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Thread ID: 89800	2008-05-12 13:16:00	How to Uninstall a partial Win Repair/Reinstall?	Apteryx (294)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
668709	2008-05-13 13:30:00	Apteryx re your rejected Product key. Have you changed your hardware significantly (eg replaced or added a HDD) since you did the installation that originally used that key? When XP is activated it stores your hardware configuration info on the activation server. If you change that configuration then subsequently try to reinstall using the same key the server "assumes" that because the configuration is different you are trying to install on a different computer and blocks it. In this case, apparently you need to ring M$ and convince them that you are doing an installation to the same rig and they will then issue a new key or some other magic activation code. I didn't know all this - I happened to read it in a book this morning. HTH.	Robin S_ (86)
668710	2008-05-13 20:54:00	What Robins wrote is right, if the hard ware has been changed significantly you may have a activation problem and need to phone MS - BUT that wont stop the install accepting the product key during the installation of windows.	wainuitech (129)
668711	2008-05-14 14:03:00	re yesterdays query I just found this article which is eaxactly my problem so will try a . m . . partially posted for others with SP3 or february update flaw related problems . FAQ: Windows XP SP3 reboot hell (and how to get out of it) Microsoft blames HP, HP says it's Microsoft's fault By Gregg KeizerRecommended0ShareDiggSlashdotEmail Top Stories Related May 14, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft's having a tough year with reboots . First it was a reboot ad infinitum in February, brought on by a flawed update to Windows Vista . Now the same thing's happening to some users who have updated to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) . What gives? We don't have the answer to that -- at the moment, no one seems to have the definitive answer to that . But we do have answers to the most pressing questions about the latest Windows snafu, including a developing game of blame . What's happening? After some users update to Windows XP SP3, their PCs reboot -- which is normal -- but then fail to start up, and then reboot again and again, which is decidedly not normal . The "endless reboot" cropped up immediately after Microsoft made XP SP3 available to the general Windows-using public by posting the service pack to Windows Update last week . Within a day, users were reporting problems in messages on Microsoft's XP SP3 support forum . Why are some PCs rebooting endlessly? Microsoft hasn't given any official explanation, but users on the support forum sharing accounts have identified several possible causes . Some seem to affect only systems running processors made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc . (AMD), while others have also hit users with Intel-based PCs . Although it's possible to get a feel for the theories by reading multiple support forum message threads, the best source of information has been a frequently updated blog post by Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at Microsoft and currently an MVP (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional) . Johansson, who had one of his own PCs slip into a reboot coma, has neatly summarized the several possible causes put forward by himself and other users . Are only AMD-powered machines sold by HP rebooting over and over? No, although they've gotten the most press . According to Johansson and others, Hewlett-Packard used the same Windows XP disk image to factory install the OS on AMD-based systems as they used for PCs running Intel processors . That's a mistake, Microsoft contends . "Under this configuration, after the computer is upgraded to Windows XP SP2 or SP3, the Intel processor driver (intelppm . sys) may try to load because an orphaned registry key remains," Microsoft said in a support document first released in 2004, after the company issued XP SP2 . The presence of the unnecessary driver, said Microsoft, may crash the machine, causing it to reboot . If the PC is set to automatically reboot on a start failure -- as most are by default -- it reboots endlessly, often so quickly that the user can't interrupt the process and enter what's called "Safe Mode" in Windows, a last-ditch way to sidestep the normal boot process for troubleshooting purposes . So Microsoft's blaming HP? It sure sounds like it . Yesterday, a Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed that the company was aware of the reboot problem, and pinned responsibility on the computer maker, but didn't name names . "Microsoft issued guidance to OEMs [computer manufacturers] advising them to only load Windows XP images onto like hardware in 2004," she said . What's HP said? Nothing and a lot, if that makes sense . Although Computerworld asked for comment on Monday and an HP spokeswoman said Tuesday that the company was investigating, no one from HP had followed up as of end-of-day on Wednesday . However, HP has posted a document to its support site that shifts the blame right back to Microsoft . "After installing the initial release of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP an error condition can occur," the HP document reads . "The Service Pack 3 update copies an Intel power management driver to the computer that was not on the computer before the update [emphasis added] . During Windows startup, computers with AMD processors may experience a blue screen error . " 1 2 Next »	Apteryx (294)
668712	2008-05-14 21:44:00	How has this thread suddenly gone from a Product key not being accepted, to the reboot problems with SP3 ? The two are not related, because if you have a XP SP2 or SP1 CD, the product key is part of installing, its no where near the SP3 reboot problem thats at least 20 - 25 minutes down the track after windows has installed.	wainuitech (129)
668713	2008-05-15 01:23:00	WT, I had two problems, as I mentioned. The first was the reboot recycling. The 2nd, the Product Key, arose only cos I tried a reinstall to fix the first. the rebooting affected the 2nd as well. As I have a genuine WinXP Home I rang MS but they claim it must be pirated even though installed by retailer. That was before I read that SP3 article so Ive now sent an email.	Apteryx (294)
668714	2008-05-15 01:48:00	When you do a repair install or Fresh install from a XP CD, it will wipe out SP3 and return the PC back to what ever version was on the CD you loaded from eg: SP2 or SP1 . Regarding the product key - if you have a look at post #10 there is a link to a site that shows what the COA's look like, have you got one of those, thats the product Key . If you have then there shouldn't be a problem as I mentioned, there are several numbers on the COA that identify the Key as I mentioned in Post #3 . The actual CD doesn't really matter - its the COA thats the important part . IF you don't have that COA then it very well may be pirated . There were / are some dishonest places that put on pirated licenses then charge the customer for an actual legit license . The person pays the $$ and gets ripped off . :mad: If you have a legit license then you should have been given the COA .	wainuitech (129)
668715	2008-05-15 12:40:00	Thanks guys, yes my XP Home is legit, I have the COA, and have quoted all three numbers to MS. No no significant or otherwise changes recently to hardware or software. I think where I went wrong is that I loaded the original XP Home CD first which had XP SP1 on it first then SP2 when asked during the reinstall but it said - product ket Invalid - fatal error 800b100 ( which doesnt exist according to MS) - the asms file is missing. Much searching later I realized I shouldnt have loaded SP1 first and perhaps that has confused the reinstall. I thought the Service pack was just that, not the whole OS. Next thought, if I replace the hard drive can I get the data from it onto the new one with say an external hard drive etc when it wont boot up?	Apteryx (294)
668716	2008-05-15 21:43:00	You just connect your old HD up to one of your spare HD cables and transfer them across that way. :)	Trev (427)
668717	2008-05-15 21:49:00	As Trev said - connect the old drive as a slave, it will show as another drive. Sometimes if the original drive has been password protected then you may not be able to read the data as it comes up with " Permission denied" when you try to access the Documents and Settings folder - If that happens just yell and there are ways around that.	wainuitech (129)
668718	2008-05-16 02:25:00	Thanks Guys, Im off to buy a hard drive. I saw on the archives here that NanaV had her old one turned into an external drive. Do most techies know how to do that?	Apteryx (294)
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