Windows XP question

[Watashi]

I just got a new laptop from my dad, but it didn't have Windows installed, so I got a copy from my dad, but when I try to install it says the CD key is invalid. I know it's the correct CD Key, because it's the one encoded on the CD when I load it up on a different computer.

Is there anyway to get around this or am I simply screwed?

[Cult]

I just got a new laptop from my dad, but it didn't have Windows installed, so I got a copy from my dad, but when I try to install it says the CD key is invalid. I know it's the correct CD Key, because it's the one encoded on the CD when I load it up on a different computer.

Is there anyway to get around this or am I simply screwed?
I wouldn't be surprised if Windows has some thing where you can only install a disc on one computer (to prevent burning, sharing, downloading, etc). You could try looking up a CD key hack or something.

What kind of laptop doesn't come with an OS, anyway?

[Derek]

I just got a new laptop from my dad, but it didn't have Windows installed, so I got a copy from my dad, but when I try to install it says the CD key is invalid. I know it's the correct CD Key, because it's the one encoded on the CD when I load it up on a different computer.

Is there anyway to get around this or am I simply screwed?

Was the copy you got from your dad already used on another computer? I'm pretty sure you can only use a CD key to install Windows on one computer, though I don't quite know how your new computer would recognize that it's a duplicate.

[Watashi]

My dad is pretty computer illiterate, so he just gave me a laptop without Windows installed (he's extremely lazy to do things himself).

I'm not that well-trained in computer skills, so I have no idea where to go if it was a duplicate (there is no way I'm spending 200-300 dollars).

[Raiders]

I'm sure new laptop PCs probably have a default encoded for Vista only or something that requires some sort of manual override to use XP. It wouldn't surprise me.

[Raiders]

You could try this:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

[Watashi]

You could try this:

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
That just tells you what your current CD key is in case you lost it.

[Raiders]

Did you go here?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310637

[chrisnu]

Was the copy you got from your dad already used on another computer? I'm pretty sure you can only use a CD key to install Windows on one computer, though I don't quite know how your new computer would recognize that it's a duplicate.
I believe that's correct. A Windows license can only be activated on one computer. If that's already been done, even if the other computer is no longer in use, you're going to run into problems trying to activate Windows with the same license on another computer.

The MS article Raiders posted may help, but I think you may need to purchase another copy of Windows. You can find unopened, legal copies on eBay at reasonable prices.

[Duncan]

Sorry to sort of hijack the thread, but I have a computer question of my own and I figured this was a decent place to pose it.

The sound on my computer just stopped working yesterday. At first, I couldn't find anything wrong. Then my sound card disappeared from the Device Manager. So I reinstalled the drivers and it came back and everything worked fine. Then, with a restart, the sound card disappeared again. I applied the same solution, but the problem keeps reoccurring. It's a pretty old computer, do you guys think it could be a hardware issue? It seems like it to me. I'm pretty sure the sound chip is integrated into the motherboard on my laptop, and if that's the case it could be a real hard fix. Though it might not, I'm not an expert on laptop hardware. Ideas?