window xp profesional retail or corp

[foxnews]

I installed window xp professional on my pc. how can I tell if it is retail or corp?

[SegiY]

Where did you get it from, that should be one indicator.
And retail you have to activate it, corprate you don't.

[Beefy]

Did you need to activate it?

[JediAgent]

retail = home
corporate = professional

he already said it was professional, and thats what it should say on the left side of the start menu. i guess ive done my good deed for the day...

[SegiY]

If you go to a shop and buy XP Pro, you are getting the "retail" version of it. If you work in a big corparation they normaly get "corprate", for example i work in the Department of education, and we are alowed to use any M$ software in the schools at home, there fore i have a legit copy of XP Pro. The devils own version of XP Pro is also corparte, else you would have to register it and no one would be able to.
The titles "retail" and "corprate" spell it out really.

[JediAgent]

But you dont have to activate ANY version of XP Pro whether its sold at Best Buy or if you got it from your work when they bought their 1000-key license. Retail might just be the "upgrade" version of Pro, but i still think the only two XP's there are are Home and Pro...

[Wiggo]

Now I think your steppin' into the "OEM" flavour now which a lot seems to be very similar to "Corporate" flavour from the PC's that have been here lately as there's been no activation needed (or even mentioned) with half of them but none of the several flavours of OEM seems to be the same so I'm not sure what's goin' on there (maybe someone else can though). :?:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Darthtanion]

But you dont have to activate ANY version of XP Pro whether its sold at Best Buy or if you got it from your work when they bought their 1000-key license.

I think you might want to check into this concept a bit more. We are currently in the process (very slowly) of updating some of our older machines at work with newer systems. All of the new systems we buy have WinXP Pro installed on them due to the networking support offered with this version. Every machine must be activated because the vendor we deal with has yet to make open license agreements for WinXP yet. This equates to a "Retail" version of the OS.

The version I use at home, however, was purchased through a local computer shop as an open license agreement with Microsoft. It does not require any activation and is what folks refer to as a "Corporate" version of the OS.

The version that you buy at Best Buy should be using the activation process or there is something wrong.

[JediAgent]

Alright, my friend bought a Pro version at bestbuy and didnt have to activate, i install pro versions at my shop all the time which my boss gets throu his vendor, and i dont have to activate. Every last version of Pro that i have ever seen, and ive seen a fair amount of legal and illegal copies, have required no activation whatsoever...

Now if your telling me there are retail/oem/corp versions of Pro that require activation, i think ive been a very lucky man never to have had to deal with it...

[Wiggo]

Hey I've never had any probs with activatin' ppl's copies here as it's pretty straight forward when necessary. ;)
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Darthtanion]

Your workplace likely uses an ongoing Open License Agreement through Microsoft and would explain why no activation is necessary. I am hoping that we will go this route soon for our new machines that are ordered. As to your buddy who got a copy from Best Buy that required no activation, I would say that something is wrong. The Retail versions are supposed to require activation regardless if they are Home or Professional.

[foxnews]

well, I just found out last night that I got Window xp professional corp version by installing sp1 using the tweektown guide. no need to activate, just using key.

so professional version could be either home or corporate?

[Darthtanion]

Let me see if I can try to clear things up just a bit...

There are two versions of Microsoft Windows XP;
- Windows XP Home
- Windows XP Professional

Now, there are two main ways that the OS can be purchased;
- Retail (requires activation)
- Open License (known as "Corporate" and requires no activation)

What folks refer to as "The Devil's Own" is nothing more than an open license version that has been floating around for a long time now being used in conjunction with a bogus registration number. I tend to not give much regard to folks having problems with this installation since they didn't buy it anyway.

Hopefully this helps set the matter straight. :)