XP Media Center Product Key Problem

Lord Rog · Post by **Lord Rog** » 2008-01-26 03:15pm

Hi all,

I have encountered a rather annoying issue with a friends laptop that I have been asked to fix. When I got it the laptop was so slow and full of spyware that I just decided to copy off her files and re-install windows xp media center 2005.

However after formatting the hard drive and commencing the re-install I hit a rather large snag. The product key from the sticker on the side, when entered, prompts an error message saying that it is invalid. However since she bought the laptop from PC World I don't think that it is likely to be a pirate copy. The laptop itself is a Compaq Presario v6133eu.

I have considered trying to download a pirate version (as far as I know it would be legal to do this as she actually owns a copy). Any idea if this will work, I am sceptical because don't you need Windows Genuine Advantage for updates?

Please let me know if anyone has any solutions as I think she is going to be rather pissed off at me if I can't sort it out

Thanks,

Phantasee · Post by **Phantasee** » 2008-01-26 03:53pm

How old is the PC? Like, when did she buy it?

Lord Rog · Post by **Lord Rog** » 2008-01-26 03:59pm

Phantasee wrote:How old is the PC? Like, when did she buy it?

About a year ago I think, a year and a half tops.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2008-01-26 06:20pm

Call Microsoft - they should have a toll-free number when it says you have an invalid key.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2008-01-26 06:22pm

They bundled Media Center 2005 with a laptop? That's odd. You're using the original CD that came with the laptop, right?

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2008-01-26 06:50pm

phongn wrote:Call Microsoft - they should have a toll-free number when it says you have an invalid key.

I've had the same issue fixing up a friend's laptop in the past and one call to microsoft got it all sorted out. Scary, but sometimes they can help...