Windows License.

I was recently browsing through old software at the office my mom owns and found a windows XP pro upgrade disk, and i thought it would be pretty cool to have because i can get pro stuff like group policy but keep my programs. Upon reviewing the license agreement it says ONLY USE THIS ON ONE WORKSTATION blah blah blah. and it was legitimately purchased and everything but i think its been used before. and if thats the case what will happen if i install it? because it says i have 30 days to verify it online OR ELSE. and i honestly dont know what or else means because i havent tried it before. i can only assume it goes nuclear and destroys 1/3 of the world. Anyone else try it before?

If you haven't registered it after 30 days, you simply won't be able to boot windows anymore. It will ask you for a valid CD key everytime you start the computer, and won't let you into Windows before you've entered one.

Hello, there are a couple of sites out there that list a good amount of CD Keys or Serial Keys, the only problem is that you won't be able to get updates…. And I know that when I was trying to find a key for Microsoft Server 2003 SP1 R2, the site I found also explained how to change the product ID, but then again thats for Server 2003, so just google for XP pro cd keys, and you might get something, most likely you will… If I can remember the site or find it again, I'll PM you it….. Good luck…. and also when you might find a site that has keys…. try them all.. sometimes the first few won't work. but some other ones might… so just because the first one doesnt work, doesn't meant they all don't work….

Another idea would be to write a script that generates cd keys, I know I found one for Server 2003, although it took forever for it to work……..well good luck

There are pirate releases of Windows XP that don't require any validiation, which means you can use a pirate CD key. With the Swedish 'TOXISO WinXP SP2' release for example, even updates work as long as you select do download them automatically and never install Windows Genuine Advantage ;)

lol i already have genuine. if i dont validate in thirty days it wont boot… but what if i just reenter the/a key? will it give another 30?

well actually you CAN still get into windows. true that it will shut you out. but if you still need to retrieve files or w/e…you can still get in.

All you need to do, is when the screen that pops up says get a valid key or w/e just say ok. You will reach a point where IF you have internet connection you can connect to the Microsoft website. And what can you do if you use IE? Thats right your can browse your comp and fully use any programs that you have.

:)

…Or you can just boot it in fail safe mode (yes it works), but you can't use windows as you're used to :p