XP Part I

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

jll wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm sure this question has already been answered many times before in
> this forum. But, I'm new to XP and a little confused about some terms.
> I hear terms like License #, Product key, registration and Certificate
> of Authenticity, COA. The importance of a Product key I'm familiar
> with having upgraded thru Win 95, 98 and 98SE. What is the importance
> of the other terms and what role do they play in making sure I stay
> legal? I'm using a DELL PC that came loaded with XP Home and as far as
> I know, I've never been prompted by M$ to get a Certificate. I'm
> getting updates etc. Any explanation will be helpful.
> Thanks,
> jll
> (addy is fake)

This should help answer your questions:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_how.mspx

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Product key & COA

Product keys are 25-character alphanumeric strings that are formatted in
groups of five characters, separated by dashes. (for example,
BCDFG-12345-HJKLM-67890-NPQRS).

[[The product key also forms the basis for the product ID that is created
when Windows XP is installed. Each licensed instance of Windows XP has a
unique Product ID. The Product ID has 20 characters arranged like this:
12345-123-1234567-12345. It is listed in the properties for My Computer.]]

What is Windows Product Activation?
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/window...

Understanding product keys
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/window...

Product Key Validation: Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/pid_faq...

Retail COA
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/static/...

OEM COA
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/static/...

Preinstalled Non-Windows Software COA
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/static/...

How to Tell: Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/coa.msp...

How to Tell: COA - Previous Retail Versions
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/archive...

How to Tell: COA - Previous OEM Versions
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/ww/archive...


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:Zkbye.119849$x96.79847@attbi_s72,
jll <jll@nobodyhome.com> hunted and pecked:
> Hi,
> I'm sure this question has already been answered many times before in this
> forum. But, I'm new to XP and a little confused about some terms. I hear
> terms like License #, Product key, registration and Certificate of
> Authenticity, COA. The importance of a Product key I'm familiar with
> having upgraded thru Win 95, 98 and 98SE. What is the importance of the
> other terms and what role do they play in making sure I stay legal? I'm
> using a DELL PC that came loaded with XP Home and as far as I know, I've
> never been prompted by M$ to get a Certificate. I'm getting updates etc.
> Any explanation will be helpful.
> Thanks,
> jll
> (addy is fake)

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

"jll" <jll@nobodyhome.com> wrote in message
news:Zkbye.119849$x96.79847@attbi_s72...
> Hi,
> I'm sure this question has already been answered many times before in this
> forum. But, I'm new to XP and a little confused about some terms. I hear
> terms like License #, Product key, registration and Certificate of
> Authenticity, COA. The importance of a Product key I'm familiar with
> having upgraded thru Win 95, 98 and 98SE. What is the importance of the
> other terms and what role do they play in making sure I stay legal? I'm
> using a DELL PC that came loaded with XP Home and as far as I know, I've
> never been prompted by M$ to get a Certificate. I'm getting updates etc.
> Any explanation will be helpful.
> Thanks,
> jll
> (addy is fake)
>
Thanks for the information. Apparently I was confusing registration with
activation. My Dell PC has a label on it that shows the 25 alphanumeric
strings and a # for the COA below a bar code. So apparently, I'm OK there.
Now for another question (and it may be meaningless), I did an Everest on my
machine and got the Product ID # and learned that the values for the Product
key on the HD don't match those on the PC label. I have a tendency to let
sleeping dogs lie and assume that the one on the HD is the correct one. Is
that a safe assumption?
Thanks,
jll

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

jll wrote:

>
> "jll" <jll@nobodyhome.com> wrote in message
> news:Zkbye.119849$x96.79847@attbi_s72...
>> Hi,
>> I'm sure this question has already been answered many times before in
>> this forum. But, I'm new to XP and a little confused about some
>> terms. I hear terms like License #, Product key, registration and
>> Certificate of Authenticity, COA. The importance of a Product key I'm
>> familiar with having upgraded thru Win 95, 98 and 98SE. What is the
>> importance of the other terms and what role do they play in making
>> sure I stay legal? I'm using a DELL PC that came loaded with XP Home
>> and as far as I know, I've never been prompted by M$ to get a
>> Certificate. I'm getting updates etc. Any explanation will be
>> helpful. Thanks,
>> jll
>> (addy is fake)
>>
> Thanks for the information. Apparently I was confusing registration
> with activation. My Dell PC has a label on it that shows the 25
> alphanumeric strings and a # for the COA below a bar code. So
> apparently, I'm OK there. Now for another question (and it may be
> meaningless), I did an Everest on my machine and got the Product ID #
> and learned that the values for the Product key on the HD don't match
> those on the PC label. I have a tendency to let sleeping dogs lie and
> assume that the one on the HD is the correct one. Is that a safe
> assumption? Thanks,
> jll

