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Windows XP Activation :(

S

Sean7512

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2005
857
55
I think that I did something bad :eek: My girlfriend's Dell laptop was filled with spyware...I mean tons! I tried removing it to no avail, the computer was sooo messed up that Safe Mode even refused to start up :eek: I told her that we had to erase everything and start from scratch, she said ok. I ask her if she has the original CDs so I can reinstall XP, but no....she couldn't find them anywhere. Her computer originally came with XP Pro, which was great because I have a XP Pro disc at my house, and I will use the license key that is on the sticker under her computer, right? Well, Windows starts up, and I proceed to activate Windows, only for it to tell me that the license had been mistyped, even though it wasn't. It seems to me that my install CD was for a non OEM XP Pro and her license was obviously OEM. Anyways, I did nothing wrong here....but how on earth can we activate that stupid thing?
 
Pay no attention to the carrot. CD or not, it appears that you still have a licence and it should therefore be within your rights to borrow/copy a friend's OEM CD.
 
Go through Microsoft's automated activation process. This works with OEM keys as I have had to do this numerous times. The number should be in the activation window.
 
Just to clarify: The problem the OP is having is not activation. He can't get Windows to accept the product key because he's trying to use a retail CD with an OEM key. The media and key must match before you even get close to activation.
 
Thanks all....On Thursday, I plan to call Microsoft as what it says to do and will inform them of what is going on. Hopefully they can help me out. It is sooo frustrating on how hard it is to install a LEGAL copy of Windwos....stupid Microsoft, haha
 
annoying but an non OEM disk will not allow a OEM key to work with it and the same the other way around.

It sucks and is annoying but you have to understand M$ really has to do this stuff since pirating is a huge problem for them and was running very rampant. If they did not have that stuff in play the number of pirated copies of XP would be a lot higher.

A way to solve you problem is just call their tech support. Quite often they are very helpful and will solve your problem. If the first person does not do it just turn around and call the tech support again and you will get some one else who should be able to help you.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
If they did not have that stuff in play the number of pirated copies of XP would be a lot higher.
Click to expand...
That's a pretty outrageous statement considering that pirating XP is so much easier than getting a legit copy that even though I have legit licenses from all sorts of places, I will download a copy because I can't find the disk...and then I'll use the crack because I don't want to look for the serial or grab a new one from MSDNAA.

Considering that I can get corporate, OEM, N, retail, N retail for xp pro or home with an activation crack, sp2 and all the latest updates slipstreamed into it just by clicking a few times and waiting a few minutes...

It is truly sad when finding and using pirated software is faster than the hassle of using legit keys.
 
I had the same problem with the windows activation the other day after reformatting my hard disk, turns out, when it says "has it been mistyped" etc, it says somewhere about phoning a special line..

Well this phone number is actually an automated system, which will ask a few questions and then give you an authorisation code, which will in turn activate the computer.
Hope that helps a bit..
This worked for me after using a retail cd, and wanting to use the OEM key.
Matt
 
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