dale@fcg
04-14-2006, 09:29 AM
I'll start with a clarifying statement. Since XP requires activation, copies of an xp installation cd are not worth much except for backup purpose- or as I've used them. for several installations simultaneously. When I have several PC's that need xp installed at same time, I use my 'homemade' copies so that I can accomplish the multiple installations with at same time. These generally are pc's that come in with no original cd, but with a coa sticker on the side.
Another factor is that EACH TYPE OF INSTALLATION CD REQUIRES A CERTAIN TYPE OF COA. That is, there is a full retail version, an oem white box version, a proprietary third party version(Compaq, Toshiba, etc- generally recovery discs), and the Upgrade version (from which a full install can be done- just need to insert a win98 or ME cd into drive when prompted).
Of course, each of the above versions have their own branches (sp1, sp2). But the point being made is that to use a 'homemade' copied cd in conjunction with a coa, you need to use the same type of installation cd that the coa came with. In other words, each coa is tied to one of the four types of installation cd: full, upgrade, oem, recovery disk.
I know this because I ran into all kinds of heck trying to use a coa that came from a full install after i happened to use an upgrade install cd- not out of dishonesty (the full install had been paid for years earlier, i just happened to grab the the upgrade cd and use it to do a fresh install). A phone call to MS straightened everything out. Of course, I coulda just used a full version cd to re-install again, but I didn't want to go thru another hour of waiting so I called MS.
So I did an experiment a few days later. I used a full version cd (homemade copy) and full version coa (without activating). I then told the activation utility that I wanted to call MS to activate, which allows for the coa to be changed. But it would not accept an upgrade coa because a full version cd had been used. So I called MS again. Again they straightened it out. I read them the coa I had used, told them the coa I wanted to use, and they gave me back what to put into the blanks below my coa. It then activated.
All of the above was done off of 'homemade' backup copies of XP. (one backup per original cd). The app used to copy the original OS varied from Sonic RecordNow to Nero Express to Roxio (I'm not sure of the exact versions of each). The writers varied: Sony, Lite-on, LG among others.
Another factor is that EACH TYPE OF INSTALLATION CD REQUIRES A CERTAIN TYPE OF COA. That is, there is a full retail version, an oem white box version, a proprietary third party version(Compaq, Toshiba, etc- generally recovery discs), and the Upgrade version (from which a full install can be done- just need to insert a win98 or ME cd into drive when prompted).
Of course, each of the above versions have their own branches (sp1, sp2). But the point being made is that to use a 'homemade' copied cd in conjunction with a coa, you need to use the same type of installation cd that the coa came with. In other words, each coa is tied to one of the four types of installation cd: full, upgrade, oem, recovery disk.
I know this because I ran into all kinds of heck trying to use a coa that came from a full install after i happened to use an upgrade install cd- not out of dishonesty (the full install had been paid for years earlier, i just happened to grab the the upgrade cd and use it to do a fresh install). A phone call to MS straightened everything out. Of course, I coulda just used a full version cd to re-install again, but I didn't want to go thru another hour of waiting so I called MS.
So I did an experiment a few days later. I used a full version cd (homemade copy) and full version coa (without activating). I then told the activation utility that I wanted to call MS to activate, which allows for the coa to be changed. But it would not accept an upgrade coa because a full version cd had been used. So I called MS again. Again they straightened it out. I read them the coa I had used, told them the coa I wanted to use, and they gave me back what to put into the blanks below my coa. It then activated.
All of the above was done off of 'homemade' backup copies of XP. (one backup per original cd). The app used to copy the original OS varied from Sonic RecordNow to Nero Express to Roxio (I'm not sure of the exact versions of each). The writers varied: Sony, Lite-on, LG among others.