"hacking" windows XP CD

[hushypushy]

ok i have windows XP home (LEGAL version, im proud to say) sitting around and i have my new computer's XP Pro recovery disc.

the problem is that i decided to reformat my hard drive a few times recently (ive been having problems with windows media player and a few other things). i used my XP pro disc but the serial number on my case is the only one it can be used with.

so now, i have XP Pro. but it only works with one serial number. and it kept telling me to input another serial number, but of course it doesnt work because its a goddamn recovery CD

SO, the point of this whole stupid thing is:

is there a way i can mess with files and reburn my XP Pro disc so i can use a different serial number with my existing XP Pro?

[Gamer1]

you could use a corp key on a regular winxp pro installation.

i did it, since it was friggin annoying to keep reactivating it every time i add new hardware.

*i suggest to not use the fckgw key

[hushypushy]

Originally Posted by Gamer1

you could use a corp key on a regular winxp pro installation.

i did it, since it was friggin annoying to keep reactivating it every time i add new hardware.

*i suggest to not use the fckgw key

yeah 1 FCKGW key is number 1 on the list of microsoft's blacklisted keys

i tried using other XP pro keys on my "recovery" installation. none of them worked....and that's the problem that im at.

i dont know for sure, but i suspect that somewhere in the installation files is something that specifies the only key i can use for my install (the one on the case).

interestingly, i DO have another XP Pro CD. however, for some ODD odd reason it wont autorun. ive installed XP pro off it...but it just wont autorun.

in that case, can i "combine" the 2 cds somehow?

[Gamer1]

why won't you just get a bootdisk,

the type in (replace x with the drive letter of your cdrom drive)

cd x:
cd i386
winnt

or is your other xp pro just an upgrade?

[hushypushy]

my other XP pro is a full version. in fact, it wont upgrade. that folder "WIN9XUPG" is completely empty. just now i googled a site that tells me how to make a bootable XP disc with the files you already have....sooooo im going to try this out.

AFAIK this isnt illegal....i already have all the files already, its just telling me how to make it bootable

[hushypushy]

ok ill make a new post for this since i figured it out. i went to a site and looked at a tutorial to make a windows boot CD. basically you add your files and they tell you how to make it bootable. i added my own files from the disc that wouldnt boot....and bam, back to XP Pro

[GKort]

your editing microshyts stuff...its illegal...i pretty sure of it...but i dont suggest stopping at all...i doubt they have time or money to go after 1 person doing one thing that doesnt hurt their profit...

did you find out how to make a simple xp pro cd that doesnt have to do any DUMBASS activation ****? i need xp home sp1 key or way to get rid of this ****!!!

[hushypushy]

nope. i didnt change any of it. all i did was copy the files onto a bootable CD. poof, it works. and then i just used a cd key from....a place i wont disclose (maybe it was inside the XP Pro box....you dont know that )