WINXP Certificate of Authenticity

[SonicVanguard]

Okay, I've got two OEM Certificate of Authenticity's for the two systems in our studio. $6,400 question: how do I tell which one goes to which system? We are selling one of the systems to a privateer videographer and part of the deal (obviously) is that he gets all the documentation that comes with his machine. How can I match up the numbers on these COA's to the installation CD and then to the machine? Each COA has a set of numbers (XXXXX-OEM-XXXXXXX-XXXXX) and each installation CD has it's product key (XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX). So...how do I figure out which COA goes with which CD? And then...how do I match up that information with the correct system?

TIA.

Dave.

[ktkendall]

Did you check under system properties and the general tab, right down in the middle under registered to, and the name then there is a long hyphenated string of numbers, see if that matches up to the numbers on the COA...

[SonicVanguard]

I already thought of that after I posted this. And it should have worked save for one small problem. When we did hardware upgrades on these systems (changed out the hard drives), my partner had to call Microsoft and re-activate both systems. So now those numbers do not correspond to either of the COAs. I'm wondering if calling Microsoft's activation number would help? I found a tool that shows the product key that was used, so I know which CD goes with which system. But I've still got to match up this COAs.....Grrrrrr.

Dave.

[ktkendall]

I read once that those numbers are not specific to the CD, so that it won't really matter which COA you sell with the system either one should work.. I don't actually know that from experience though but I did read that here once....

[SonicVanguard]

Well that would be great. But how to confirm that? Maybe one of our re-sellers that frequent PCMechanic could lend a hand?

Dave.

[Sumdumgi]

I would call MS and ask them just to be sure. They can email you a response for your buyers proof.

[HAL9000]

Run this program to get your product key so you can match the COA with the system... it doesn't matter which CD goes with which product key as they are not directly tied together.... I use a single CD for all Win9X, WinNT, Win2K, and WinXP installs.. I just enter the appropriate key without cracking open the package.

[SonicVanguard]

Thanks for your input Hal.

I've got the product key for each system, so I can give him the correct one. But I'm still at a loss as to the Cirtificate of Authenticity. How do I determine which one to give him?

Dave.

[HAL9000]

When you say COA.. you just talkin the piece of paper... or the one with the product key on it... if you're just talking the piece of paper... doesn't matter.

[SonicVanguard]

I'm talking a piece of paper with a product ID on it in this form:

Product ID: XXXXX-OEM-XXXXXXX-XXXXX 
A BARCODE
* X X X X X X X X X *

I had assumed that the product ID would match up with the number shown under system properties General tab where it says Registered To:.......

But each system was upgraded with new hard drives - when Craig went to re-install each copy of WindowsXP he had to call Microsoft to re-activate the Operating System. Could the new 'key' entered during the phone activation done something to the numbers shown in system properites? This upgrade scenario occured on both systems so neither of the numbers shown on system properties match the COA's that I've got sitting on my desk. And I know that these to COA's go to each system's OS since we have no other Microsoft software installed in any computer in the studio.

Dave.