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Registered Member #79
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673
Problem. My parent's computer cratered and I was fixing it, but the original disk had been damaged (and without SP's) so I used one of the ones they throw out all the time at work to do the Repair function. They are the generic ones that come with Dell computers, they install on all the computers, and the our company buys the little cards with the serial numbers. So I did the repair install; it seems to be fixed now, but I can't get into Windows, "Do you want to activate Windows now?"
While I don't mind activating because we have an actual license, but does anyone know if Windows is still operating off my original license because I only did the repair? Or is it off the new CD? and is that CD connected to my work? If so how can I reactivate with my license somehow?
Registered Member #79
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673
Cool! Thanks, I was just wanting to know if when I clicked "activate" would it tell me if the key was being used, or would it accept it and 2 yr's from now the Men In Black show up at my door... But no, I haven't put in a new key.
Registered Member #618
Joined: Sat Mar 31 2007, 04:15AM
Location: Us-Great Lakes
Posts: 628
it should use the license 5 times max! After the 5Th time you most likely will have to call a techy to have them authorize a new code, I've had to reformat my PC 1 too many times, so I know =).
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
Windows activation is a complicated process that could be easily mistaken for a complete pain in the butt. In this case, it depends what source you did your repair install from.
If you put anew hard drive in and did the repair install from the CD that shipped with your computer, then it needs to reactivate because swapping the hard disk lost the original licensed copy of windows, and also the presence of a new hard drive changed the input to the hardware hashing algorithm that MS use for activation.
If you had an OEM license before, it might refuse to reactivate and you'll need to call Microsoft support. OEM licenses can sometimes be tied to a specific hardware hash and refuse to let you reactivate with a different one at all, this has the unfortunate effect of making your Windows license expire with your hard drive :(
If you reinstalled from an OEM XP CD that was thrown out at work, and don't own a license that matches it, and your hardware doesn't match the hash of the machine that CD was supplied with, Lord knows what happened. You may well end up needing one of those little "cards with serial numbers" from work too and what's more, one that no other computer has been activated with... You could always try activating it with the serial number on your computer's sticker, and if it doesn't work you may get the opportunity to call MS and have it unlocked.
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Windows XP Activation Question
and what's more, one that no other computer has been activated with... You could always try activating it with the serial number on your computer's sticker, and if it doesn't work you may get the opportunity to call MS and have it unlocked.