Hey Angel :-)
Thank you for posting in our forums. Sounds like the recovery partition was corrupt beyone use. Let me explain why using your friends Windows XP disc didn't work in your situation. As you know there are different versions of XP such as XP Professional, XP Home, XP Media Center 2004 and 2005 etc. Each version has a particular product key which allows for the installation to take place. So using a product key from XP Professional will not allow XP Home to install. We may be able to help. Who is the manufacture of your computer system? Was it built by the store or from a major manufacturer.
Next there are other differences such as OEM-System Builder, OEM-SLP Versions and Retail. Below I will provide some explainations.
OEM-SLP: Computers built by large commercial manufacturers that come with Vista Pre-installed come with two (2) Product Keys; SLP and COA Key. SLP stands for System Locked Pre-install. OEM manufacturer’s add an OEM identifier string to the system BIOS during manufacturing. Windows verifies this identifier during the boot process. In this way the end user will not be required to activate Windows. The OEM SLP Key is geared to work with the special instructions found on that Manufacturer’s computer hardware. The Product Key is available on the COA sticker and not installed in the computer. For example all DELL OEM SLP Windows Vista systems use a single product key but the COA sticker on the machine contains the unique COA. The key located on the COA sticker should only be used in limited situations and requires telephone activation. Example should you require to reformate the computer the key from the COA sticker would be used.
OEM (System builder/COA): OEM license for XP comes with certain restrictions that make it less flexible, and therefore less expensive, than the retail license for Vista. A major limitation is that the license is "married" to the computer onto which it is first installed, and the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) states it is not permitted to be moved to any another computer. One does not "lose their license" for XP if the motherboard becomes defective and has to be replaced. If the computer owner chooses to use, or because of availability is forced to use, a board that is not a direct or identical replacement, there has to be a mechanism to accommodate these circumstances, and that is why a telephonic activation is authorized. To read your EULA, click Start>Run, type winver and click OK, then click on the link for the license terms or EULA.
Single Retail User License: Retail licenses may be moved from one computer to another, as long as the license is activated on one computer at a time and as long as the previous installation of the license is removed from the previously licensed computer. Each Windows Vista installation has a unique product key associated with it. System must be activated within 30 days of installation. After a 30 day grace period, the user will not be able to login to system without activation.
Volume License Key (VLK): The Volume license is type of license, where each VLK customer will be given a single product key and they can use this key to install Windows Vista on multiple computers. No Activation is required. Hardware requirements are not verified.
Take care and post back who the manufacturer of your machine.
Stephen
Attention All Forum Users: Please Do Not post your issue in someone else's Thread...Create your own which will help minimize confusion. If any post fixes your issue, please click the "Post was Helpful" button for that post. This will help us showcase the threads that best help our customers. Thank you, Stephen Holm
