uninstalling a bad copy of XP

[Graygirl]

I just joined this forum tonight because I need some help. Here is my problem.

I partitioned my MacBook and installed Boot Camp. I purchased a copy of XP on ebay for 80,00. Everything worked great until just recently when Microsoft tells me that my XP cannot be validated. I bought the XP is good faith, used it, and now find it is not "legal" and Microsoft will not permit any updates which I need to watch the instant Netflix movies (I just joined Netflix).

So I need to know how to get rid of the bad XP copy and install a good one. How do I do this?
Can I get rid of the partition AND the XP and just start over? I'd like to buy Fusion and use that instead of Boot Camp.
Can someone help? I'm not real savvy. I need pretty easy directions. Thanks

 

[Eidorian]

How did you come to learn it was not legal? Is it a retail copy or OEM?

 

[squeeks]

ok, so, what exactly are you trying to do? did you want to make the copy you have legal?

did you want to start over with a NEW cd key?

its only the cd key thats not legal, unless its the corperate version of XP, did it ask you to activate?

but yeah i would just delete the bootcamp partition that will get rid of it

 

[Graygirl]

How I found out the copy was not legal??

I just joined Netflix and wanted to watch an instant movie. Netflix said I needed an upgrade to my Windows Media Player. Since my XP copy couldn't be validated, Microsoft won't let me upgrade. On further investigating the MS info, I found out my copy was a "volume license" probably used to install in multiple computers in schools or businesses and that license is no longer valid. I was duped I guess. I was trying to save some money by buying on ebay. Ouch! Now I have to buy again but need to know how to uninstall the bad copy.

ok, so, what exactly are you trying to do? did you want to make the copy you have legal?

did you want to start over with a NEW cd key?

its only the cd key thats not legal, unless its the corperate version of XP, did it ask you to activate?

but yeah i would just delete the bootcamp partition that will get rid of it

I don't think I can just start over with a NEW cd key since I guess I have a copy that had a volume license and I would be replacing it with either an OEM or Retail copy.
How do I delete the bootcamp partition? Will that leave me with no partitions? (that's the only one I created). Then can I buy Fusions and start over?

 

[Eidorian]

I'm a little surprised that you didn't turn to NewEgg for a cheap copy of Windows if you're in the US.

Just wipe the partition by running the Boot Camp Assistant again and return the drive to a single partition. Keep in mind that video playback within a virtual machine can be a crap shot.

 

[Graygirl]

I'm a little surprised that you didn't turn to NewEgg for a cheap copy of Windows if you're in the US.

Just wipe the partition by running the Boot Camp Assistant again and return the drive to a single partition. Keep in mind that video playback within a virtual machine can be a crap shot.

?
Yeah, well I'm old, lol, what do I know? I never even heard of Newegg til tonight when I was looking at someplace to buy a legal copy. Amazon has an OEM copy for 89.00 with lots of reviews from Mac users who say that works great with Parallels, fusion, or bootcamp. Do you think that would work? A retail copy is 189.00 I think at Newegg.

 

[squeeks]

?
Yeah, well I'm old, lol, what do I know? I never even heard of Newegg til tonight when I was looking at someplace to buy a legal copy. Amazon has an OEM copy for 89.00 with lots of reviews from Mac users who say that works great with Parallels, fusion, or bootcamp. Do you think that would work? A retail copy is 189.00 I think at Newegg.

if you follow the link eidorian provided you will find the same OEM copy for 89 as well

the one on amazon is actually from tiger direct, and is an older version SP2B the one from newegg is SP2C

but do what you want they are pretty much the exact same thing

 

[vistafanboi]

How I found out the copy was not legal??

I just joined Netflix and wanted to watch an instant movie. Netflix said I needed an upgrade to my Windows Media Player. Since my XP copy couldn't be validated, Microsoft won't let me upgrade. On further investigating the MS info, I found out my copy was a "volume license" probably used to install in multiple computers in schools or businesses and that license is no longer valid. I was duped I guess. I was trying to save some money by buying on ebay. Ouch! Now I have to buy again but need to know how to uninstall the bad copy.

The best way to uninstall XP from a Windows partition created by Apple's bootcamp assistant is to simply go into BootCamp and delete the partition.

I guess you learned the "Don't buy Windows on eBay" lesson the hard way.
The lesson will be reinforced if you decide to reinstall XP on a partition created with BootCamp Assistant, since you will need to purchase either an OEM copy or a full retail (i.e., "boxed") copy of XP. Hurry up, though. Such copies are getting scarce. The prices may rise in the next 6 months or so, unless Microsoft relents on its end-of-life date for XP of June 30, 2008.

Donald L McDaniel

if you follow the link eidorian provided you will find the same OEM copy for 89 as well

the one on amazon is actually from tiger direct, and is an older version SP2B the one from newegg is SP2C

but do what you want they are pretty much the exact same thing

What is the difference between the two? I've never heard of this "SP2B" and SP2C", just ""Service Pack 1", "Service Pack 2" and "Service Pack 3" [the newest and last Service Pack for XP].

There was a "Service Pack 1a", which was just "Service Pack 1" WITHOUT Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine. This Service Pack was released for ONE reason: to make their OS "legal", since Sun won their court-case, and demanded that Microsoft remove it. Then everyone blamed Microsoft for doing it, rather than Sun for demanding it be removed.

