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| Thread ID: 71485 | 2006-08-07 04:46:00 | activate windows xp | gtr676 (5919) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 476779 | 2006-08-07 04:46:00 | I have been using my P4 comp for some 3 years with Win XP home edition with SP2 installed and everything was sweet till a couple of hours ago...I suddenly had message box's saying couldnt find some file in win sytstem 32 etc and a major error has occurred.....now I have an icon on my task bar telling me to activate my copy of windows and I only have so many start ups before windows will stop working.....only I cant activate windows! I have my id key number etc and I tried to run "oobe/msoobe/a" from in the help but it will not run, I cannot even run system restore as it says it cant find something in Win System 32 or something like that.....everything seems to work ok...ie internet and other programs etc. Is there smething I can do to fix this or am I looking at a complete wipe the hdd and reinstall win xp.....I hope not.....any info would be greatly appreciated...Thanks.... | gtr676 (5919) | ||
| 476780 | 2006-08-07 05:50:00 | You could try doing a repair install of XP if you've got the XP CD... there's quite a bit of info on the net how to do it. You 'may' also be able to bypass the need to activate if you can find the .wba file (in Windows system 32 folder), copy it to floppy or CD before do the repair install, then copy it over the 'new' one in safe mode after you've done the repair install. (Note this hasn't worked for me!) If you don't have any files/work that you want to save, a clean install would be the easier option. If you have SP2 you will have to activate you copy (phone or internet) then also verify by net. |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
| 476781 | 2006-08-07 06:09:00 | Some copies of Windows don't require activation - these copies can be installed on multiple PCs. | pcuser42 (130) | ||
| 476782 | 2006-08-07 06:15:00 | After Win Xp being on your computer for 3 years, it is about time for a fresh install. Files do become corrupt and thinks don't work as they should after constant use. I know some people who do fresh installs once a year. Trevor :) |
Trev (427) | ||
| 476783 | 2006-08-07 06:49:00 | Several things spring to mind here for me. 1 microsoft have it in their ability to turn autoupdates on remotely, I say this as I have had problems with activation and wga myself and as a result have done clean installs and turned off auto update only to find at some random intervile it ahs been turned on again. 2 windows XP has a limited number of installs capabilty. I believe its 3 installs then your CD key is invalid, to bypass this you need to do all the activation stuff then get the 30something digit code ring the number and follow the steps for a manual install. Eventually you will get transfered to microsofts head office in India where a voice in almost english will take the situation in hand and you should be able to get an authentic one use activation code. (just hope the phonecall does not get disconnected at the last 2 numbers-mine did) 3 Following on from number 2 an install only has scope for a limited number of hardware upgrades, quite what constitutes a hardware upgrade I dont know but when my prebundled compaq's mobo selfdestructed it was deemed a new computer on install of the new mobo and coupled with a new dvd writer (the old one also died) I could not reinstall windows. apparently it was not the original pc so thus the copy of windows was not allowed to be run on it. Good news is if you try enough times you should get a new activation code. I have done so for both my genuinely legit copies of windows. |
stumagoo (10748) | ||
| 476784 | 2006-08-07 07:04:00 | if you don't allow M/Soft access to your comp then they can't urn anything on by remote (a GREAT reason not to install SP2!) I have reinstalled XP maybe 10-12 times in the last few years... with and without hardware upgrades. had varying success, sometimes it would just say "you cannot activate over the net, phone this number..." never got a human in India- must be missing something :) Other times it just activated over the net no problem. hardware changes it looks out for are Motherboard, CPU, HD mainly... if you change any of those it might squeal when activating. I have just re-installed XP with new MB, PSU, HD and Vid card.... can't wait to talk to someone in a far-off land when it spits the dummy. |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
| 476785 | 2006-08-07 08:07:00 | 1 microsoft have it in their ability to turn autoupdates on remotely, 2 windows XP has a limited number of installs capabilty. Where did you get your "facts" from? No it doesn't have limited installs. And no MS don't turn on Auto Updates. Possibly you turned it off from the System Icon from Control Panel? Try disabling it completely from Services. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 476786 | 2006-08-08 07:09:00 | just a quik note to say thanks for all the advice and at some point I will do a fresh XP install. I googled some of the tips and got more than enough reading matter on what to do and not to do etc.....at some point I downloaded and registered "registry mechanic" and with a few clicks etc all is back to normal.....dont know what was wrong only that its all back to ok now...must do a fresh install very soon now as I managed to back up all my important files etc so feel better anyways. Thanks again guys and gals, in one way or another it all helped. |
gtr676 (5919) | ||
| 476787 | 2006-08-08 08:01:00 | 1st up I turn off auto updates in msconfig and it IS off. Secondly if there is no update or similar limiting installation numbers with a single cd key, why does my legit cd key get denied at activation due to being already used. (which was only on the exact same system I run). BTW my info come not only from my own expereince but the people I associate with, some being microsoft certified techs, others who have been in the IT industry for 10 + years and some who like me have just spent the last 20+ years living with computers windows and technology. |
stumagoo (10748) | ||
| 476788 | 2006-08-08 09:46:00 | some being microsoft certified techs, Perhaps you you would like to confirm with them that M/Soft has the ability to change settings in your computer remotely, even with updates switched off. I'm sure a few people on here would love to hear the reply. In other words, if Microsoft has and uses this ability, then there would be a lot of VERY annoyed people in the world :thumbs: |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
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