Windows Activation Key

[Kohta]

My brother's Hard Drive flopped recently, giving him bootmgr missing, we tried everything and came to the conclusion that we're going to have to repair it, he bought it from BestBuy about 5 years ago and it came with the sticker on the gate with his product key, but they did not give him a recovery DVD of course.

His Windows Version is "Windows Vista Home Premium OEM", his PC was made by HP.
So we're trying to explore some kind of work around, I have 3 DVD's here, one is Windows Vista Home Premium OEM x86 i got with my Dell a few years ago, The other is Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 x86 & x64 (i bought it retail) and the other is SP2 both 32 and 64 bit in the box, which belongs to my friend, he let me borrow it just incase one or the other doesn't work.

I'm 99% sure my brothers key will work with both 32bit and 64bit, and we are going to try to use these DVD's to repair his system, before my brother gets over here i was wondering if any of these are going to either repair his system, or, in the case that we do a re-install on a new HDD if i can use one of the above mentioned DVD's with his key?

EDIT: Honestly, my friends box just says "Windows Vista Home Premium" only his product sticker says "SP2" if that makes any difference.

 

[mbentley]

Just in case you haven't tried one of these methods, I'd give one of them a try:
http://cyberst0rm.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-fix-bootmgr-is-missing-in.html

 

[Kohta]

Just in case you haven't tried one of these methods, I'd give one of them a try:
http://cyberst0rm.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-fix-bootmgr-is-missing-in.html

Well that's just it, my question is which of the CD's can i use or does it matter? He never got an original disk with his PC purchase and we're trying to get around spending money for a disk when we have all kinds of flavors already, both of those solutions require the disk, more specifically, that's my entire question, if i can use one of the retails in my possession mentioned above. He has his own key on the side of the unit, we're wondering if "OEM" is going to effect anything when we try to use either a OEM from a different brand, or the retail version.

Just to reiterate what i have on hand:
Windows Vista Home Premium (DELL OEM 32bit Only)
Windows Vista Home Premium (product key sticker says "SP1") [Retail] 32 & 64 bit disk
Windows Vista Home Premium (product key sticker says "SP2") [Retail] 32 & 64 bit disk

My Brothers Case Sticker
Windows Vista Home Premium OEM
PC Made by HP

 

[petteyg359]

He has his own key on the side of the unit, we're wondering if "OEM" is going to effect anything when we try to use either a OEM from a different brand, or the retail version.

The key on the sticker may be a bunch of BS (in case the manufacturer just used a volume license key for the install and expects to rip you off for a spare install disc when you forget to burn the restore discs yourself). It can't hurt to try, but there's a significant chance that it won't work. If it doesn't, try the Dell restore discs. At one point, many Vista OEM installs validated against an OEM BIOS, and otherwise ignored the product key. I don't know whether that was done by Microsoft (and therefore valid for a large range of different OEMs) or by each individual distributor.

If you're re-installing from scratch, obviously the newest retail disc should be tried first. It already has a lot of updates that you won't have to download, and it won't include the bloatware that Dell's disc will.
If you're just talking about using the "system restore" stuff, just use the same architecture as the currently installed version. Which "edition" is it should be irrelevant.

 

[mbentley]

In order to do the startup repair or use the recovery console, you should just use the same vista disc as the architecture (32 or 64 bit) and it should work fine.

 

[Kohta]

The key on the sticker may be a bunch of BS (in case the manufacturer just used a volume license key for the install and expects to rip you off for a spare install disc when you forget to burn the restore discs yourself). It can't hurt to try, but there's a significant chance that it won't work. If it doesn't, try the Dell restore discs. At one point, many Vista OEM installs validated against an OEM BIOS, and otherwise ignored the product key. I don't know whether that was done by Microsoft (and therefore valid for a large range of different OEMs) or by each individual distributor.

If you're re-installing from scratch, obviously the newest retail disc should be tried first. It already has a lot of updates that you won't have to download, and it won't include the bloatware that Dell's disc will.

Oh, ok, so the "SP1" and "SP2" on the stickers just means it's more updated? The sticker on his case is nothing like one's you find on a box, there is a stamped date on it and it's got a holographic effect when turned into the light reading "Authentic" and "Microsoft" like a water mark.

Thanks Bently, i will try the 32 bit disk first, he has the 32bit version installed from the factory (This is why i started building my own PC's to begin with.. i got tired of dealing with the middle man companies that don't really want to support you unless you send your rig in for a month along with a check) I'm slowly talking him into letting me build one for him, he is content with the one he has right now, but stated next time he was coming to me for a PC, if it weren't for me + you guys helping him he would ave ran to bestbuy and they probably would of charged him $50 or something ridiculous.

Additionally, we are planning to try to restore first, and if it doesn't work, we will try a fresh install with a Retail disk or something and enter his key.

 

[nd4spdbh2]

just use your retail disk you have (32 bit or 64 it dont matter) and ull be fine. gone are the days of OEM and Retail keys not playing with opposite disks (ala xp days)

 

[Metlcub]

What I have done , Vista and win 7 is not even put the Serial Key in, and install windows. Then after windows is installed, Input the CD key, 90% of the times it works, the other 10% i just had to call MS , read them a long # and they have me put in another long # and boom it's activated.. All you got to tell them is, I had to get a new hard drive and you should be fine.