HI All

I recently bought a Dell Optimax pc from ebay for a spare pc. It came with XP Pro 
loaded on it and it has a genuine XP Pro key on the side but didnt have an xp cd. 
I decided to re-format the drive and re-load XP Pro with my genuine xp pro cd but 
I wanted to use the XP key on the side of the box.

When it was time to input the key it says it is an invalid key. I am wondering if 
the key is a corporate key and I need a corporate edition of xp???

Is this the case?

If so where can I get a copy of this?

Cheers
Matt.

Tip: Run a free scan for common Windows errors ad

re: XP Corporate edittion Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 1:14 pm Posted by mikey (232 messages posted) click here [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: XP Corporate edittion Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 1:26 pm Posted by Ms. Eagle (33640 messages posted) You got ripped off, if you didn't get a CoA and a recovery or install CD with the PC. I don't believe those keys on the side of the box are used anymore. Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: XP Corporate edittion Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 3:26 pm Posted by Steve (23810 messages posted) Most Dells I have seen have 2 product keys. The One loaded on the Computer at the time of Sale, and the one on the label on the Side of the Case. MS has made the the one on the PC case useless because people use to steel the Keys off the Case's and use them. If you had used a Product Key Finder tool before you formatted, then you would have seen that Key was different. If the ebay seller used a Pirated Copy of Windows, then you got other unknowns. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: XP Corporate edittion Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 9:01 pm Posted by Dan Sarandrea, MCSE (7132 messages posted) The Product Key (PK) on the Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) on the Dell is a valid, genuine PK. It is an OEM PK, however, and will only work with an OEM XP installation CD. Microsoft Windows XP PKs are generated by using a different algorithm for each variety or flavor. So OEM PKs won't work to install retail CDs or Volume Licensing CDs and vice versa. You probably have a retail CD or a downloaded/bootleg Volume Licensing (aka "corporate") CD. Visit this Dell website to get a replacement Dell OS Reinstallation CD: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1 [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: XP Corporate edittion Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 9:57 am Posted by Matt Jones (164 messages posted) Cheers Dan Ill get on to it. I have got a dell xp cd prior to service pack 1. I might see if that works first. Cheers mate. Matt. On Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 9:01 pm, Dan Sarandrea, MCSE wrote: >The Product Key (PK) on the Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) on the Dell is a valid, >genuine PK. It is an OEM PK, however, and will only work with an OEM XP installation >CD. > >Microsoft Windows XP PKs are generated by using a different algorithm for each variety >or flavor. So OEM PKs won't work to install retail CDs or Volume Licensing CDs and >vice versa. > >You probably have a retail CD or a downloaded/bootleg Volume Licensing (aka "corporate") >CD. > >Visit this Dell website to get a replacement Dell OS Reinstallation CD: >http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1 [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: XP Corporate edittion Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 5:52 pm Posted by Dan Sarandrea, MCSE (7132 messages posted) Your Dell XP Pro (no SP) OS Reinstallation CD will work with the XP Pro Product Key on the Certificate of Authenticity. [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