Product Key question.

S

Sourbubbles

New Member
I have a Vista Home Premium 32bit operating system that came with my computer. It had a recovery partition and prompted me to make recovery CDs at the beginning.

I did as asked, and my recovery cds turned out to be bad when I tried to use them recently, they wouldnt boot. My recovery partition also seems to be corrupted, also failing to ever boot properly.

So being that my computer is out of warranty, I cant get much in the way of customer support, and they keep trying to sell me recovery discs.

I have the product key for my vista installation on the computer. And I have a set of vista installation cds from another computer. Both Vista installations are identical, they are both Vista Home Premium 32bit.

Can I use the product key from the installation that's messed up, to reinstall Vista with the installation CDs? Are the product keys interchangeable between two installs of the same version of windows?
 

My Computer

System One

Welcome,

The answer depends on what type of product key.

If the key is what is called and OEM key, those letters will appear in the number. You can only use it on one machine. Not one at at time, but only one.

If the key is not an OEM, you can use it to install on one machine at at time.

Hope this answers your question.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
There is no OEM in the product key. So this means, if I follow you correctly, that I can use the product key with any installation of Vista Home Premium 32bit as long as its only ever on one computer at a time?
 

My Computer

System One

If you remove the OS from all other computers, you can reinstall it on another computer, as long as it is not an OEM.

I suggest that you follow this tutorial, if you are using an upgrade Key. If you are using an upgrade Key, you must be the owner of a supporting OS, ie XP. If the Key is the full retail Key, the only restriction is one computer at a time.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68767-clean-install-upgrade-vista.html?ltr=C

Do not give your key number when asked and uncheck the box that allows for automatic activation. When happy with the performace, use a touch tone phone to activate. If there are any problems you will automatically be elevated to a rep. Explain to him or her the problem and you will be activated. You have 30 days to activate.

It may be easier, however, to follow this tutorial and avoid the reinstall problems

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/141820-create-recovery-disc.html
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
richc46 said:
If you remove the OS from all other computers, you can reinstall it on another computer, as long as it is not an OEM.
Click to expand...

Im not reusing a Vista install. I'm using a product key from a Vista install that I cant recover, to install Vista off of installation CDs that I bought for a different computer.

So the installation CDs and their product key are installed on one computer. I have a product key from a vista install on a different computer but no CDs to go with that product key.

I want to know if I can use that "spare" product key to install Vista off the CDs I have a second time. (2 installs, 2 product keys, only one set of CDs.)
 

My Computer

System One

If you have a valid key, the DVD can be used. Just be sure that you are aware of the key limitations; full retail or upgrade.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
You can use the product key to reinstall Vista on the same machine that product key was originally installed on.

You can use any Vista installation dvd with your product key.

If you want to use the product key on a different machine - that is only possible if it is Retail key - and will normally require a phone call to MS to activate .
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
TY for the kind words and rep. Feel free to return at any time to use our knowledge or to share yours.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
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