Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

I suggest you find your product key now while you have the chance, write it down, and stick it someplace safe. You can always get a copy of the appropriate media later.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/produc...pkeyfinder.htm

Thanks a lot for that... wouldn't have known about those programs. Hopefully I'll be able to do a clean install with the key... And yeah, I'm just going to download a new copy of XP via torrent and then use my product key after burning it with an ISO program.. that should work properly.

[snepp]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

You'll have to make sure to get the right media, not all keys are created equally. There's a difference between an OEM copy, and a retail copy. An OEM key won't work on the retail media, etc. There are ways to change how the media acts, but easier to get the right media in the first place.

Are you familiar with Regedit?

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

Nope, I'm not.

[snepp]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

Alright, here's how you can identify what type of media was used.

Go to 'Start' then 'Run'

Type 'regedit' and hit enter, the registry editor will open

(do not delete anything in here )

Expand the following folders....

'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE', then 'SYSTEM', then 'Setup', finally click in 'Pid'

In the right-hand pane there should be an 8 digit alpha-numeric entry

That's it, post that here and close the editor.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

Thanks, I'll do that tonight and let you know what it says.

So that will just determine which version of XP (OEM vs retail) that I need to download? I'm pretty positive it's OEM because this computer was a business system that was essentially still in the box when I bought it off of CraigsList (guy's wife ended up getting a laptop instead) -- so I don't think XP was an add-on that was purchased separately.

[snepp]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

So that will just determine which version of XP (OEM vs retail) that I need to download? I'm pretty positive it's OEM because this computer was a business system that was essentially still in the box when I bought it off of CraigsList (guy's wife ended up getting a laptop instead) -- so I don't think XP was an add-on that was purchased separately.

Right, that number is just the media identifier.

If it was a business machine there's a small possibility that it was part of a volume license (though unlikely), which is another media.

The last three digits are the important ones.
OEM = OEM
000 = Retail (I believe)
335 = Retail
270 = Volume

[p_rushing]

Re: Major PC Issues (Help Needed)

You can get the disk from the computer manufacturing, but most of the time you have to pay a fee to get it.