OEM (Re)Install

[GorfTheFrog]

Hi All -

I have an old HP Pavilion (A300N) that I purchased at retail some years ago. It came pre-installed w/ XP and a recovery partition in order to re-load the machine. I've recently re-loaded from the recovery partition, but darn if there isn't just gigs of unwanted software on the drive that came along for the ride when I recovered.

This is clearly an OEM install of XP, and there is a Windows Product Key stiker on the case of the machine.

Question - Will the OEM product key work if I re-install XP from a retail installation CD? I would be re-installing on the same box, so same internal components, etc. Seems like this should work, but I'd like to get an opinion from the experts here before I invest the time.

Having the old XP box available in a clean state is important to me for other backup and redundancy issues here at home.

Many thanks!
###

 

[badge]

Windows XP installation CD comes with a specific assigned 'Key'. The CD and the accompanying key are issued as one and must match.

 

[GorfTheFrog]

Wow. OK. I would have thought that all the installation CDs were the same and the product key insert on the packaging was the key to licensing your system. But that's why I asked.

So, back to my original goal. I've cleaned up much of the installation already, but it's a bit of a tedious process, chasing down registry entries and software that doesn't show have an uninstall or show up in the Add-Remove control panel utility. Can anyone recommend a good resource for analyzing a PC and removing those "extras" that come with a retail purchase but are not part of the core OS?

Thanks!
###

 

[Guest]

http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

You could use a Windows XP Home OEM CD with your product key but you would have to download and install all the drivers from HP.

 

[GorfTheFrog]

Ah-ha! So I could use any Home OEM installation CD?

There seem to be a few of these still available via the usual retail sites and on-line order.

Some XP OEM disks are sold as the "System Builder" version - how is this different? Is this just a name change?

Thanks!
###

 

[badge]

Question - Will the OEM product key work if I re-install XP from a retail installation CD?

No.

 

[GorfTheFrog]

Hi Badge -

I'm sorry, but now I'm confused. Can you clarify, based on the context of the thread? From your first response I understood that there is a connection between the product key and the CD, and a standard XP Home CD would not allow a re-install into a machine, using the OEM product code that is currently running on that PC.

In a subsequent post, Grumpy indicated that it should work as long as I am using the same version of XP which, in this case, would be an "OEM Home" version.

By your last reply, do you mean that even an OEM Home version CD (which I would have to purchase through a retail outlet) will not allow an installation on a PC, using the OEM Product Key that is currently running and valid on that same PC?

Again, sorry for the confusion on my part. Just making sure that I am clear.

Thanks!
###

 

[Guest]

If you have a Windows XP Home OEM CD and a Windows XP Home OEM Product Key, you can install Windows. You CANNOT use a Windows XP Home Retail CD with a Windows XP Home OEM Product Key. Also, you should slipstream SP3 into the CD.

 

[GorfTheFrog]

Ok. Thanks! Also I appreciate the advice about slipstreaming. That's why I really like this forum - folks who respond always go the extra step with additional helpful info.

I've previously read through some "How-to" pages on slip-streaming, and to be honest, I re-build my home systems so rarely that I'm not sure it would be helpful for me. (Sum total, this would be only the second "from-disk" XP install I've done.) Instead I'll download SP3 and apply it right after the install, but before connecting to the internet.

Thanks again!
###