OK stupid key question...

Well had an issue with my laptop (wouldnt 'talk' with the other pc's in teh house). Well after searching the net for a month looking for a fix, decided to just reformat it since its 2 yrs old. Well reformatted it with the original XP Home disc it came with. Then I threw in teh SP2 update CD I got from MS.

Well after I got the wireless card software installed I went to activate it. Well teh key didnt work. After 2 or threee times double checking my typing, I finally had to call in. Well it came to me AFTER that I should had activated it BEFORE I put SP2.

Question is, if I reformat it again with SP1, can still I activate it online and then put SP2 on after? Or is that key null and void now?

Question is, if I reformat it again with SP1, can still I activate it online and then put SP2 on after? Or is that key null and void now?

Click to expand...

You can activate the OS anytime you'd like, as long as it's before the 30-day expiration period. And no, your key will not become null and void. If you haven't already, check out mbentley's sticky at the top of this forum...

windows xp activation (there is no expiration!)
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=298346

Well found out that if you have an oem or pre-installed XP, to re-activate it you have to call in now.

I am not 100% sure, but I really doubt that M$ would not let you patch a service pack onto a valid install. I would call and talk to them, see what they say.

My guess is that you could:
1) Reformat/Reinstall with the windows XP Home disc that it came with.
2) Activate
3) Download service pack 2 from the M$ website or patch it using M$ Windows update.

I would avoid using the disc you have as it may be a different build of the base OS or something. Not really sure how it works.

M$ wants you to install service packs, as they increase security, not just for your own PC but for all the other PC's out there.

MRD said:

My guess is that you could:
1) Reformat/Reinstall with the windows XP Home disc that it came with.
2) Activate
3) Download service pack 2 from the M$ website or patch it using M$ Windows update.

I would avoid using the disc you have as it may be a different build of the base OS or something. Not really sure how it works.

Click to expand...

1) it was refomatted with the disc that came with the laptop
2) I went to activate it online and was told I had to call in (this is the first time I had to reactivate it)
3) I never had issues using the SP2 disc that M$ sent me in the mail. Saves a LOT of time with updates if the majority of them are already in teh pc (especially with a wireless connection)

Considering this is a unmodified laptop, I doubt that the "build" changed.