windows xp on a laptop

[gamelife]

Hi, just wanting to know if a standard copy of Windows XP which i have for my desktop will work on a Laptop or not? i need to buy a new hard drive and use it for a fresh install. I think it should work but just wanting to check.

Cheers

[speedlolita]

Of course it will work. x3

[randombs]

As long as, when you say standard, you mean a boxed retail copy. I'm not sure about OEM versions (just the licence sticker from the PC case or the one that comes in a pack like this) but, seeing as they're only licensed to work on the hardware they're sold with, I think reactivating is usually either difficult or impossible, or you may get lucky and only have to ring MS (it's painless, all automated, you just enter a number on the licence label and it gives you a new one to use).

I have a retail XP (student version) and I've never had a problem activating it when I install, nor has it ever asked to reactivate when I changed hardware inside a machine. I've had it for around 3-4 years now and it's been installed on at least five completely different machines in that time and right now it even runs virtually on my Mac.

Of course, if you mean can the disc from your desktop version be used to install XP on your laptop using the key on the bottom of your laptop, that's a different story. It may work or it may not. I'm pretty sure it won't work if the disc is retail as the key will almost definitely be an OEM key.

I downloaded an OEM copy of XP which I use for installing on laptops with their own proper OEM licence key and have no problems(it's a 1:1 copy with no cracks or silly stuff like that). Going that route could range from slightly dodgy(if it turns out you're not allowed to do that - no idea why not but you never know) to very dodgy(if you download a torrent, as you're then uploading it for others)

[Temple81]

I can't see the OEM being and issue I got a OEM copy of Vista to work on my old laptop that was designed for XP. All I did was max the ram, which I did before hand anyway to make xp faster.

Just installed it as I did on my desktop.

[sj33]

^OEM copies are only licenced for one machine, so you shouldn't be able to activate it on another.

[Temple81]

Well you can.

[randombs]

Do you mean you used an OEM key that had already been activated on the desktop? Or had it not been used yet?

[smouty]

OEM versions e.g. those that are supplied on PCs when bought are not the same as the OEM version you can buy. Ones supplied by the large OEMs don't actually use the key that is on the label but a VLK - a sort of master key that is used in conjuction with a certificate stored in hardware.

Anywayvas long as you have a key you will be fine or are using a CD supplied by the laptop maker.

[Temple81]

I used the same key that's on the case on my desktop for my old laptop. It checked to see if it was genuine the first time I went online and it has happy to say it was.