Repairing XP home edition accidentally installed Pro

[punkieys17]

While I was repairing a Patriot computer (why one hears everyone ask!! - its truly terrible) I needed to repair Windows XP Home as it was giving blue screens of deaths warnings about threads.

As the PC only came with a recovery partition (which failed) I needed to repair windows. I remembered that you could use any windows disc - so used a XP Pro.

Somehow (me being an idiot) the system has done a complete install - so when it asked for a product key it rejected the one on the machine - and finally it accepted the XP-Pro key - but that had been used already on another laptop.

I haven't activated windows yet (29 days left) - what do i do?

Will I have to go buy another copy of Xp-Pro full, or an upgrade or is there anyway i can transfer the license to the repaired Patriot from the laptop....

Any help for this dunderhead gratefully accepted.

Julian

 

[xwb]

Try activating it and see what happens. It will either let you do it, in which case you don't have to do anything or it will moan about it, in which case you need to dial up and tell the operator what has happened.

The few times that I have done it, the operator starts by asking: "is it XP home?". I say "yes" and they switch on this automated thing that reads the code out to you. They didn't bother waiting for an explanation. Have a pen and paper ready.

Not strictly legal and totally unethical but if MS give it to you, just take it.

 

[cyberspace]

I'd also do the above personally

Failing that you will be able to get recovery CD's from Patriot to set it back to factory.

This tends to wipe all files so make sure you back up first.

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[BadBigBen]

or... (as an addendum to the above)


get a copy of XP HOME and reinstall the OS, with the KEY that is on the PC...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."