dbrunton
asked on
Windows 2000 Serial Numbers
Organisation buys a bunch of second hand computers.
Valid licenses on them for Windows 2000 Professional but no CDs come with the machines. Hard disks have been wiped clean.
OK, no problem, get a Windows 2000 Professional CD and start an install. Get to license number and start entering the 25 letter code on the case. No joy. It won't take it. Try three times. Not interested.
So here's the question.
Are there differences in the Win 2K CDs for accepting serial numbers or what goes on here?
Note. I did get the system installed but that's another story.
Valid licenses on them for Windows 2000 Professional but no CDs come with the machines. Hard disks have been wiped clean.
OK, no problem, get a Windows 2000 Professional CD and start an install. Get to license number and start entering the 25 letter code on the case. No joy. It won't take it. Try three times. Not interested.
So here's the question.
Are there differences in the Win 2K CDs for accepting serial numbers or what goes on here?
Note. I did get the system installed but that's another story.
There is a dirrerence between am Upgrade CD, which will only work on systems with a previous MS OS (such as NT or windows98) and a full installation CD
You do get different versions of 2000 which do have different Keys.
If you have a system installed then you need to use something like a key finder from www.magicjellybean.com and get it.
Alternativly ask the people you bought them off where the key's/licences are.
If you have a system installed then you need to use something like a key finder from www.magicjellybean.com and get it.
Alternativly ask the people you bought them off where the key's/licences are.
Microsoft differentiates between OEM, retail, Volume License Programme (VLP), corporate licenses & installation CDs. They are not interchangeable.
And as mentioned by liddler, Upgrade Licenses as well.
the license type should be determined by cd-key, so at first you should make sure that the license printed on the 2nd hand computers are valide; on the other hand, lets check the cd itself, to see what kind of media you have. just please list the content of your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your windows 2000 CD. Open it with Notepad of similar.
ASKER
>> There is a dirrerence between am Upgrade CD, which will only work on systems with a previous MS OS (such as NT or windows98) and a full installation CD
Its not an upgrade CD that I used. However the license on the side of the machine was was for BOTH NT 4 and Windows 2000. Not two licenses but one combined license. Would the 2000 CD used for that be different than a normal installation CD? The Windows 2000 license was also for a 1-2 CPU machine as well. Would that make a difference?
>> Microsoft differentiates between OEM, retail, Volume License Programme (VLP), corporate licenses & installation CDs. They are not interchangeable.
Does this apply to the way the license codes are used in installation or are the license codes interchangeable between the various types?
>> the license type should be determined by cd-key, so at first you should make sure that the license printed on the 2nd hand computers are valide; on the other hand, lets check the cd itself, to see what kind of media you have. just please list the content of your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your windows 2000 CD. Open it with Notepad of similar.
The licenses are valid all right. No argument with those. Need to check the CD again.
Its not an upgrade CD that I used. However the license on the side of the machine was was for BOTH NT 4 and Windows 2000. Not two licenses but one combined license. Would the 2000 CD used for that be different than a normal installation CD? The Windows 2000 license was also for a 1-2 CPU machine as well. Would that make a difference?
>> Microsoft differentiates between OEM, retail, Volume License Programme (VLP), corporate licenses & installation CDs. They are not interchangeable.
Does this apply to the way the license codes are used in installation or are the license codes interchangeable between the various types?
>> the license type should be determined by cd-key, so at first you should make sure that the license printed on the 2nd hand computers are valide; on the other hand, lets check the cd itself, to see what kind of media you have. just please list the content of your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your windows 2000 CD. Open it with Notepad of similar.
The licenses are valid all right. No argument with those. Need to check the CD again.
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Any updates here ?
ASKER
Yep.
You get the points. Bad me. I forgot I had this one open.
You get the points. Bad me. I forgot I had this one open.
Thanks for the grade. Hope you got things sorted out.
If anyone's still listening on this Q. I would be curious to know what the format difference for the license keys for the different versions of Win2k are? Specifically, I would like to differentiate between and upgrade and a full-version key, and oem keys. I seem to remember "OEM" being part of the key a full oem version, but how would I differentiate the others?
Thanks!
Tibori
Thanks!
Tibori
tibori, you want differentiate the type of a MS software by just seeing its cd-key or product key? personally, i would say NO, at least, you can not get the answer from the official documentations. ragards, bbao
Does anyone know just exactly what the XP upgrade looks for, in the
way of proof of previous OS? Are there specific files, or does the old OS
really be fully loaded onto the hard disk?
I need to do a new HD install, and it seems a waste to have to put win98
on, just to get XP reloaded.
way of proof of previous OS? Are there specific files, or does the old OS
really be fully loaded onto the hard disk?
I need to do a new HD install, and it seems a waste to have to put win98
on, just to get XP reloaded.
it seems it should be another question, hehe. :)
anyway, briefly, i dont think you need to put old OS on the system before installing the new one. commonly, the installation program will ask you for the location of your old OS to proof its existence, you just insert the CD of old OS as needed. i did this with installing win95 upgrade version on a new box, but never tried with XP. i think it should be same, have a try, hehe. :)
anyway, briefly, i dont think you need to put old OS on the system before installing the new one. commonly, the installation program will ask you for the location of your old OS to proof its existence, you just insert the CD of old OS as needed. i did this with installing win95 upgrade version on a new box, but never tried with XP. i think it should be same, have a try, hehe. :)
I have win2000, given to me by my son, my computer crashed and now I can't re-install it because I don't know the key. (he had previously installed it on the pc). he's not available for a few days -road trip- any suggestions on how I can get the key?? I'm not a patient Dad!!
Thanks
Thanks
you can get another one from many sources that i wont go into on a public board
I am using a Windows 2000, SP4. Every so often, when I send a print job, it says no printer found. I check the printer folder and it is empty. I reboot and the printers return. This happens several times a day. Any fixes out there?
xp4080:
It doesn't look for anything. It goes strickly by the cdkey you give it.
It doesn't look for anything. It goes strickly by the cdkey you give it.