Winxp sp3 home on old laptop

[HipHoper]

Hellooooo !!!

I have a client with an Ibm laptop that he bought few years ago with winxp home edition (The sticker with the serial # is on the back of the laptop).
He asked me to "clean" his computer after several years of use and loads of installations.
Can I download/get cd of xp home with built-in sp3 and use his old xp home code for this new install ? Or his code might work only for ibm specific install/older xp home installations ?

Thank you wise oracles :O)

[Matridom]

it should work with an OEM copy of windows. I've used the product Key on a Dell laptop once with a regular OEM cd and it worked. IF you have the opportunity, you may want to try installing on a different hard drive and if it all works fine, clone over to his existing one.

[HipHoper]

Thanks Mat.

I see that there are several OEM versions. One generic, And few brand specific types (Dell,Hp).
I guess that the brand specific will install themselves without a serial on the brand specific machines, And the generic will install itself on any computer given the original key it was installed with or a new original one.

[NooNoo]

Yep it works, I do it all the time.

[HipHoper]

I found out that the x31 came with xp pro and not home, So I got xp pro sp2 oem cd.
Used a util to get win xp and office 2003 product numbers prior to formatting the computer.
Installed xp pro sp2 oem with the serial I've retrived from with the util, But after installation of windows and some other programs I needed, I get the activation screen and it says there's a problem with the serial and I should enter another.
I looked at the buttom of the laptop to find that it was a different serial than the util retrived, So I've entered it, And it still won't activate :O(
I wonder if it has to do with that that I think the original xp wasn't sp2 ?

[HipHoper]

Update : Reinstalled the OEM sp2 cd with the serial # on the laptop sticker. Did let the install finish, But can't activate the windows (

[HipHoper]

Ok....I've managed to reactivate this copy by using microsoft automated telephone activation, After entering a 10X6 code digits that the computer generated.

[NooNoo]

HipHoper, you experience is normal. Laptops rarely have the product key shown on the bottom - if they do they have been manually reinstalled Big OEMs have a bulk key and if you use their restore media, it doesn't ask for a key. You end up having to use the phone activation because it is not a "run of the mill" install. I have never had a problem getting an activation number even when connected to a real human.

[HipHoper]

"even when connected to a real human"...LOL....REAL human ?

[NooNoo]

Yep, just occasionally I have been put through to a real human... not sure if I miskeyed a number or it was a quality check thing... but I have spoken to a real person a few times who just asks about the install. One time it was because I replaced a packard hell main board after the owner fried it by buying DDRII ram instead of DDR and then jammed it in the socket and powered up. Took out the mobo and the processor.

[HipHoper]

Wow....That was nasty....Replacing MB on a laptop.....You sound like you have great hands in addition to a great mind.

[NooNoo]

Nope was a desktop... but I have done laptops - stripped down, resoldered power socket, rebuild.... only to have the guy put the wrong power cable in and blow it up again.... sigh....