I am really disgusted with Microsoft.
I have 32 bit Windows XP Professional running on an HP nx6325 machine with an OEM COA. I used the COA key on the back of the computer to install and validate the OS which validated successfully. I discover that Microsoft offers a trial of x64 XP Professional
download and proceed to follow the instructions on the Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=33656.
It first asks the user to continue through the validation process by clicking the 'Validation Required' button in order to proceed. I click this button and it validates that my OS installation is valid and allows me then to continue downloading the Windows
XP Professional x64. I download this and create a bootable disk to install onto the same computer that it validated.
When I install this however and it asks for the COA key, the key that I used to get this far results in a 'Invalid Key' during the installation.
This is very frustrating because if I knew that I would run into validation problems I would have never bothered trying to upgrade to the x64 version. Yet because it claims that my system for valid for this process and then failing it during the install,
I am starting from scratch having wasting precious time. To revert I will have to reinstall the 32 bit and then take the time to install all of the driver updates and Microsoft updates which again is quite time consuming; but with nothing gained. It seems
peculiar that it would do this when it does not distinguish between 32 and 64 bit COA keys for Windows 7 and Vista.
Is there way to make this work with the 64 bit OS installation? Is there a good reason why this fails?
By the way I cannot run the MGA Diagnostic Report because that would require a successful installation in the first place.
Thank you,
