Windows Licence Question.

slipd · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:11

Hi guys,

I want to reinstall windows on a mates acer laptop but I don't want to use their 'recovery disc' because its full of all the acer junk - the primary reason why I'm reinstalling windows in the first place...

I've got a clean windows vista disc that came with a machine I got rid of a couple of years ago, would this disc work with the license sticker that is attached to the bottom of the laptop? Is there a way to check before I waste my time flattening the laptop

I recall trying to do something similar with an xp instal a few years back but the clean disc I used was manufacturer specific and didn't like the license key I gave it!

Thanks.

d_brennen · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:12

If the disk is the same version i.e. Vista Home Premium as the COA you're good to go

Dano · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:15

d_brennen said:
If the disk is the same version i.e. Vista Home Premium as the COA you're good to go

Pretty sure that Vista was all versions on one disc excepting the 32/64bit difference and that it'll activate whatever the key is licenced for.

N31L777 · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:17

Dano said:
Pretty sure that Vista was all versions on one disc excepting the 32/64bit difference and that it'll activate whatever the key is licenced for.

Two discs, one key.

Same with Windows 7.

slipd · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:19

Thanks guys! I'll give it a go then

Pretty sure I only got 1x disc with the machine when I brought it; windows basic 32bit...

Dano · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:23

N31L777 said:
Two discs, one key.

Same with Windows 7.

That's what I said wasn't it?

N31L777 · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:24

sam.wheale said:
Thanks guys! I'll give it a go then

Pretty sure I only got 1x disc with the machine when I brought it; windows basic 32bit...

OEM or Retail?

RJC · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:26

One thing you might need to do is use the telephone option to activate, when I did this on my old laptops in the past it failed the online activation.

slipd · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:36

N31L777 said:
OEM or Retail?

It was oem I guess; no box but it came with all the retail paperwork etc. The disk looks like retail

I'll dig it out later in preparation, the disc will have oem/retail on it won't it?

N31L777 · 28 Jan 2012 at 13:37

RJC said:
One thing you might need to do is use the telephone option to activate, when I did this on my old laptops in the past it failed the online activation.

Tip - If you're going this route, remember to use the # key to skip a load of the talky stuff and get through to the code entering.

N31L777 · 28 Jan 2012 at 14:32

sam.wheale said:
It was oem I guess; no box but it came with all the retail paperwork etc. The disk looks like retail

I'll dig it out later in preparation, the disc will have oem/retail on it won't it?

Yep, it will say.