bought PC without OS but with COA

[imageroc]

hi,

I bought A PC online without an OS installed on it, but the back of it has a Windows XP Pro COA sticker with Product Key..

How Do I go about installing windows XP Pro legally??

Edited April 3, 2006 by imageroc

[cluberti]

You could purchase a copy, either OEM or retail, and that would then give you a legal copy. Having the COA is nice, but you can't be sure it hasn't been used (although if it has a COA, the CD was supposed to come with it). Technically it would be legal for you to use that key, and illegal for someone else to do so, but only if it's an OEM key (if it's retail, you can't use it unless you purchased it from the person who sold you the machine).

I'm also not sure about the real-world implications of activating that key (if it were OEM) would be if someone else has activated that key. You could always call Microsoft's 800# to see if it's a legit key - if so, you could probably use it if it's an OEM product key.

[Aegis]

So are you asking how you can obtain the software legally? Because there's no use of a CD key without the software . Just give Microsoft a call and see what they can do for you.