Windows Validation Tool Question

I purchased a used laptop off of ebay. I am very happy with the unit as it has XP Pro Installed (with no disks included), but what I was wondering is that what will happen to the OS and Microsoft Office if I download the Windows validation tool update to the laptop? Will it all quit working or will it just not let me download any other updates?
Thanks

 

That depends whether or not your OS "passes" the test. If it doesn't, you will get nag messages in the notification area and the welcome screen, and no other updates other than "criticals ". If it passes, all continues as normal. The nag messages encourage you to tell where you got your OS and how to pay to make it legit again. Because you have no XP cd, you have no way of reinstalling, and even if you did, you'd be back in the same boat.

Johanna

 

More important than the XP Pro CD, is the COA. That's the "Certificate of Authenticity" put onto laptops when they are supplied with a Microsoft Operating system by the laptop manufacturer. If the laptop was originally installed with XP Pro, there should be a Microsoft label on the bottom of the laptop, with the XP license key. That label is the COA. If you have that, it should not be too difficult to obtain a media CD either from Microsoft or the laptop manufacture (for a small handling fee). Make sure you ask for the right version of the OS. If there is a manufacturers COA for XP Pro on the laptop, you will need an OEM version of XP Pro media disk.

If you don't have a COA then you will have a problem if you need to reinstall the operating system.

Whether you have a COA or not, I would suggest that you look on your system for an I386 folder and back it up. This contains XP set up files and you may need a copy of them in future. If you don't have an I386 folder either, I think normal maintenance issues may become a problem more quickly than issues with updating. For example, you may have problems installed new devices on the laptop.

 

Yes it does have the COA attached to it. Is there a link to where I can purchase the cd and what all is involved? Thanks

 

Can you give me directions to find this? I was looking around but not sure where to go to look. Thanks

 

C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386
C:\Windows\Service Pack Files\i386

I've got some in Program files for java and System 32\ReinstallBackups\4digit#\DriverFiles and one lone one in lib.

I think the first two are what Reggie B was referring to.

Johanna