Sometimes, you can't win for losing. Microsoft is "darned if they do, and darned if they don't".

Please be a little easy on Microsoft, since they are on EVERYONE's hitlist, apparently.

Donald L McDaniel

?
Yeah, well I'm old, lol, what do I know? I never even heard of Newegg til tonight when I was looking at someplace to buy a legal copy. Amazon has an OEM copy for 89.00 with lots of reviews from Mac users who say that works great with Parallels, fusion, or bootcamp. Do you think that would work? A retail copy is 189.00 I think at Newegg.

That'll work just fine, Graygirl.
NO need to pay the inflated prices of a retail copy, since there are only two advantages a Retail copy has over an OEM copy:
1) You would be able to transfer the license to another machine if the one you now have is outgrown or breaks down.
2) You would be able to use the disk to do an "Upgrade" installation (i.e., an in-place installation on top of an earlier Microsoft OS, which would allow you to retain your Windows data and programs, whereas an OEM copy would require you to install the OS on a NEW, wiped ("formatted") partition.

Since you're gonna have to do a "clean" installation anyway if you use BootCamp or a Virtualization software package, why spend the extra hundred bucks for a boxed copy?

NOTE however, that as the installer of your OEM copy of Windows, ALL support responsibilities will fall on YOUR shoulders, NOT Microsoft's or Apple's.

Microsoft will only support you until your Windows OS is installed and running properly. After that, there will ONLY be "Peer support" through their Usenet newsgroups. Calls to Microsoft will start at around $35 per incident from then on (unless it is necessary to Activate your OS via the phone, in which case the call will be free.)

Hope this helps...

Donald L McDaniel

ok, so, what exactly are you trying to do? did you want to make the copy you have legal?

did you want to start over with a NEW cd key?

its only the cd key thats not legal, unless its the corperate version of XP, did it ask you to activate?

but yeah i would just delete the bootcamp partition that will get rid of it

Don't forget, squeeks, that Microsoft's License agreement with End Users DISALLOWS the sale or purchase of stand-alone COAs [without the installation media], so, if one purchases one of these stand-alone COAs, he/she will not have a valid license, even though the key may or may not be valid.

Also don't forget that there is no such "corporate" version of XP, just "volume licensed" copies meant for corporate consumption.

The so-called "Corporate" version is a "leaked" [i.e., "stolen"] -- and many times, modified -- version of Volume License media. ANY keys associated with one of these stolen versions have been disallowed by Microsoft long ago, which is why the OP got her "invalid License" message.

These copies are dangerous to own and dangerous to use. I would NEVER purchase or download one.

Donald L McDaniel

 

[Graygirl]

That'll work just fine, Graygirl.
NO need to pay the inflated prices of a retail copy, since there are only two advantages a Retail copy has over an OEM copy:
1) You would be able to transfer the license to another machine if the one you now have is outgrown or breaks down.
2) You would be able to use the disk to do an "Upgrade" installation (i.e., an in-place installation on top of an earlier Microsoft OS, which would allow you to retain your Windows data and programs, whereas an OEM copy would require you to install the OS on a NEW, wiped ("formatted") partition.

Since you're gonna have to do a "clean" installation anyway if you use BootCamp or a Virtualization software package, why spend the extra hundred bucks for a boxed copy?

NOTE however, that as the installer of your OEM copy of Windows, ALL support responsibilities will fall on YOUR shoulders, NOT Microsoft's or Apple's.

Microsoft will only support you until your Windows OS is installed and running properly. After that, there will ONLY be "Peer support" through their Usenet newsgroups. Calls to Microsoft will start at around $35 per incident from then on (unless it is necessary to Activate your OS via the phone, in which case the call will be free.)

Hope this helps...

Donald L McDaniel

Thank you for your informative reply, vistafanboi. Pleas allow me to ask you (or anyone) a few more questions.

!. When MS tells me my copy of XP is not able to be validated, it also offers me the opportunity to simply click a button (for $149) and they will somehow change my illegal copy to a legal one. They say that a CD will then come in the mail. Do you think that would be the more prudent thing to do over buying an OEM copy?

2.) If I buy the XP OEM, do I delete the current partition and Boot Camp and start the whole process over in order to install the new copy of XP?

3. When I buy Fusion, will it install into the partition I created for Boot Camp thus deleting Boot Camp at that time, and would Fusion just automatically begin using whatever new copy of XP that I might have purchased and installed?

4. If I don't decide on paying the $149 for XP (see #1) would it be better to buy a OEM copy of Vista over XP (so as to have MS support longer)?

Sorry to ask so many questions. I would appreciate anyone's input. Thanks.

 

[Consultant]

Getting it from MS in most cases will take longer than getting it from Amazon or Newegg.

Actually, there is a way to change your license key in XP, without wiping and reinstalling. You might want to try that first, as it's a pain to install windows. But probably safer to wipe and install anyway.

3. search the dozens of VMware threads

4. No matter what version of OEM windows, none have support beyond what is described in other responses above.

 

[Graygirl]

Consultant said, "But probably safer to wipe and install anyway."




If I get rid of boot camp, does that by itself also get rid of the XP that I installed, and does it also get rid of the partition I created?

In other words does it give me back the 20 gigs that I allotted to Boot Camp when I installed it? Does it keep all my Mac programs and documents and photos intact and unharmed?

 

[cohibadad]

yes it gets rid of XP and you reclaim the hard drive space.