Identifying Windows

Piyono

Piyono

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Joined
Jan 25, 2002
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How can I tell which exact version of WinXP a given computer is running?
By exact I mean any given permutation of OEM / MSDN / Corp / Pro / Home, etc.


Piyono
 
You can't, unless you can decrypt the serial number in the registry.

What *I'd* like to know is how to tell which version of MS Office someone has installed, so I know which of five different disks to use when installing service packs or running the repair procedure.
 
Mercutio said:
What *I'd* like to know is how to tell which version of MS Office someone has installed, so I know which of five different disks to use when installing service packs or running the repair procedure.
Click to expand...

Can't you just open . . . never mind.
 
for windows, right-click my computer and select properties

for office, look in add/remove programs for the name
 
On my single solitary XP machine, it says "Windows XP Professional 2002 Version Service Pack 1". It doesn't say that I installed from a volume license or retail disk or MSDN disk (mine is from the Indiana University Volume License, actually).

In the normal place in the registry, HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Windows>Currentversion, there's a ProductID key, but no listing of the type of install that was done.

It's not in System Information, either.

I had to install a different Office to check it, but the MSDN disk I used gives a version number of 9.00.3281 (Premium SR 1). If I install SP2 or 3, I'm prompted for my install CD. If I put in, say, an OEM Office 2000 Premium SR1 or a Retail copy, I'm prompted again for the original installer files.

That's what I'm talking about. I run into it a lot. Often enough that it's a source of annoyance, anyway. In local common use there are retail versions of Office, OEM copies that came with PCs or local universities. Every once in awhile I run into someone who has snagged an MSDN/Microsoft Select or most annoying of all the copies that're MS-use-only (they'll only install if you enter "Microsoft" for your company name. I don't know where they're come from but I've run across them several times).
 
Mercutio said:
On my single solitary XP machine, it says "Windows XP Professional 2002 Version Service Pack 1". It doesn't say that I installed from a volume license or retail disk or MSDN disk (mine is from the Indiana University Volume License, actually).

In the normal place in the registry, HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Windows>Currentversion, there's a ProductID key, but no listing of the type of install that was done.

It's not in System Information, either.

I had to install a different Office to check it, but the MSDN disk I used gives a version number of 9.00.3281 (Premium SR 1). If I install SP2 or 3, I'm prompted for my install CD. If I put in, say, an OEM Office 2000 Premium SR1 or a Retail copy, I'm prompted again for the original installer files.

That's what I'm talking about. I run into it a lot. Often enough that it's a source of annoyance, anyway. In local common use there are retail versions of Office, OEM copies that came with PCs or local universities. Every once in awhile I run into someone who has snagged an MSDN/Microsoft Select or most annoying of all the copies that're MS-use-only (they'll only install if you enter "Microsoft" for your company name. I don't know where they're come from but I've run across them several times).
Click to expand...

Merc, when you install office, do you ever install it from the HDD instead of from the CD?
 
Usually I dump the installer files to a network share or something. But if I'm not the person who installed it, there's still an issue.

Where's the media-type info in System Information? I didn't see it when I looked.
 
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