I have multiple legally-purchased copies of Windows 95 and MS Works. They all have COAs, but I've gotten them mixed up. Is it really necessary to have a specific COA for each specific CD? I've noticed that I can sometimes install Win95 using several different COAs. I've even managed (unwittingly) to install Win95 with what appears to be one of my MS Works COAs. Is there any way to tell which COA came with which CD? Does Microsoft have some kind of OEM utility for this? TIA

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"Trial and Error."

There is no way to decode which COA is necessary
from the files stored on the CD.  After you get
them sorted out, I would suggest writing the COA
on the CD face with a SHARPIE pen.

Jerry

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OK. I went back and re-installed Win95 on one of my laptops. I FDisked and re-formatted the hard drive, then ran setup from the cdrom. I did this several times usuing a different (valid) COA each time. It worked every time. I FDisked and re-formatted each time, just in case some code was placed on the hard drive by each installation to identify the cdrom used, or whatever (I'm paranoid, OK?). Admittedly, the versions of Win95 that I was using were all the same (Full, USB support), which means the COA format was the same. This obviously wouldn't work with upgrade versions that have a different number of characters in the COA. I always thought that the COA had to match the CD, but I guess that is not true, within limits.


On Friday, August 12, 2005 at 5:11 pm, Jerry wrote:
>"Trial and Error."
>
>There is no way to decode which COA is necessary
>from the files stored on the CD. After you get
>them sorted out, I would suggest writing the COA
>on the CD face with a SHARPIE pen.
>
>Jerry

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Hi DudleyJohn:

"Yep."

This is Microsoft's little secret.  I, too, have
several numbers that will work with several
different disks, but not all numbers will work
with all disks.

There have been some interesting discussions in
this forum about "patterns" that are involved, and
how one could "invent" a working number for any
particular product or disk.  However, the
management of the forum has a policy AGAINST
publishing "hacks," so most of those threads have
been deleted from the forum (but not from my big
notebook where I keep copies I printed before the
threads were deleted).

Anyway, you've done the most practical thing --
you now know which numbers work with which disks. 
Don't forget the part about the SHARPIE PEN so you
don't have to do this again.

And, "Welcome to the Forum."

Jerry

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