Reinstalling Windows XP: Activation Issues

[Jonathan Archer]

Hi.

I was using Windows XP Pro OEM since 2003. Over the weekend, I decided to buy a bigger capacity HDD to replace my old one. So, I reinstalled the Windows XP Pro OEM onto my new HDD.

Problem arose when I tried to activate it. Whenever I keyed in the serial number, it came out as "Incorrect Product Code". Why is it doing this?

 

[Kable24]

You may have typed it incorrectly.

 

[black_dust]

Yeah make sure you have it in right, those 8`s look like B`s half the time

 

[Jonathan Archer]

Nope. Typed the numbers in with surgical precision. Still no dice.

 

[black_dust]

Sure you have the right disk with the right code?

 

[Drakon]

You might be better off using the bigger one as storage instead of being your Windows HDD, if you keep having trouble. Just fix the jumper to make it a slave, and from there attach it to the IDE ribbon.

 

[Jonathan Archer]

Sure you have the right disk with the right code?

The disc and the code must be the same? I can't install from a disc and activate it using a product key from another?

That's probably it. I lost my old OEM installation disc but I still have the product key sticker. I installed using another disc.

You might be better off using the bigger one as storage instead of being your Windows HDD, if you keep having trouble. Just fix the jumper to make it a slave, and from there attach it to the IDE ribbon.

The old disc is corrupted.

Spoiler

I think it's a Republican