Ah, I see.
Yes, it did appear that someone had simply stuck a Product Key sticker on the packaging - ie, it cannot possibly have been shipped by Microsoft with a Product Key stuck on the outside of an installation pack.
However, the installed Windows Product Key is not the one they stuck on my packaging - so, technically speaking, I still have a spare copy of WindowsXP - unless, the one they have stuck on the outside of the packaging has been installed on another computer - meaning my unopened pack now has no Product Key at all.
All seems a bit arse about face to me. Potentially, the Product Key stuck on the packaging might be useless to me - considering I might not use that disk for a long time.
EDIT:
I assume my route forward is to use the currently installed Product Key with the unopened pack and ingnore the Product Key they stuck on the pack.
Yes, it did appear that someone had simply stuck a Product Key sticker on the packaging - ie, it cannot possibly have been shipped by Microsoft with a Product Key stuck on the outside of an installation pack.
However, the installed Windows Product Key is not the one they stuck on my packaging - so, technically speaking, I still have a spare copy of WindowsXP - unless, the one they have stuck on the outside of the packaging has been installed on another computer - meaning my unopened pack now has no Product Key at all.
All seems a bit arse about face to me. Potentially, the Product Key stuck on the packaging might be useless to me - considering I might not use that disk for a long time.
EDIT:
I assume my route forward is to use the currently installed Product Key with the unopened pack and ingnore the Product Key they stuck on the pack.