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installing xp sp2 corp over xp pro sp2

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I've got a client that's in a rush to have this done. I'm awake of a night, and he wants it done overnight, so it suits the both of us. It's a system that had xp sp1 installed originally, then upgraded with the sp2 patch. He wants corp put on because he's sick of being nagged about genuine windows - I'm just following orders, he works for ms in north ryde, sydney, so I'm guessing everything is above board. I think he'd just rather keep his existing programs than to use the corp cd and start over. Can corp be installed over the top of a system with sp2 pro already on there, either from windows or booting from the cd in DOS?
 
Yeah I think it would, but it'll probably want to install to a different system directory (not c:\windows\). And it'll basically install kind of like new, but all the old stuff will be on there. That's my guess anyway. I don't think a repair install would work because it'll say it's not the same version of Windows. This is all just an educated guess though....so I could be wrong. :shrug:
 
And BTW...if the corp copy is not "genuine"...he'll still get the nags and won't be able to take newer updates like WMP11, etc.

Corp skips the original activation, but not the WGA stuff they use for updates and stuff. Just FYI
 
corp?

don't you mean xp pro with a vlk key? It's the volume license key that allows admins to avoid activation. Just change the key to a legal paid for one, vlk or whatever and that's it.
If it's a legit vlk key, he'll not have to activate and will pass the genuine disadvantage tool.
 
thefly said:
corp?

don't you mean xp pro with a vlk key? It's the volume license key that allows admins to avoid activation. Just change the key to a legal paid for one, vlk or whatever and that's it.
If it's a legit vlk key, he'll not have to activate and will pass the genuine disadvantage tool.


You can't use a VLK with a none Volume version of Windows XP
 
depends. If it's a preloaded machine from Hp or ibm or whatever it won't work.

If it's just a vanilla installation of xp pro, you can.
 
thefly said:
If it's just a vanilla installation of xp pro, you can.

I can confirm that.

I bought a used computer for my mom, and it had a vlk serial, and I was able to just change the serial and the computer passed the genuine crap.
 
Oroka Sempai said:
I can confirm that.

I bought a used computer for my mom, and it had a vlk serial, and I was able to just change the serial and the computer passed the genuine crap.


Yes, you can go from VLK TO retail/OEM...but not the other way around (which is what the OP wants to do)
 
jivetrky said:
Yes, you can go from VLK TO retail/OEM...but not the other way around (which is what the OP wants to do)


And during a repair install you use a volume license media and VLK should work. It writes over all that stuff (Windows) but won't touch installed programs or settings.
 
ErikD said:
And during a repair install you use a volume license media and VLK should work. It writes over all that stuff (Windows) but won't touch installed programs or settings.



Are you sure it'll repair with a different version of windows? I'm thinking it wouldn't
 
jivetrky said:
Are you sure it'll repair with a different version of windows? I'm thinking it wouldn't

I just did it last night from my VLK to OEM. (Bought a VLK not knowing what it was - and almost paying full price too..:mad: ..) Repair install went fine. Had to reinstall some driver and run the windows update to get all the patches, but it worked. No lost data. Jelly Bean wouldn't work as I belive it uses a different cryptographic key system. Now I'm legal again :beer:
 
Yes going from whatever version of hacked XP Pro or an OEM or retail version of Pro and doing a repair with a VLK will work fine. You must however have a real VLK from MS and the appropriate VLK media.
I'm speaking from first-hand experience here as we took an office full of hacked pro's to VLK all with "repair" installs. No real issues.

You can also use a new OEM Pro on a hacked pro machine using the same "repair" and usually leave all the programs/settings as they were. Often I've found though that other hacked software needs to be removed first as does any malware that these machines typically have due to being out of date with security updates and often not having proper AV.
 
torin3 said:
I just did it last night from my VLK to OEM. (Bought a VLK not knowing what it was - and almost paying full price too..:mad: ..) Repair install went fine. Had to reinstall some driver and run the windows update to get all the patches, but it worked. No lost data. Jelly Bean wouldn't work as I belive it uses a different cryptographic key system. Now I'm legal again :beer:


Like I said, you can go from VLK to OEM/Retail ....but not the other way around
 
jivetrky said:
Like I said, you can go from VLK to OEM/Retail ....but not the other way around

Yes but in doing a repair install you overwrite all of theose files, and essentially install the OS again. It will ask you for a CD key during the process, and it will need to match whatever media you currently have.
 
OK.....I can confirm that XP Pro Corp w/SP2 WILL install over XP Pro OEM.

I didn't install SP2 on XP Pro OEM because I didn't want to have to waste one of my validations on it. And thus couldn't install SP2, etc.


But, doing a repair install with a VLK WinXP, the repair option worked, and the installed programs and created files were all still there after the install.

(this was on a VMWare install BTW)


So to correctly answer the OP's question....yes you should be able to install the VLK over OEM/Retail and not loose the original settings.
 
I would also add that while a repair install is a great option, and will work without issues 99% of the time, take some precautions. Before I do a repair install on a system with data or whatever needs to be saved I make a image of the drive. This way if the install crashes you are no better or worse off than when you started. Much better than losing everything.
 
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