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I am waiting on my xp disk to arrive in the mail. The computer is finished and would really like to get it up and running. Could I use my xp pro disk to install and when the new disk comes use the key off of it or would that be too much of a hassle? Any ideas on this?

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Both and covered the basics — here are a few practical checks and tips that weren’t mentioned and will avoid headaches when you actually swap keys.

Make sure the edition and language match exactly (XP Pro vs XP Home, language packs). Also identify the license type on the sticker/packaging: a retail (full) key can be moved to another PC under the license terms; an OEM or system‑builder key is tied to the first machine it’s activated on and may behave differently with non‑OEM media. If the key you expect is OEM and you install with generic retail media, you may be prompted for phone activation or other verification.

If you install now and want to change the key later without navigating menus, run the activation wizard directly:
C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
That opens the activation dialog where you can enter a different product key or start phone activation. This is a faster alternative to hunting through menus after setup.

A couple of extra time‑savers: slipstream Service Pack 3 into the XP CD before installing (fewer updates after install), and once the system is installed and activated, capture an image of the clean, activated install (Clonezilla, DriveImage, etc.). That saves reinstall time if you later need to test a different key or rebuild the machine.

Final caution: never use a key that’s already in use on another machine in violation of the license. If any activation fails, phone activation with Microsoft support will usually resolve legitimate license/edition mismatches.

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Member Avatar for jwenting

That is possible, except you need to enter the key during installation so you wouldn't get very far.

But the keys themselves aren't specific to a CD, so each CD will work with each key you may have (for the same version of XP of course, an XP Pro key won't work for an XP Home CD for example, and most likely a Dutch XP Pro key won't work with a German XP Pro CD).

Member Avatar for sanjeevmalhotra

I am waiting on my xp disk to arrive in the mail. The computer is finished and would really like to get it up and running. Could I use my xp pro disk to install and when the new disk comes use the key off of it or would that be too much of a hassle? Any ideas on this?

Yes you can install with the the XP Pro disk that you have but you must change the product key before you can activate the product. When you you get the activation screen do not activate now. When your new CD arrives by mail then follow the steps
click on start> programs> accessories>system tools>activate windows>Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows>Next> Change product Key (here enter your new product key)> update> telephone and follow the onscreen instructions to complete activation

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