Re-using an XP installation?

[Vaanish]

Hi. My freind is planning a new PC build and he wants to reuse his hard-drive and the XP installation from his HP Pavillion in the new PC. He wil change EVERY part of the PC except his Hard Drive, so will the XP install work? Or will he need to ring up MS for a new key? If he rings them up, will they give him a new key if he tells them this? Thanks.

 

[helix2301]

He will defiantly have to reinstall XP. If this is an oem copy from the manufacture he might not have to call them up I am pretty positive he will not have to call them up. OEM copies usually are pretty generic.

 

[backup287]

It goes in accordance to how many time you've activated windows xp, once i reformatted and reinstalled windows twice within a week and it came up as you've exceeded the activation or whatever for this key, you should be fine if you do it once every like month

 

[Vaanish]

So how will he find out his current key for when it comes to installing the fresh new XP?

 

[backup287]

what he doesnt know what his product key is?

 

[TKF]

So how will he find out his current key for when it comes to installing the fresh new XP?

Run Belarc Advisor
Belarc Advisor - Free Personal PC Audit

 

[Vaanish]

So basically, if i get the current key, he wont have to buy XP again?

 

[backup287]

No never, its only to prevent installation on more than one computer, but they really have no way of knowing other than the amount of times the key has been activated online in which case you can call up and just claim its the same computer just reformated drive

 

[Osiris]

Read this:

System Locked Preinstallation - www.Tech-Dump.com

 

[EricB]

you can reinstall xp without the xp cd with that hp as it probably has an i386 folder on the hard drive. you just need a bart pe or erd commander disc