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re: Question about 'How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP?' Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 2:18 pm Posted by CITechnologies (234 messages posted) Does your laptop have an activation key stickered on it somewhere? If so, Microsuck should be able to activate this over the phone. I have never asked IBM for a recovery CD, so couldn't answer why they are charging so much. Most other places are in the $10-15 range. You need to make sure that Best Buy used your key and not one of theirs as well. On Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 1:24 pm, Fiona wrote: >I rented an IBM laptop with Windows XP Professional version from my school. After >I finished my study, I just purchased this laptop. But my school did not provide >me with recovery CD. > >One week ago, my hard drive was dead. I sent it to Best Buy. They restored a new >hard drive with XP Home version. I paid for the new hard drive and such service. > >When I try to activate Windows XP at home, my product key seems not to allow me to >do so. I called Best Buy. Best Buy referred me to call Microsoft. Then Microsoft >asked me to call IBM. Finally, IBM asks me to pay $50 for a CD (not sure what it >is and if it can help me activate XP system). > >I really need your input and suggestions whom I should deal with and how?? And > >Could you let me know >1. Why my product key does not work? >2. Should I have to pay for the CD to activate XP?? > >Many thanks! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP?' Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 3:44 pm Posted by Rich Kurtz (12246 messages posted) Best Buy loaded XP so they owe you a valid key. You need to go beat on them. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP?' Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 3:59 pm Posted by KeithT (2653 messages posted) The laptop had XP Pro Best Buy installed XP Home . . . .;) [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP?' Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 4:05 pm Posted by CITechnologies (234 messages posted) All u need to do is have them reload pro on there using your xp key. They should have never put home on there without providing you the key. I would ask them for the key that was used. If you don't, you will need to reload again. Sucks, but that is what happens when dealing with those guys. On Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 3:59 pm, KeithT wrote: >The laptop had XP Pro > >Best Buy installed XP Home . . . .;) > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP?' Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 7:26 pm Posted by Dan Sarandrea, MCSE (7097 messages posted) Look on the bottom of the laptop for a Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity. Whatever edition of XP is described on the COA is the edition of XP that the laptop is licensed to run. Apparently IBM's charges to replace Recovery CDs are greater than the industry average. Regardless of what the school had installed on the laptop, blanket statements about what edition of XP you are entitled to use on the laptop are pure guesswork until you know what the school's licesning agreement is with MS. There is just as much of a chance that the edition of XP the school installed is properly licensed to be included with the sale of the laptop as it isn not to be included with the sale of the laptop----MS's agreements with schools are very specific to that individual school. [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum