Three XP Keys, But No XP Install
<rant>Although I get to use Linux mostly for work and personally, there always comes a time when I need to use Windows. It could be that I need to write a program for Windows, or that I have a friend, or family member that needs windows for something. This is one of those times.
What frustrates me most is that I’m trying to install Windows on a laptop that came with Windows Media Centre. That laptop has a Windows Media Centre key but I don’t have the Dell disks that came with that laptop, and I know I can order them from Dell and at the end of the day I just might have to do that (and end up paying for it). But what annoys me most is that including the Windows key on the bottom of the laptop, that I’m trying to install windows on, I have three legit Windows XP keys but cant get an install working. I have an MSDNAA Windows XP key, as well as the Dell XP key from the bottom of my laptop and what annoys me is that I have three valid XP keys and I cant seem to install XP.
I have no media center disks, annoying and I really don’t want to used bittorrent to download them. I don’t feel like I should have to steal software that I own
The MSDNAA ISO and key came from two different people, eg its my key buy my buddy burned the ISO when he got a key, maybe that’s causing the problem I will burn my own copy and find out.
Obviously my laptop is OEM for XP pro and cant be installed on another computer even though I have never used it.
Guess this is just another reason I use Linux, I find this so annoying. Microsoft/Dell should really have a website that I can find out why the one key wont work as well as download ISOs. I know this is the way things are and that me wining about it is not going to change anything but I really just wish if I had a CD key I could download the ISO and use that key on any computer (only one of course). This just makes my windows experience more painful and makes me want to avoid Windows more.</rant>
I don’t want to update and spam the planet again by removing the fact that I think I fixed one of the issues.
I feel your pain. I built a desktop two years ago, and I bought the OEM version of XP because I thought the non-OEM prices were outrageous. A couple days ago, I started having strange issues on boot-up and under 64-bit Ubuntu (not 32-bit XP, at least not as far as I can tell), so I decided to update the BIOS, hoping that would fix the new problems and the older annoyances. Well, that motherboard is now a fancy-looking paperweight, so I’m buying a new one. I’m sure XP is going to refuse to activate, since I’ve also changed the graphics card twice and the CPU one, so I’m just not going to use it anymore. It’s enough of a pain to get it set up in the first place, and now Microsoft is making a bad situation worse. It feels good to finally leave an abusive relationship.
Ya know… that’s what got me using Linux (and specifically Ubuntu) in the first place. After two years of no problems on my Windows box, I booted up one day and the Windows Genuine Advantage popped up while running Windows Update and told me that my XP key was invalid. Funny… I’d never had a problem with it before, and I had key. It looked right to me. No matter what, it wouldn’t install. I certainly wasn’t going to spend $200 on a new copy of XP – especially not for a PIII 550 based machine that I bought at auction after it was end of life and kept WAY too long.
Glad to see other people are feeling my pain and I’m not alone
If you can borrow a copy of Windows Media center with valid key. Then install using the valid borrowed key. Do not register. Go online and download magical jellybean keyfinder. Use this tool to find and change you key to the proper one for your system. Now you can go online and register. This tool is based on a tool provided by MS and provides a valid work around for when you do not already have the install disks handy. Hope this helps.
If you are borrowing media, would it not make sense to download the ISO with BitTorrent? I mean you have the right to use the software, so why should you not have a means to install it?
I understand this verges on piracy – but where is the line?
If you download the iso, isn’t this borrowing? If the end results in using your own valid license, I do not see piracy.
AFAIK the laws about if I could borrow the CD or not vary from country to country. That said I dont know anyone else in Toronto with a Dell laptop with Media Center XP on it with the CD’s Do you?
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