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What am i going to do?

327 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  TwoCables, 
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So i think i'm pretty much boned. I built the new computer in my sig and i have an upgrade version of Windows vista home preimum. When i went to install my retail xp key on it so i could upgrade i couldn't find my Case, which just so happens to have the sticker on it.

I tried to install vista normally and enter my key and it said this is a upgrade only and to start it from inside xp, which i can't. I hit cancle and proceeded to installing vista. I tried entering my key while vista is installed and it gives me the same thing.

Is there anything i can do within the key i have? I'm not asking for anything bad but i want to know if i could like call Microsoft for a activation and act dumb or something.

Or just tell them what happened, maybe they would take pitty i don't know.

Of if someone has a key i could use i do have a upgrade i could trade or something. It's just a home premium upgrade, so nothing amazing.
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You could probably return it to where you bought it, act dumb, and tell them you thought it was the full version.
Or do the same thing to MS.

I'm not sure if this works, but you could try using the XP 30 day trial, and upgrading from there?
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B
except i bought this a while ago.

XP trial?
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Erm, IIRC, if you have a friend who owns a dell, you can use their installation disk to get a 30 day trial of XP since your mobo isn't dell made. The trial might be available on MS website too.
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tom.slick
You have Vista installed but not activated. Use the upgrade to reinstall over the current install of Vista. The Vista upgrade doesn't check for activation of the previous OS, just that there is one.
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TwoCables
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Quote:

Originally Posted by BigpoppaFrary View Post
So i think i'm pretty much boned. I built the new computer in my sig and i have an upgrade version of Windows vista home preimum. When i went to install my retail xp key on it so i could upgrade i couldn't find my Case, which just so happens to have the sticker on it.

I tried to install vista normally and enter my key and it said this is a upgrade only and to start it from inside xp, which i can't. I hit cancle and proceeded to installing vista. I tried entering my key while vista is installed and it gives me the same thing.

Is there anything i can do within the key i have? I'm not asking for anything bad but i want to know if i could like call Microsoft for a activation and act dumb or something.

Or just tell them what happened, maybe they would take pitty i don't know.

Of if someone has a key i could use i do have a upgrade i could trade or something. It's just a home premium upgrade, so nothing amazing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom.slick View Post
You have Vista installed but not activated. Use the upgrade to reinstall over the current install of Vista. The Vista upgrade doesn't check for activation of the previous OS, just that there is one.

Tom is correct. Do an in-place upgrade style of install over the current installation of Vista. This means that while Vista is running, insert the installation disc and choose Upgrade. This installation may take a little bit longer, but it's worth it. Then when it asks for the Product Key for the first time, just enter it, wait for the installation to finish, and then Activate it.

In other words, you only have one thing left to do.
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