Windows XP product key not working.

Message

johnson · #1 Post by **johnson** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:14 am

Trying to install XP Pro on my X31 and it tells me that the key on the bottom of the laptop and FCKGW key is not valid. What do I do?

egibbs · #2 Post by **egibbs** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:21 am

The key on the machine is for the OEM version that came with it - is that what you are installing? If it's is a retail (boxed) version you would need to use the retail product key off the package.

Ed Gibbs

johnson · #3 Post by **johnson** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:29 am

What's the difference? I had a copy and I intended to use the key on the thinkpad. How do I get an OEM disc?

edit - Im gonna find an OEM disc or try and get Lenovo to send me a set of cd's.

Stargate199 · #4 Post by **Stargate199** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:38 pm

johnson wrote:What's the difference? I had a copy and I intended to use the key on the thinkpad. How do I get an OEM disc?

edit - Im gonna find an OEM disc or try and get Lenovo to send me a set of cd's.

Microsoft does this to limit piracy. It really doesn't make any sense why they license this way, but I don't ask those questions. You may be able to ask for a Recovery Disk set from Lenovo, but any OEM Windows CD will work just fine.

CareyB · #5 Post by **CareyB** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:25 am

Would an OEM XP home CD would work for the XP pro cd key on the bottom of the thinkpad?

#6 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:45 am

That shouldn't work!

Cheers,

Bill

Stargate199 · #7 Post by **Stargate199** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:40 am

CareyB wrote:Would an OEM XP home CD would work for the XP pro cd key on the bottom of the thinkpad?

No, you MUST use a Windows XP Professional OEM CD to use the product key on the bottom of your laptop. You WILL get an invalid key error if you do. There is a sticky on the top of the Windows OS forum that explains all of this (I wrote it

). That should clear up all of your answers. Microsoft makes it very difficult to tell you what you can and cannot do with Windows, so I'm not surprised you have these questions.

CareyB · #8 Post by **CareyB** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:26 am

Thanks for the responses.

Only makes sense that it would be a pro oem that works and not just any oem but a few threads I read on here made it seem like any oem disc would work.

Glad I found out now before I bought a new hard drive.

Windows XP product key not working.

Windows XP product key not working.

Who is online