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The County Library every two to three years has an auction and sells the computers that there customers have been using. The OS was preinstalled by there suppliers, with administrative priviliges. Library employees have no idea what the passwords are, no install disks, but they do have Prod Key sticker with legal numbers on the case, mostly Dell models. I fix these computer free of charge for elder people.

My question is, if I use a Retail XPPro Install Disk or ISO to install, (if I find one, NOT BUYING) then insert prod key, will it be activated. I know XP is no longer supported and I heard all the Servers are shut down that do the activation. I've tried with a couple of my OEM install disk, they install but won't activate with the # on the sticker, only my disk original #.

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this task would be appreciated. I have Win 7 iso that lets you do what I'm asking, but none of these computers have Win 7 installed. I can install linux on these computer to get them up and running but most of these people are windows familiar and have never heard of Ubuntu, Mint, etc.

Please Help! I'm not sure how Microsoft is handling reinstall of legal copy of XP without original disk other than force you to BUY WIN 7. If you are going to tell me to get xppro iso, tell me where, I can't seem to find one

Jerry Wooten
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  • So you want to install new XP because you don't know passwords?? – Jet Apr 26 '14 at 14:12
  • "I heard all the Servers are shut down that do the activation" Actually Windows XP can still be activated after end of support. If an unknown password is the actual problem you could just [reset it](http://superuser.com/questions/5039/how-do-i-reset-the-windows-administrator-password), rather then reinstalling the whole operating system. – and31415 Apr 26 '14 at 14:37
  • These systems from the library have to many things installed to stop people from changing things that might make them not work. Some are wiped clean before being sold. Beings I do this free I just try to get them back up and running. – Jerry Wooten Apr 26 '14 at 14:48
  • You should be OK as long as the OEM key listed on each PC is for the same version you find online. This means if the sticker says XP Home, you need to find a copy of XP Home to use as the source install ISO. If the stickers say XP Professional, you will need to use a XP Professional install disk. XP64 (which is unlikley that they are using) also has a keys that only work with the x64 version of XP. – Richie086 Apr 26 '14 at 15:08
  • If the question is `Will I be able to activate Windows XP?` the answer is `Yes`. – joeqwerty Apr 26 '14 at 15:42

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Yep, getting Windows XP Professional reinstalled is going to be a royal PITA.

If you have an OEM machine with the OEM disks (Dell, HP, etc.), often there is no need for an activation key. Using Grey Market NOS or found Windows XP install disks with the original activation key, you should be able to install and activate as long as it wasn't used on another system and activated. Yes, they can be activated as long as the Microsoft requirements are met, the activation servers are still there, up and taking requests.

What follows is not a recipe but the path needed to get it done so you have semifunctional computers when you are through. I had to decommission our Windows XP Professional workstations and did the reinstalls so 6 could be donated to company employees. It was such a waste of time that I wish never to repeat it.

Windows XP Professional is out of date, Microsoft has changed out so much of the automatic update subsystem that Windows XP cannot talk to the Microsoft Windows Update system upon reload.

Your first step needs to be to find the WinXP SP3 ISO download over on the Microsoft download site. Burn it to disk and upgrade the dud systems.

You then need to upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer that Windows XP will run.

Then you need to find the latest Windows Automatic Update upgrade package supported by Windows XP over on the Microsoft download site.

Occasionally, there is a rollup package for Internet Explorer that needs to be installed, plus the latest root certificate update.

Cross your fingers and expect the systems to be kind of fragile till you get the patches loaded. You will have some anomalous behavior even after all this is done as Windows XP is on its last legs and no longer supported and the mass patch doesn't seem to leave you with the same OS as you had when they were applied in sequence over the years.

Windows XP Professional had a good run, stick a fork in it, it's dead.

Fiasco Labs
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You absolutely should not be doing this, given that XP is no longer supported by Microsoft: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-support-help. Given that the expectation is that there are a lot of unfixed security holes, ones that will never be fixed, you're basically giving people computers that are guaranteed to be taken over and used for bad purposes.

Kevin McKenzie
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  • I understand what you are saying. Most of these people are back in the woods without internet, just game, music, play movies. etc. I normally dual boot with Ubuntu to get them use to it if they ever get internet. – Jerry Wooten Apr 26 '14 at 14:23
  • Kevin - every operating system has holes in it. Any computer (given enough time and resources) can be hacked by a skilled hacker. There are a ton of things you can do to lock a computer down to minimize the possibility of it being pwned as soon as you connect it to the series of tubes i call the Internet. Any computer access is better than no computer access. Do you suggest that the OP purchase copies of Windows 7 for each computer? That would be unreasonable. How about Linux? Have you ever tried to explain Linux to a non-technical person? It's not an option for the non-technical. – Richie086 Apr 26 '14 at 15:01
  • `you're basically giving people computers that are guaranteed to be taken over and used for bad purposes.` - Hyperbole much? – joeqwerty Apr 26 '14 at 15:39
  • Thanks Richie086 for trying to cover my back. These people paid $20 bucks for a used computer and just want something for their kids to play on. I haven't found any iso's that would work, my Dell OEM disks don't work, my copy of xppro doesn't work, they load but won't get past activation. I guess they will have to learn Ubuntu which is free to them. – Jerry Wooten Apr 26 '14 at 19:09
  • In this case, no, not hyperbole. Look at your router logs someday. There are tools that do nothing but contact IP address after IP address, looking for boxes with known vulnerabilities, and taking them over. In 2004, for an unmatched XP box, it took an average of 20 minutes for a system to be taken over. In 2008, that had dropped to 4 minutes. (https://isc.sans.edu/diary/Survival+Time+on+the+Internet/4721). And that was during a time the system was supported. There are known vulnerabilities now in Windows XP that will never be fixed. – Kevin McKenzie Dec 09 '15 at 15:05