If I have a valid product key but use a windows cd which was initially for another computer (its both for home edition) will I still be able to reformat ? Sorry if it's stupid, i dont know much lol. And also is there anything special I'd have to do whenever its reformatted? Like do i have to download SP3 or just update the windows stuff or graphics card or iuno? Anyhelp is greatly apreciated thanx ^^
Alright it is really simple. That Windows CD will only work if your Computer is manufactured by the same Company which has its Name / Logo on the Windows CD. It doesn't work if the two are different manufactures. Example: I have a Alienware m15X and if I want to reformat only Alienware Respawn kit or a Legal Windows XP / Vista CD will work not any CD from Fujitsu or Sony will work. Does that make any sense? As the best thing to do is to just buy a Windows CD from a Retailer like Best Buy / Frys / Etc. That is the best way to reformat. But if you already have a Legit / Legal Windows XP Home Edition Key then shouldn't your computer have come with a Reformat CD or something that is like Recovery / Factory Settings thing? It comes with every PC as far as I know. After Reformatting, you will need to install all your drivers (up to date) including Video Drivers (Graphics Cards), Sound (If you have an internal Sound System), Motherboard, etc etc. drivers up to date. And as for SP3 just go to the Windows Update and update it to SP3 It ain't that hard, just that it takes time depending on your download speed to download all the drivers and updates. Mine takes about 1 hour if I am reformatting (old Fujitsu Lappy) Hope I helped... Zain
Alright thanx alot, im sure its going to work because its a legit windows xp cd , i was just wondering if there was any relation between the actual cd and the key, cause the cd was initially with another product key.
If it's an install disk, you're sweet. I think what Zainx is thinking of is a recovery disk, which is made to set a PC back to factory settings.
Yes it will surely work then. I thought you were talking about a Recovery CD Console. :lol: If you have a legit Windows XP CD (which came or didn't come with another CD Key, doesn't matter) will work with your reformat Enjoy And No Problem. Zain
but i thought microsoft's cd's are binded with specific serial codes? Unless its Corporate edition, but then you'd need a corporate serial I could be wrong.
You are correct, they do have serial codes but not like each CD having just one Serial code...that would be just ridiculous. See Serials are not just jumbled up letters and numbers that are hard to remember but they are basically a Mathematical Algorithm that use your everyday X's and Y's and other Alphabets as their unknowns, while using these unknowns they conjure up tons and tons of different variations of numbers and letters in different order. To be exact each single space in a key can have up to 36 different numbers/letters written on itself. And mostly most keys contain about 5 - 6 different boxes with about 4 - 5 letters/number combination(s) in each. So if you calculate correctly, it is 36 x 36 x 36 x 36 x 36 = 60,466,176 variations for the very first box and just times that by 5 or six to get the possibilities for the variations on how many keys a single algorithm can make. It is not hard to understand this concept. (oh and this is not anything about warez or hacks or anything, we are learning Computations Permutations and Algorithmic Combination(s) in Maths these days and this was one of the problems ) Also, he has a Windows XP CD Key and has another Windows Installation disk. I don't see any problem in him using the Disc and the CD Key (that he already has) together to get his computer up and running :mellow: ... Zain
well I was learned wrong ... I'm going to do a bit of research and find out for real, I trust your answer, but still am curious Edit: Within the 2 minutes of my research that I just did, you are correct, I suppose you cannot always trust what you hear
That's how Keygen programs work. They create a "false" CD key that uses the same algorithm as, say, Adobe does. For example, rather than program the many millions of different CD keys they've assigned for sale, and then have to regularly update again, they simply create an algorithm which creates a complex combination of letters and numbers. If the letters and numbers entered as a CDkey match that algorithm, it is accepted. That's where product activation comes in. They simply make users require registering their CD key. They cross check that CDkey with their database of CDkeys which have been sold with the software, and if a CDkey is encountered that they havent created themselves, they know its a fake.
OEM will only work with OEM keys VLK will only work with VLK keys retail will only work with retail keys simple
Um...I don't think that the senarios above are always true. I have a XP Proffessional Key that is a Retail Boxed Version key, since I lost the box with the CD and still had the key, I used my Dad's OEM Version of XP Proffessional and installed it with my Retail key and it worked. :lol: I don't know sometimes you can spark the system haha... Zain
