Windows Question

[Rubiks14]

ok i know this seems like a random post but this is about the only forums i go to that actually have good traffic on a daily basis so yea here is my question. If i have windows xp installed on my computer and i want to re-install it(to get rid of excess crap) and i don't have a cd(but i have the cd key) and i have a friend that does have the cd. Can i use my friends cd and my cd key to re-install windows onto my computer? i figure i can but i thought i would ask b4 i go and format my harddrive :D. thanks for any help Rubiks14

[hussain21]

it depends if your CD key is for XP pro upgrade, and his CD is XP pro OEM(vice-versa, this also includes the home edition), it won't work. XP home CD key with an XP pro CD(vice-versa, both for OEM and upgrade versions), nope doesn't work.

So I wouldn't want to take a chance, I tried that whole CD switching thing at a friends, I had 4 versions of windows XP, 2 CD keys, as I said above it won't work. So make sure your CD key and CD match, ie. OEM XP pro CD key and OEM XP Pro CD.

Just as a note: OEM is original equipment manufacturer, if you a buy new computer from someone with a new OS(for simplicity lets just say HP), everything on the computer is OEM, go buy a hard drive at the store that isn't OEM. MS does the OEM and upgrade because you get a little discount from the upgrade, so you need the CD of an older version of windows, and the OEM is ment for new computers usually built by system builders, so they don't need the CD check.

[Rubiks14]

ok they are the same version of windows just regular xp home but mine happens to be an hp (it's just a pos that i want to dual-boot windows and linux on) so would that mean won't work

thanks for reply btw and when i say pos i mean like not as good as i want but it's still good enough to dual-boot

P.S actually this computer i'm trying it with mainly is just a guinie pig bc it has a couple motherboard issues so i'm just using it for tests. i'm gettin another tower to use in a couple days anyway and for free w00t.