Installing Pirated Windows XP with legit key

[Gray Fox]

I planning on formatting my PC, I have not done that since I bought my PC which was about 4 years ago. The problem is we bought this PC trough my fathers former employer who is now bankrupt. The windows xp on this machine came reinstalled and we did not receive a CD. However on the side of my PC case there is a holographic sticker with the Win.XP CD key.

So my question is can I download a pirated version of XP and use that in conjunction with my key to reinstall XP on my PC. And I read when reinstalling Xp you have to call MS up or something, I know you are only allowed to install Xp like 5 times or something like that, people often talk about how they tricked MS. Will I have to call MS up?
These question may be stupid, but I have never installed xp before so I have idea what procedure I have to follow, and I do not want to end up paying 100 or more for a new version of Xp while vista is so close.

In any case thnx in advance for answering my questions. :cheers:

 

[NeptuneUK]

Borrow someone elses XP CD to be safe, that should work

 

[WhiteZero]

As long as the key your using is for the same version of windows your installing it doesnt matter if the disk is legit or not. We are allowed to make back-ups you know.

 

[DreamThrall]

As long as the key your using is for the same version of windows your installing it doesnt matter

And by "same version" that means SPs as well. For example, a disc with SP1 or SP2 pre-installed won't accept a key meant for a disc with no SPs pre-installed at all and vice-versa.

Also, vendor-specific (OEM) keys won't work with retail CDs. Alternately, I don't think vendor-specific CDs (like ones you receive from Dell) will be usable computers from different vendors.

Short answer is yes, but everything has to match up. If you can't get it to work, try calling up the vendor or Microsoft, you might be able to get them to send you just the media (CD only) for like $20 or even free.

 

[Cole]

I don't think vendor-specific CDs (like ones you receive from Dell) will be usable computers from different vendors.

Sometimes they will. Big sometimes though. I've got vendor specific ones to install on some computers with similar hardware.

 

[Asus]

What kind of machine is it? Some times the key is only for that kind of install disc (like dell or HP only etc). So a regular retail/OEM disc wouldn't work. It really does have to be the same kind of disc that was used to install it in the first place (Home, Pro, Corporate). You could download one and give it a shot.

I've heard the dell/hp XP installs say not to install it on any other PC (even if you uninstall if from that one).

 

[Gray Fox]

I think I have a retail windows home xp, I attached a picture I made of the sticker. And it's not a HP/Dell PC

In any case I downloaded a torrent named:

Windows XP Home SP2 [OEM Edition]

I assume it will not work since it is for OEM and my windows came with sp1, at least I'm pretty sure it did, maybe not even sp1. But I'm sure not with sp2.

Do I have to try and find a CD with only sp1 installed now?
I also found a different torrent named:
Master Bootable Windowsxp Sp2
I'm guessing this would not work either.

BTW if I would to say I lost my CD would MS send me another one(without CDkey), and how much would that cost.

 

[NeptuneUK]

OEM keys work Dell ones dont though!
just find an ISO for windows XP service pack 1 and burn it to a bootable CD, so its the same as a real copy!

 

[depth9000]

I think I have a retail windows home xp, I attached a picture I made of the sticker. And it's not a HP/Dell PC

In any case I downloaded a torrent named:

Windows XP Home SP2 [OEM Edition]

I assume it will not work since it is for OEM and my windows came with sp1, at least I'm pretty sure it did, maybe not even sp1. But I'm sure not with sp2.

Do I have to try and find a CD with only sp1 installed now?
I also found a different torrent named:
Master Bootable Windowsxp Sp2
I'm guessing this would not work either.

BTW if I would to say I lost my CD would MS send me another one(without CDkey), and how much would that cost.

If I were you I would have blurred out ALL the numbers from the picture of that sticker.

 

[Gray Fox]

I removed it completely now, but why did you say that, what could people do with the other numbers on the sticker?
I do know however now for sure that my Windows is an OEM version, the problem is the company who made it has been bankrupt for a while now.

 

[Asus]

MS is bankrupt!? =p
Wouldn't hurt to see if MS could send ya a new CD or how much it would cost. But it sounds like it came from somewhere else maybe?

 

[Dumb Dude]

I used to get legit keys from the stickers that were on the display computers at Best Buy. It was good stuff.

I'm only joking I never did such a thing..>_>

 

[Shasta]

I used to get legit keys from the stickers that were on the display computers at Best Buy. It was good stuff.

That is some funny sh*t.

Not that I condone it of course, but funny all the same.

 

[the_lone_wolf]

And by "same version" that means SPs as well. For example, a disc with SP1 or SP2 pre-installed won't accept a key meant for a disc with no SPs pre-installed at all and vice-versa.

i have installed SP2 on a machine using a Sony preinstalled SP1 key when downloading service pack 1 caused all sorts of instability, so in some instances it will work

ironically i'm using a keygen'd version of windows now, as a while back i had no end of problems updating hardware and got sick of phoning some guy in a hut in bangladesh each time i reinstalled:angel:

 

[Cole]

and got sick of phoning some guy in a hut in bangladesh each time i reinstalled

I love talking to the guys when getting your password done. Ask them personal questions!

 

[Gray Fox]

In any case I'm about to format my drive, and I have a few question since I only done this 1 time before on an old win 98 machine.

I was planning on first defragging my hard drive, then letting my PC check my harddisk for errors, and repairing them, and then putting the files I want to keep on my external HD and then formatting. Is this a good idea?
Is it wise to do a defrag and disc check before a format, or is it just wasting time. And should I transfer my files before defragging and doing a disk check, I'm afraid that if I do not defrag and do a disc check the files before transferring them they might be put fragmented and even corrupt on my external HD.

And should I format by putting in a Windows XP disc and choosing a clean install, or by starting my pc in DOS mode and putting in the format command manually, thats what I did with my old win.98 machine?