XP Pro OS License

Effluo

Hey guys,
I have this laptop here which I need to reinstall windows on as the current installation seems to be completely corrupt.

There are no viruses on it, but it has stopped connecting to the internet, the toolbar has started to dissapear and certain system functions + programs are not working(not even in safe mode).

So i'm reinstalling, the only thing is is that the lappy is a Toshiba yet it would appear as though a Fujitsu xp OEM is installed on the pc. The version of xp pro is the same as the sticker on the back of the Toshiba, but i'm concerned that the Toshiba product key will not work with the Fujitsu OEM discs.

Also there is MS office "2003" installed on it and I have not been able to retrieve any key for that, but I do have a MS Office cd also with the branding Fujitsu.

So considering I have not been unable to install any programs on the laptop does anyone know if the Toshiba product key will work with the Fujitsu disc + what the story is with installing MS office 2003 on the same lappy

Cheers

Solitaire

Not sure - in theory it should still work, speaking from experience the only thing different about the Fujitsu disc is that it has a modded System Properties screen splash and a few junk directories with PDFs and useless build logs and config files lurking about the place. Just change the product key to the one on the laptop before you phone Microsoft during reactivation; all they (and their automated phone thingy) really care about is that you have a legit license key to prove you have a legit license; they don't give a plop about where you get the raw install data from. And on that note if it doesn't work for some unfathomable reason just get another XP Pro disc from a mate or something and use that to install the data and use your laptop's key to activate the OS.

And again from experience Fujitsu usually give a jewel case with their Office/apps DVD (the cheap gimps might have switched to envelopes by now though :rolleyes: ) and the license sticker will most likely be lurking on one side of it.

Effluo

It just occured to me there that the xp installation is a Vista Downgrade...

So much for the fujitsu disc working, right?

Anywho will try it anyway and report back, there is atm no way around the reinstallation of windows so I have no choice

Effluo

Rightio then.

I managed to use Jellybeans License finder to get all the product keys and strangely enough the key was the same as that on the sticker under the lappy.

So that should mean that the operating system was not in fact a vista downgrade. Anywho I then tried to use the fujitsu xp cd which was supplied with it, Unfortunately it then gave me an error "This is not a fujitsu machine, This cd only works with a Fujitsu Machine".

I'm trying to install vista now and will see if I can then downgrade from Vista. The chances are slim, but if the fujitsu xp was put on it before I guess it's worth a go.

Effluo

It didn't work although it appeared as though it was a problem stemming from the current xp install being corrupt.

Now installing xp from a Toshiba disc, my goodness it's taking hours just to unpack