question on installing windows xp

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

hi guys. need some advice here. im using an Acer laptop. the thing about laptop mfgs is that they dont give us the original windowsxp cd. i only get a horrible restore disc which does things that i dont like, for example

1) doing a 'ghost'
2) formatting in FAT32 instead of NTFS
3) Installing a whole load of crap programs that i dont need
4) resulting in a system that performs below expectations

now at the bottom of my laptop there is a Windows XP Home edition sticker. i have myself a windowsxp home ORIGINAL cd that i bought and used on another PC.

my question is: can i use that cd to format and install, and when prompted for my serial no, enter the no on the sticker below my laptop?

i am aware that i cant use a pro cdkey for a home cdrom and vice versa. but if it is a home cdrom and home cdkey, can it work?

thanks all

 

[arpinkor]

Short answer is that it won't work.

Long answer is because Acer, like all OEMs, use a special version of the OS which needs a different key from the retail Home version you have.
You can still install the Home version, of course, but you have to go thru the hassle of activation and all that crap.
There are ways around this, of course but we are not supposed to talk about this sort of things on a public forum like this.

 

[zaxh81]

YOu cannot use another winXP cd to install on another PC/laptop cause in the end,you still need to activate the serial.
I did a reformat using acer system restore disc and i think less work for me compare to reformating from a original WinXp disc.

 

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

wahh sian....okok how about this...

i install with the original cdkey....and then after that i use a CDkey changer to change the cdkey to my Acer CDkey. ;p

i know there are other ways la. but when i have an original copy, i dont see why i should try to do things like that :bsmilie:

 

[dreamerz]

wahh sian....okok how about this...

i install with the original cdkey....and then after that i use a CDkey changer to change the cdkey to my Acer CDkey. ;p

i know there are other ways la. but when i have an original copy, i dont see why i should try to do things like that :bsmilie:

haha...jus off whichever processes u dun need in services.msc lo...my laptop is tune to performace base liao...haha...n ghost will convert ur c: bk to fat32...so u can use convert.exe in cmd to convert it bk to ntfs...haha...tat is wat i always do...n ghosting is weay faster than installing a new os on...less clicking....:bsmilie:

 

[Static]

YOu cannot use another winXP cd to install on another PC/laptop cause in the end,you still need to activate the serial.
I did a reformat using acer system restore disc and i think less work for me compare to reformating from a original WinXp disc.

Try using a WinXP cd and install it in systems that are identical.

Same specs, same processor same everything and try to activite them.

 

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

hmm but microsoft seems to be quite willing to activate over the phone. just 2 mths ago i installed windows for my uncle. then his mobo died. last week i changed mobo and processor to opteron. ms willingly activiated for me over the phone.

oh well. i think i shd try la. uni holidays coming up. will format my pc with original cd and try to change cdkey in windows.