Sign in
Microsoft.com
 
Microsoft
 
 
 

locked
XP Pro product Code problem RRS feed

 > 

  • Question

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    I repair PCs for charities or for people on limited incomes and get old PCs donated to me by businesses, for "recycling". I recently had a company donate me 7 Dell PCs, all of which had had their hard drives fully wiped, for data confidentiality reasons. All had their XP Pro label stuck to their case, each with their unique Product Code. The company advised I could legitimately reinstate XP and use the stated Product Codes, as these had been purchased with each PC and remained tied to those PCs. I carried out the reinstallation using a Dell XP Pro Reinstallation disk I had received with a PC I purchased some years ago. I then activated each copy of XP via the Internet and the machines have since been working entirely satisfactorily, for some months, with automatic Microsoft updates taking place daily.  I recently had cause to check the Product Codes on each PC and found - to my great surprise - that each of the 7 PCs seemingly have the same Product Code. This code does not match any of the codes on the labels on any of the machines. Also, the product code on my original PC (which the XP Reinstallation Disk used was supplied with) has a different Product Code. Intending to alter the codes to the correct ones in each case, I did access a Microsoft web page which indicated methods for changing Product Codes but these methods only applied to Volume Licensing arrangements, and did not therefore work in my case.  I am concerned that I have 7 PCs all operating under the same Product Code. As I do, however, have the legal right to the unique Product Codes for each PC, I am not concerned about being accused of piracy or similar, but I would like to sort the problem by arranging for each PC to have the correct Product Code entered. Can anyone help by indicating how I do this? Thanks.
    Thursday, January 22, 2009 12:57 PM

Answers

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Motherboardlove,

    Let me provide you with additional information regarding how manufacturers install an OEM-SLP.

    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. 

     

     

    Stephen

    Stephen Holm
    • Marked as answer by Stephen Holm Friday, January 23, 2009 1:32 AM
    Friday, January 23, 2009 1:31 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Ricky Dicky,

    An installation of XP Pro on a Dell computer using the Dell-supplied Operating System Reinstallation CD will yield an XP Pro installation with the following PK as reported by the mgadiag utility:

    Windows Product Key: *****-*****-T6DFB-Y934T-YD4YT

    If you search this forum for the last three groups of characters, T6DFB-Y934T-YD4YT, you will get almost two hundred hits.  Note in the text blob at the end of the report that all will be Dell computers.

    If you are reinstalling XP Pro onto Dell computers with Certificates of Authenticity for XP Pro, using the Dell OS Reinstallation CD to do the installations, there is NO NEED to change the Product Key as installed by the Dell OS Reinstallation CD.

    Remember, that's how they came from Dell brand new in the box--why wouldn't that be good enough? :-)

    Also explained in this post:  http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/thread/04be18f4-28b8-4ff9-8bff-c48b895bb33c/

    For great advice on all topics XP, visit http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
    Friday, January 23, 2009 3:27 AM

All replies

  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Ricky,

    Unfortunately what you are asking doesn't fall into the support scope for the Windows Genuine Advantage forum. This forum does not have the experience nor capability to provide any customer assistance surrounding their End User Licensing Agreement (EULA).   Questions regarding Software Licensing Terms can be found at the following link:

    http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx

    Volume licensing customers can use the Microsoft Volume Licensing site to find contact information in their locations. See the following link:

    http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/default.mspx  

    For additional information about Certificates of Authenticity (COA), see the following link:

    http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/default.aspx?displaylang=en

    Additional Information:

    For licensing questions, please call 1-800-426-9400 (select option 4), Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. (PST) to speak directly to a Microsoft licensing specialist.


    Next have you contacted Dell and requested Hardware Transfer of the donated equipment?  Please visit 

    http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/international_ownership_transfer_form1?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1 and see if this is necessary. This forum will allow you or the organization to have ownership
    transferred. 


    Next I suggest you contact Dell Support and address the transferability of the COAs and Licensing... More than likey the company who made the donations had a Volume Licensing Key (VLK) Licensing. That company will still own that VLK and it will not be transferred.  Dell customer support is     http://support.dell.com/support/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen . 



    Stephen

    Stephen Holm
    Thursday, January 22, 2009 7:10 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Rick,

    Again your post is out of scope for the WGA program forum as well as out of our expertise. We would like to provide information steering you in another direction where you may receive a different type of assistance.  

    You may submit an application for Microsoft Grant and Software Programs.   Not all organizations are eligible so please read the critera carefully.  Guidance on how to apply and general eligibility criteria for the Microsoft Giving Programs is available at the following URL:

    http://www.microsoft.com/About/CorporateCitizenship/US/CommunityInvestment/ApplicationProcess.mspx

    Additional information may be found at Tech Soup a Microsoft nonprofit partner.

    http://www.techsoup.org/

    Please note we do not know all of the details but you may call and inquire about the program.  Thank you again for contacting us in the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program forums. 



    Take care and hopefully the information We have provided will help.


    Stephen

    Stephen Holm
    • Proposed as answer by Stephen Holm Thursday, January 22, 2009 7:13 PM
    Thursday, January 22, 2009 7:12 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    The Dell OEM CD is tied to the specific model. use a Windows CD. Compress the oembios.dat and .bin from a working Dell install using cabarc or makecab, or copy the files (oembios.da_ and oembios.bi_) from a Dell OEM CD to a OEM WIndows CD so it can be used on any PC. Then, use Dell's XP Pro OEM SLP or Microsofts generic one:

    MVF4D-W774K-MC4VM-QY6XY-R38TB

    from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx

    • Proposed as answer by motherboardlove Thursday, January 22, 2009 10:32 PM
    Thursday, January 22, 2009 10:32 PM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Motherboardlove,

    Let me provide you with additional information regarding how manufacturers install an OEM-SLP.

    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. 

     

     

    Stephen

    Stephen Holm
    • Marked as answer by Stephen Holm Friday, January 23, 2009 1:32 AM
    Friday, January 23, 2009 1:31 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote

    Ricky Dicky,

    An installation of XP Pro on a Dell computer using the Dell-supplied Operating System Reinstallation CD will yield an XP Pro installation with the following PK as reported by the mgadiag utility:

    Windows Product Key: *****-*****-T6DFB-Y934T-YD4YT

    If you search this forum for the last three groups of characters, T6DFB-Y934T-YD4YT, you will get almost two hundred hits.  Note in the text blob at the end of the report that all will be Dell computers.

    If you are reinstalling XP Pro onto Dell computers with Certificates of Authenticity for XP Pro, using the Dell OS Reinstallation CD to do the installations, there is NO NEED to change the Product Key as installed by the Dell OS Reinstallation CD.

    Remember, that's how they came from Dell brand new in the box--why wouldn't that be good enough? :-)

    Also explained in this post:  http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/thread/04be18f4-28b8-4ff9-8bff-c48b895bb33c/

    For great advice on all topics XP, visit http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
    Friday, January 23, 2009 3:27 AM
  • Question
    Sign in to vote
    0
    Sign in to vote
    Grateful thanks to all who have responded. Looks like I have one or two possible routes. Thanks again.
    Friday, January 23, 2009 7:52 AM