I purchased a HP computer that has the COA attached for Windows XP Pro. There are two different product keys on the COA. The hard drive failed so I had to replace the hard drive. I purchased an OEM version of XP Pro. When I tried to load the software using the product key on the COA, I get a message that it is an invalid number. I was under the impression that you could reinstall the OS with the key on the COA. Why are there two product keys on the COA?

Thanks

The COA is not a license. Use the key that came with the OEM XP Pro you bought.

Thanks for the reply.

David

For the people who still reading this post, yes you can install Windows XP again in any brand machine. The sticker that comes in Branded machines like Gateway, HP, Compaq, Dell, and Acer are OEM versions keys, so you will need an OEM Operative System. This will not work if you are using a retail version Operative Syste, thought.

I don't think there is such COA sticker with two keys, unless it is a special version, but in my 5 years of fixing computers professionally, I have never seen that.

I was under the impression that if I had a OEM CD that I could use it to install the OS but use the product key that is shown on the COA.

The COA has a XP Pro product key at the top of the decal and at the bottom of the decal a 2000 professional product key.

Could this have been a computer that was built during the transition from Windows 2000 to XP?

UPDATE:

I took another look at the COA decal and it has "one time choice" printed on the decal.

So does this mean that a person could choose which OS he/she wanted installed?

The fact that it is a branded computer(HP) this does not make any sense.

When I tried to enter the product key from the COA I got the message that it was an invalid number.

How was the determination that the product key entered was not valid?

The original hard drive has been removed. Is the product key used by HP stored in the BIOS?

If so how does one find the original key?

A follow up to the post by jessicalore.
I was using a OEM CD to load Windows XP when I got the message invalid number.
What do you mean by "OEM Operative System?