Restoring genuine xp home after pirate xp pro

[Don]

Help, my genuine xp home was replaced with a possibly dodgy xp pro after a repair job. I didn;t realize it was dodgy until I updated to SP3 then whamo. WGA came up with Counterfeit etc.
I can't afford the xp pro upgrade but am happy to return to xp home. The original xp home was OEM and we have the original installed numbers but no discs. We have another duff computer about to be scrapped with an OEM XP Home on it. How can I best proceed please.

[FRISH]

im not rly sure but did it come with a manual, maybe it says in there.
or u can borrow someone elses xp cd or torrent it but use ur key (bear in mind the later is technically illegal).

Also see what others reply.

[webman]

See if you can borrow a copy first. Surely you know someone with a disc?

Can't you also go back to the person who put the pirate on and complain?

[kalniel]

Help, my genuine xp home was replaced with a possibly dodgy xp pro after a repair job. I didn;t realize it was dodgy until I updated to SP3 then whamo. WGA came up with Counterfeit etc.
I can't afford the xp pro upgrade but am happy to return to xp home. The original xp home was OEM and we have the original installed numbers but no discs. We have another duff computer about to be scrapped with an OEM XP Home on it. How can I best proceed please.

The WGA message should give you the details for how to report the counterfeit - I think MS then give you a cheap option to get hold of the original media again.

[Don]

H
Thanks all so far, yes going back would have been 1st stop but firm gone zippo some time back.

So, can I use any XP Home disc but use my legit number?

Can I not lift the copy on my duff PC onto the good one then activate it with legit number?

Regards

[Don]

Thanks

[kalniel]

Can I not lift the copy on my duff PC onto the good one then activate it with legit number?

Not as far as I know, no.

[Don]

OK thanks Kalniel.

[gss03]

Two methods I can see you going with this

1) "Go Legit" with the XP pro installation that is on your machine. Last time I did this for a client I think it was £92 (which included a new media kit should you need to re-install again)
2) Wipe your machine and start again with XP home. For this you will need *any* OEM XP home CD - so you could borrow a friends if possible.

Things you could do, but have varying successes with
- lift the disk out the machine that is to be scrapped and throw this into you your working machine. Problems I forsee would be that Windows would want to activate again (due to major hardware changes!)
- Call Microsoft's anti-piracy hotline (googling get you a number) and report the person that did the "repair" - if you have the invoice they will be very interested to speak to that repair person - they may reward you with a free copy of windows (unlikely, but you can but try).

Hope that helps.

[Don]

Thanks GSS03, just what I needed to hear.
1/ will try to get another OEM XP home disc and use my numers then I'll be Genu again. If not then:
2/ Will install HD from my clapped PC and follow instructions/demands!

Can't report the critter, one man band and as I mentioned gone zippo and dissapeared some years ago to another planet. I just want my original genu software back in operation and I'll be happy bunny.