alphanumeric code on it - that is your product key. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Begin Windows setup. Once the partition is created, highlight it and press Enter to begin the Windows installation.

You will be asked to format the partition. Formatting will begin. This could take up to several hours depending on the size and speed of your hard drive, but for most users it will take a few minutes. Windows will begin installing. This is a mostly automated process that requires the user to enter some data at a few points. The first option that pops up is changing the default language and region.

Click Customize… if the settings are incorrect for your region. Once the settings are correct, click Next to move on. When prompted, type your name and organization. These will be used when labeling documents, and can be changed in Windows settings later. Enter your Product Key.

You will be prompted to enter your digit product key at this time. Your Product Key should be found at the lower part of you Certificate of Authenticity. Enter your computer name. This is the name that will appear on the network to describe your computer. For XP Professional, you will be asked to enter an Administrator password that will be used to access the Administrator account. Set the correct date and time. You will now see a calendar and clock that can be adjusted to your specific time.

You can also select the correct timezone for your location. Setup network basics. You will be asked if you want to install Typical or Custom network settings. For nearly all users, Typical is the correct choice. If you are installing in a corporate setting, check with your system administrator first.

When asked to enter a workgroup, most users will want to select the first option, and leave the workgroup label as default. If you are in a corporate setting, you may need to specify a domain.

Again, check with your administrator. Windows will finalize the setup. This will take several minutes and requires no input from the user. Your computer will continue to boot from the hard drive and finish the Windows install. Select OK to adjust screen resolution. Windows will attempt to automatically change the screen size to make reading easier.

Once the screen resets, you will be asked if you can read the new text box. If you can, click OK to continue. If you cannot, then hit Cancel or simply wait 20 seconds for the screen to revert to its original settings. Select Next to proceed with the installation.

The Welcome to Microsoft Windows screen will appear once the screen changes are made. This process will just take a couple minutes. Windows will attempt to check your network connectivity.

If you are planning on setting this up later, you can skip this screen. Enter the names of your users. In this step, you can create separate logins for each of the users of your computer.

You must enter at least one name. You can enter up to five users on this screen, but more can be entered through the Control Panel after installing.

After entering the names, click Finish to finalize the installation. Windows will work for a few moments and then you will be greeted with your new desktop.

Run Windows Update. This will download the latest system updates from Microsoft. These are very important, as the patch system vulnerabilities and stability issues. Install your drivers. Chances are you will need to install your drivers again now that the computer has been formatted. Depending on the devices you have attached to your computer, this could include your video card, your modem or network card, your sound, and more.

Method 3. Install from the recovery partition. Many computer manufacturers ship their computers with a partition on the hard drive that contains the Windows installation files.

In order to access it, you will need to boot into the recovery partition. The most common key to enter the partition is F This will appear underneath the manufacturer log right after starting the computer. Install from within Windows. You will need to use a file called winnt This file is a Windows installer that can be run from inside Windows XP.

To find it, open the Start menu and click Search. Select "all Files and Folders" from the left frame.