A newbie question about SP2 ugrade - please help

The sticker contains your product key, as far as I recollect updating sp
doesnt require you to enter any key.
You are however between a rock and a hard place, if anything goes wrong with
your update, or anything else for that matter, you will need to source a
winxp cd

<grubas8 DeleteThis @gazeta.pl> wrote in message
news:29963604-6b80-482d-982a-32360fc034ac@c4g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>
> Hi everybody!
>
> On one of my machines, I need to upgrade the system (XP) to SP2.
>
> This machine I've bought as used, from a private person. I haven't got
> any CDs or product codes, as the original owner couldn't find them.
> However, I assume that my XP copy is legal (there is an MS sticker on
> the case, with what I assume is the license number).
>
> Now my questions:
>
> 1) Do I need to know my product code, if I download the SP2 from the
> MS site and try to install it?
>
> 2) If I know my license number (I guess this is what the sticker
> tells) - is it enough to pass the "sw authentivation scheme"?
>
> Thanks for your advice!
>
> Grubas
>

On Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:27:36 -0000, "DL" <address@invalid> wrote:

> The sticker contains your product key, as far as I recollect updating sp
> doesnt require you to enter any key.
> You are however between a rock and a hard place, if anything goes wrong with
> your update, or anything else for that matter, you will need to source a
> winxp cd


I'd put it even more strongly than that. The very first thing he
should do with his used computer is reinstall Windows cleanly. He has
no idea how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
problems, possibility of kiddie porn, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
that anyone else do either.


> <grubas8 RemoveThis @gazeta.pl> wrote in message
> news:29963604-6b80-482d-982a-32360fc034ac@c4g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > Hi everybody!
> >
> > On one of my machines, I need to upgrade the system (XP) to SP2.
> >
> > This machine I've bought as used, from a private person. I haven't got
> > any CDs or product codes, as the original owner couldn't find them.
> > However, I assume that my XP copy is legal (there is an MS sticker on
> > the case, with what I assume is the license number).
> >
> > Now my questions:
> >
> > 1) Do I need to know my product code, if I download the SP2 from the
> > MS site and try to install it?
> >
> > 2) If I know my license number (I guess this is what the sticker
> > tells) - is it enough to pass the "sw authentivation scheme"?
> >
> > Thanks for your advice!
> >
> > Grubas
> >
>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

grubas8.RemoveThis@gazeta.pl wrote:
> Hi everybody!
>
> On one of my machines, I need to upgrade the system
> (XP)
> to SP2.
>
> This machine I've bought as used, from a private
> person.
> I haven't got any CDs or product codes, as the
> original
> owner couldn't find them. However, I assume that my
> XP
> copy is legal (there is an MS sticker on the case,
> with
> what I assume is the license number).
>
> Now my questions:
>
> 1) Do I need to know my product code, if I download
> the
> SP2 from the MS site and try to install it?
>
> 2) If I know my license number (I guess this is what
> the
> sticker tells) - is it enough to pass the "sw
> authentivation scheme"?
>
> Thanks for your advice!
>
> Grubas

If you were not provided with any way to restore your
machine to at least its delivery state, and CDs for the
apps installed on it, you did not buy any software;
all you bought was the computer hardware. Without the
associated keys and media, you are running all pirated
software whether that's what you intended or not.
You'll have nothing but problems going forward unless
you straighten things out legally and ethically.

First buy an OS; probably XP Home. Boot from that CD
and follow the instructions. Then at least you'll own
the OS. YOu'll still need to get your own set of
programs to run, etc..
Without any CDs, first time something glitches, and
it WILL happen, you'll be up a crick. Do it right and
avoid a LOT of frustration down the road in maybe a few
days or weeks.