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[Mad1]

A few machines at work need XP reinstalling. They don't have any XP disks.

The machines have a licence that they were shipped with from the manufacturer.

Am I right in thinking I can buy an XP OEM disk and use that to reinstall the OS's?

[Wooster]

I think the licences on the machines would likely fail.

I'd call MS with the details of all the licences you've already got, explain the situation and see what they could do for you. 

(I a couple of people with OEM versions of XP who have done this and MS has mailed them an installation disk)

[Mad1]

Sounds daft but how would I contact microsoft?

[Mad1]

I phoned MS but it's just an answering machine with no valid options. :|

[Stevie]

I've used this method before.


on the machines you wan to re-activate open this regkey

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents

In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.

%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.

Click Change Product key.

Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update. If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.

Repeat steps 6 and 7 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message:

Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.



taken from

http://www.petri.co.il/change_the_serial_in_windows_xp.htm

[Mad1]

Thanks but it doesn't help me.

I cant get into windows to do any of that.
I don't want to change the CD key
I don't see the point in activating it when the PC's don't have internet access.

RARWARARWRARAR

[corroded]

http://www.petri.co.il/quickly_retrieve_windows_cd_key.htm

we have a utility at work that grabs out the windows/office keys as well, which we used on an audit.

depending on setup you might need a special installation disk, some oem stuff is different.

realistically, any xp cd will be fine to install from as long as the key is valid for it... doesn't matter if its off a copy or not... end of the day, the illegality is the incorrect usage of a license, not the media in itself. bear in mind, you can quite legally copy the install files to a hard drive and run it. ms do not copy protect their windows disks.

remember slipstreaming a cd isn't illegal, ms built the stuff to do it. grab the old keys off the pcs. install on a new one, via any xp disk you can find.

edit: oh, can't get into windows... hmm lemme think.

http://www.dagondesign.com/articles/windows-xp-product-key-recovery/

linux live cd, read the registry, grab the data as show and run it through that tool.

[Mad1]

They have the stickers on them with the CD-keys.

[corroded]

bring in xp cd and reinstall.

[Wooster]

Any old disk probably won't accept the OEM licences on the stickers though.

[corroded]

Worth a shot.