can I reinstall an OEM windows xp cd? xp or vista?

Question

Now what I am talking about is that maybe I had some hardware issues and need to straighten that out, so I would want to reinstall the windows xp operating system oem cd. Is that possible?

Also currently right now which is better to own xp? or vista?

Answer 1

according to my friend who is a microsoft reseller, you cannot reinstall an oem windows copy even on the same pc. but you can do it with a boxed copy of windows, which is more expensive. and you can transfer the boxed copy of windows to other pc, when you sell your old pc or upgrade it.



but in my experience, you can reinstall an oem windows copy in the same (1) pc. you just need to reactivate it by calling the 1800 number that is in your region. then you need to talk to microsoft customer service and tell them that you need to reactivate and you need to answer their questions regarding your oem copy. dont tell them that it is an oem copy. though i feel that they know it, bec of the code that you gave them. just tell them that you bought the windows os disc separate from the pc.



which is better to own? i would say an xp, because vista is just like xp with the enhancements, which i can live without. besides all of my apps works perfectly with xp.

Answer 2

Of course that's possible. Did you install another operating system after you un-installed Windows XP? You mentioned Vista, so I thought maybe you installed it on the computer. You'll have to make sure the computer boots from the CD/DVD player to get XP reinstalled on the partition of your hard drive. As for XP vs. Vista, it's all in the eye of the beholder. Windows XP will soon not be supported by Microsoft, so that could be a problem down the road. Vista has gotten some bad raps. Some people loaded Vista on a computer that could hardly handle Vista, and when they had problems, they blamed it on Vista rather than their computer. I've had Vista on my computer since it was new in 2007 from HP and built for a Vista OS, and have had very few problems. ( Most problems were sel inflicted rather than the fault of the computer or it's operating system ).

Answer 3

All you need do is put the cd in the drive and reboot. As for your second question, Vista blows XP away. That being said, it doesnt mean your PC is a good candidate for Vista. Vista eats up 1 gig of ram just for the operating system.

BOB, your friend is wrong! You CAN reinstall it on the same PC.

Answer 4

You probably can find a downloadable .iso file that you can burn to CD, but I wouldn't advise it. The CD key problem is not an incompatability... if you licence key is authentic and genuine, then percivere, you may simply be entering it wrong.