DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

XP activation

6 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/xp-activation.97462/

Sridhar_Rao
Sridhar_Rao Original post #1
Sep 9, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Can the genuine XP that came along with laptop be used to install on a desktop (if it is removed from laptop)? How is the activation done in desktop system? The 25-digit product key provided along with the CD does not work. Any idea what to be done?
ubersoldat
Sep 9, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Hi,

Since u have mentioned that u have the genuine Xp, u must contact microsoft and solve this issue. I am telling this becos u have paid for the original xp even though it came preloaded with the system. Do u have the Original XP CD with hologram sticker and the product key sticker? If u dont have, then u might have very well been taken for a ride by ur laptop dealer.

Bye.
:cool: Any comments are welcome

Can the genuine XP that came along with laptop be used to install on a desktop (if it is removed from laptop)? How is the activation done in desktop system? The 25-digit product key provided along with the CD does not work. Any idea what to be done?
Sridhar_Rao
Sep 10, 2008 at 12:16 AM
I did some research myself on this issue. Microsoft intends to sell the licensed copy of XP for single machine (home users) only. When the laptop is sold with XP, the product is pre-activated. The hardware details of laptop is stored in windows/system32 as wpa.dbl, if XP is loaded on to a different system, it finds all or most the hardware different from the original. This will prompt the user to get license reactivated and get a new key. A key is unique to a machine, so a borrowed key will not work on geniune versions. User has to call microsoft and give them a long series of number and if they are convinced that XP is being loaded on single machine ONLY, they will issue an activation code. This is the only legal way out.
S
Sep 10, 2008 at 7:05 AM
It depends on what license you have purchased for the XP... Is it a Retail version, OEM version, etc? If you read the license, you can find out whether the license is transferable from one computer to another or not...

Arun
NucleusKore
Sep 10, 2008 at 7:48 AM
If it came bundled with your laptop it's OEM and the license of the OEM XP is not transferrable to another system. If they sold you a Box Pack with your laptop, with manual and all then yes, you can load it in your desktop.
H
hsr #6
Sep 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM
let me tell you a final soln, if you don't get any, find a serial do the install, search for a file wpa_kill.exe in the nwt and you will know what to do... nothing is gonna happen :D