Windows XP CD-Key? WTH...

Ok, my laptop has been here for a week and I just noticed that the CD-Key that my Windows is using is not the one that's on the bottom of my laptop.

When I reinstalled Windows at the time the laptop arrived it never asked me to enter a CD-Key.

Why is this? Why do I have two CD-Keys?

 

I know that when you reinstalled windows the xp disc that dell provided recognized the dell bios and skipped the cd-key step. That means you can use that xp disc on any dell pc and it won't ask for a key *wink*wink* As for your second question it probably used whatever cd key was on the disc and not the one on the bottom.

 

I think it's something in the bios and not on the disk.

 

The key used on your disc is an OEM key that is preinstalled and designed to work with your model/series of laptop. Everyone with that model has the same key (not sure if a checksum is actually generated to prevent the key from being used on other hardware). The key on the bottem of the laptop is a non functional key designed only to tell microsoft (should you call them up) that you own a liscense, and to uniquly identify your laptop from others.

This actually makes it hard to transer your copy of windows over to another computer should you get a new computer, how ever I have heard of many people who call microsofts activation line and complain about the key not working and getting a REAL activation key.

 

Thank you for explaining that.

 

i just have a quik question, i tried googling but no luck, is a windows xp home cd key compadibale with a xp pro cd key???

i know a freind that is running a "not legit" copy of xp pro and the collage that i go 2 has got xp home cd keys on stickers on the side of all the computers, i was wondering if my freind would be able to use one of them with the jellybean keyfinder to change his xp key to a legit key so he can have windows media player 11 and other updates

 

It's hard because an OEM copy of Windows follows the computer it was purchased with, you aren't allowed to transfer it on a different machine even if you retire the old one and don't use it (as stated in the EULA that you agreed with when you purchased).