XP activation loop, BootCamp and VMware Fusion

[marikavs]

For at least the past month, ~5-6 times each, I'm asked to activate Windows XP Pro in both Bootcamp and VMware Fusion whenever I start it. This never used to be. I've contacted MS through the telephone activation phone number (no mean feat,) but once I got hung up on after I explained the problem and once I had to hang up myself while they were tracing my key. Compounding the problem is the fact that the activation window comes up blank where the ID should be. If I restart (either one, BootCamp or VMware Fusion) it comes up with an ID #. The automatic process never lets me activate over the Internet.
The BootCamp installation is on the internal drive and that's what I use for VMware Fusion. I have an old MacBook 1,1 (2006?) running Snow Leopard (10.6.7.) The XP Pro disc is packed in a box far away so re-installation is out of the question. Fortunately I have the key saved in OS X.
Windows informs me I have new hardware... Only, I've been running Windows this way since I got the MacBook. Did maybe a Windows, or VMware Fusion, update change things? In that case, shouldn't the activation process come up only once?
Anybody have ideas about what I can do to remove this time-consuming frustration once and for all?

 

[chrfr]

You need to install VMWare Tools to stop this.

 

[balamw]

You need to install VMWare Tools to stop this.

Also, make sure you activate in Boot Camp before VMWare.

I would install the latest VMWare Tools. Boot to Boot Camp. Activate. Boot to OS X. Launch Fusion and VM. Activate if needed.

One time VMWare updated for me it forced me to reactivate while VMWare Tools was updating. That wasn't fun.

B

 

[marikavs]

Good instincts - I think

Also, make sure you activate in Boot Camp before VMWare.

I would install the latest VMWare Tools. Boot to Boot Camp. Activate. Boot to OS X. Launch Fusion and VM. Activate if needed.

One time VMWare updated for me it forced me to reactivate while VMWare Tools was updating. That wasn't fun.

B

Thank you both. That's exactly how I've been doing it (pat, pat myself on the back) BUT I've also been using a startup launcher in Windows to not have the VMware tools loaded on startup when I know I'm going to be using BootCamp directly next. Perhaps that's now become a problem? Maybe I should always let the tools load on startup and forget about starting the Boot Camp Manager? After all, that one I can always reach from the Control Panel.
I do dread the next time I have to start up Windows directly in BootCamp, though (reserved for heavier work, and updates, it *is* faster that way.) By the way, my VMware tools version is 8.4.5, build-332101. I assume that's the latest for VMware fusion 3.1.2 as the "Update Tools" box is grayed out.