Dell, like other huge OEM's, images their hard drives. The Product Key
on the hard drive is *not* the number you would use if you ever needed
to reinstall Windows. The Product Key on the sticker on the back of the
computer is the correct number for your specific machine.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

"jll" <jll@nobodyhome.com> wrote in message
news:Zkfye.120887$_o.98374@attbi_s71...
>
> "jll" <jll@nobodyhome.com> wrote in message
> news:Zkbye.119849$x96.79847@attbi_s72...
>> Hi,
>> I'm sure this question has already been answered many times before in
>> this forum. But, I'm new to XP and a little confused about some terms. I
>> hear terms like License #, Product key, registration and Certificate of
>> Authenticity, COA. The importance of a Product key I'm familiar with
>> having upgraded thru Win 95, 98 and 98SE. What is the importance of the
>> other terms and what role do they play in making sure I stay legal? I'm
>> using a DELL PC that came loaded with XP Home and as far as I know, I've
>> never been prompted by M$ to get a Certificate. I'm getting updates etc.
>> Any explanation will be helpful.
>> Thanks,
>> jll
>> (addy is fake)
>>
> Thanks for the information. Apparently I was confusing registration with
> activation. My Dell PC has a label on it that shows the 25 alphanumeric
> strings and a # for the COA below a bar code. So apparently, I'm OK there.
> Now for another question (and it may be meaningless), I did an Everest on
> my machine and got the Product ID # and learned that the values for the
> Product key on the HD don't match those on the PC label. I have a tendency
> to let sleeping dogs lie and assume that the one on the HD is the correct
> one. Is that a safe assumption?
> Thanks,
> jll
>
That's good to know. Thanks. So what you're saying is that same Product key
may be on thousands of Dell PCs. If Product keys are so important, how does
M$ sort all that out? Or does it not make any difference.
Thanks,
jll

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

jll wrote:

>>
> That's good to know. Thanks. So what you're saying is that same
> Product key may be on thousands of Dell PCs. If Product keys are so
> important, how does M$ sort all that out? Or does it not make any
> difference. Thanks,
> jll

No, that's not what I'm saying at all. The product key on the sticker on
your computer is unique. That is the product key you would use to
reinstall Windows with your Dell operating system cd. The product key
used to image the drive at the factory is irrelevant to you, the end
user. I really don't know how to make the answer any clearer than this.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

"Malke" <notreally@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:eN0kmrPgFHA.3692@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> jll wrote:
>
>>>
>> That's good to know. Thanks. So what you're saying is that same
>> Product key may be on thousands of Dell PCs. If Product keys are so
>> important, how does M$ sort all that out? Or does it not make any
>> difference. Thanks,
>> jll
>
> No, that's not what I'm saying at all. The product key on the sticker on
> your computer is unique. That is the product key you would use to
> reinstall Windows with your Dell operating system cd. The product key
> used to image the drive at the factory is irrelevant to you, the end
> user. I really don't know how to make the answer any clearer than this.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic"

I understand that the Product key on my PC label is the one I must use if I
ever have to recertify. You've made that perfectly clear and I thank you for
it. Here's what's puzzling to me. From what I've read before I began using
XP, I understood that all Product keys were unique but apparantly that's not
so.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

jll wrote:

>
> I understand that the Product key on my PC label is the one I must use
> if I ever have to recertify. You've made that perfectly clear and I
> thank you for it. Here's what's puzzling to me. From what I've read
> before I began using XP, I understood that all Product keys were
> unique but apparantly that's not so.

There are different licensing plans. Obviously, a huge OEM like Dell
doesn't have a million different product keys. That wouldn't make
sense, would it?

If you want a more detailed explanation of Microsoft's licensing
practices, start here:

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/default.mspx

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"