Can I use Windows product key with other CDs?

[sspeedy43]

So i just bought a relatives 2006 core duo mac, i cant do anything productive on the os. So i need to install Windows on bootcamp. So my question is...... If my friend bought a pc that came with windows xp and then upgraded to windows 7, can i use ANY windows sp2 cd and put his code in (the sticker on back of the computer) Cause now he is using windows 7.
I don't want to go through the process just to find out it wont work. I already did that with my version of XP ( non sp2 thats why it didn't work)

Thanks in advance, Speedy43

 

[Tmagic650]

In a word... No

 

[nismo91]

well you can always try. but most likely its a NO. lol

 

[SNGX1275]

Why can't you do anything productive on the OS? What are you trying to do? You aren't going to have a slew of things to tweak to get the OS to run optimally on your hardware.. So I don't know what is preventing you from being productive, is it that you can't find the right programs to do what you want?

I use both Mac and Windows every day and I don't feel much difference in productivity between them, but maybe you are doing a specific task (or wanting to) that Macs don't have an equivalent for...

 

[sspeedy43]

Well i have a Zune HD and the zune program will not work with snow leopard, also a lot of my games are for windows and will not work with mac. I am getting used to it but i feel like a baby with this os. I have had a lot of experience with a pc. i had one sence i was 3. The only reason i got this is that i got a great deal from a relitive, 2,000$ mac for only 400$ with snow, adobe cs3, iwork, ilife. Super deal.
So i cant function quite as well as i do with XP so, yea i only have the 2002 version and dont want to buy a new one.

 

[sspeedy43]

well actualy he did not upgrade, he wiped the hard drive and then installed a fresh copy of 7 with a new key code, that means that other code is not in use.

 

[nismo91]

honestly, if you are eager enough, just setup bootcamp and set aside a small partition for windows. insert your windows CD and start installing in that particular partition. then you will know if it works or not. if it doesn't, go back to bootcamp and delete the partition.

im not sure about imac, but for 2009 macbook pro it's actually easy to install windows. quick and painless.

 

[sspeedy43]

Well will windows 7 work on my imac? ( early 2006, intel based)

 

[nismo91]

hmm. im not sure about that. i never own any mac. just helping friends with. check this out: http://www.everymac.com/articles/q&...-bit-64-bit-boot-camp-support-intel-macs.html

However, based on reader reports via e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as hands-on observation, models officially unable to boot even the 32-bit version of Windows 7 via Boot Camp are capable of doing so with appropriate drivers. Furthermore, some Intel-based Macs that only are officially supported booting the 32-bit version of Windows 7 actually are capable of booting the 64-bit version of Windows 7, again, with proper drivers.