Invalid CD key? I don't think so.

[BFD Deadeye]

I'm doing an in place reinstall of XP Home on a very messed up machine. When it gets time to enter the product key, it says it is invalid. I have checked, re checked, typed and re typed the stupid thing, and it won't take it! I've wasted 3 hours of my life on this stupid thing. I have seen the Microsoft knowledge base article that pertains to this, and it doesn't help either.

The only thing I can think of, is this is a piece of crap HP, and to save themselves 30 stinkin cents, they don't bother to supply a XP CD. Instead, there is a 'recovery' partition. I'm using my Home CD for the reinstall, and using their VALID key. Is that the problem? How the heck do they expect you to ever reinstall XP again without a CD? I hate these corner cutting methods! Please help me.

[Shepherd1000]

Is your "Home CD" a retail version of XP? If yes, then that is the problem. Product keys for retail versions are different than those for OEM versions. The version you have installed on your messed up computer is an OEM version. If you can find someone with an OEM CD, your valid product key should work with it.

[RJ]

When you boot the HP, on the first screen you should be able to see a key that you need to press in order to restore Windows XP from the partition.
It should look like " enter setup, restore windows"

RJ

[Confused]

Both of our daily PC's have XP Pro. I bought my copy out of ignorance thinking Pro would be better when Home is fine for the home. I got the other copy couple of years ago from the MS partening program for $39.00.

Both are XP Pro.

I recently reinstalled my wife's PC because of a HD problem and because my copy of XP was handy I used it and when I entered her CD code it would not take it. Gave invalid code.

So I went and got her copy of XP and installed using it.

I don't understand why, but apparently our codes aren't interchangeable with the CD's even though they are both OEM legal verisons of XP Pro.
Chas

[BFD Deadeye]

Guys, thanks for the replies. I got it going by hitting the F10 key 1 1/2 billion times to get to the HP recovery utility. All is well, and it will be done after it downloads about 250 MB of XP updates.

[videobruce]

Thank goodness I'm sticking with 2k !!!!!