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windows activation

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by minerbruce

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I have windows xp sp2, and it is a legal oem disk that was brought from a legal software house. I have re-installed this windows xp manytimes on my one and only computer because of bad software and malware problems. Whe first installed and manytimes since it has never stated that it was installed too many times, now it is stated I need new activation key. I am a senior citizen and can't afford to keep paying for a new keys on a legal copy from micosoft, when I nned to reinstall because of problems. How can I regedit the proglem to stop the lunacy of the bug, since when calling microsoft they want repayment, and they have my orginal registration key on file.

joy49rider@netscape.net

11 replies

by bfilmfan

Microsoft doesn't charge for reactivation. You give them your original key number and they give you another.

And Microsoft doesn't have your original key on file with your name on it. They have a list of known good keys.

And as another seasoned citizen, this story don't fly.

by oh smeg

They will however offer to help you with your Hardware issues that cause you to constantly need to reactivate your Product.

Also the only way that M$ will have any of your Details is if you Registered the Product with them when it was reloaded on one occasion and then they will only have the Information that you supplied on record. They [b]Do Not[/b] keep records as there is nothing to keep when your computer calls home and asks [b]What's New Mommy[/b] for the Auto Updates and so on.

As far as attempting to Edit the Registry or whatever to not require Activation this is Illegal and directly against the License Agreement that you have accepted from M$. When they catch you with what is Pirate Software they will start Legal Proceedings against you and they will win. They will however after 12 months or so offer to settle out of Court with you paying them $250.000.00 + Their Legals. For a First Offense and they will demand that you remove any Pirate Software of theirs from your system.

If you don't want to constantly reactivate all you have to do is create a Image of your HDD after it is Activated with something like Ghost which you will be paying for and then recover from that image every time it is necessary.

Col

by older mycroft

All that you have 'done' is re-install too frequently within a set period of time [ usually 28 Days ].

If you install more than three times within the same 28 Day period, Microsoft activation flags you as a dodgy bloke and tells you that your activation is no longer acceptable.

However, they DO NOT charge you for a new key, they simply require that you use a different re-activation system, usually by dialling a telephone number and using the automated system of typing your existing 25-digit code into your telephone and listening for the automated response to each block in sequence.

If on the other hand you are wanting to circumvent the process, then you ARE a dodgy bloke! ;)

by oh smeg

Of Windows and that is to buy a Volume License Pack and you'll never have to reactivate XP again. :0

Granted you are buying 5 Licenses and not many people are willing to buy them and only use 1 that is why M$ Sell OEM & Retail Products. :)

Col

by older mycroft

On the basis that if it is SOLD then it must be legit...

The coding crowd known commercially as 'Ashampoo' used to sell a Windows "Tweaking" package called 'Optimizer'.

One of the 'Optimizer' packages was called "Windows XP Platinum Plus" of which I have a registration with Ashampoo (and an installer lying about somewhere among the detritus that I call my Lounge).

One of the myriad of tweaking options that this little package provided, was a little box to tick that would fool the installed OS into thinking that it had already been activated - and would also fool the M$ server into accepting that the OS had been activated - thus allowing for Updates et al.

However, I never tried it, so can't vouch for whether it worked or not. Interestingly the very next build of the same Tweaking Package had this particular function removed.

I wonder why? ;)

by oh smeg

The easiest way is still to clone the HDD after activating the product and then using the Clone Image to rebuild from. Pity that it would only work for the Original/Identical Hardware and be useless for Bulk Loading computers unless they all had identical Hardware configurations. :^0

Personally I used to get driven nuts by the Activation Thingy on XP as one system in particular which I used to test new Hardware was always requiring reactivation. Things sort of came to a head one night when I added 6 SCSI HDD and it spat the dummy and wanted to be reactivated. I've been using Volume License Stuff ever since that night and just no longer have any issues with it. :0

Col

by rob miners

of 120 days between re-activating XP online. If you have to do it between this period you will have to call Microsoft.

by oh smeg

As I don't trust their On Line Activation Service it has been known to fail to activate while recording the product as Activated.

I've never had a single issue with speaking to a person at the M$ Activation Center even when I've used OEM Install Media to reload HP Computers. They accept the Product Key but as the HP units don't need to be activated this causes a bit of a problem. Also I never type in the Code on the Phone I just enter rubbish and get a Person ASAP. It saves a lot of messing around.

Col

by rob miners

always uses the phone as well. I have never had any problems with online activation and it is the only way that I have ever done it, mind you I ensure that the system is stable before committing though. I'm just lucky in that respect I guess, it also saves a lot of typing. ;)

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