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EverCrest Message Forums » EverCrest Forums » Innoruuk's House of Ill Repute » XP and activation
Author
Topic: XP and activation
Mortious
Gluttonous Overlard
posted 04-23-2009 09:48:44 PM
Ok, so I promised a friend that I'd fix their computer, which needs a total rebuild. It had XP Home already on it (along with several bazillion spywares and virus'), had a legal product key on the side of the case, but the original recovery CD is MIA. So I thought I'd install from an XP Home CD I have here and use the legit product key on the side of the case. Same thing, yeah? No. No it's not. It says it's a legal installation (SP3 installs just fine so it has no problem with the key) but it won't activate.

Anyone got a way around activation? I doubt the Microsoft phone people will believe I'm helping a friend out, even if the product key is perfectly legit, because it's a different CD than the one that was supplied with the computer.

Blah blah fucking blah.

Mortious fucked around with this message on 04-23-2009 at 09:49 PM.

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Naimah
In a Fire
posted 04-23-2009 10:13:26 PM
Generally if you call with a valid code they don't give you too much gruf. At least the one time I called to have the install limit taken off my XP license.
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Nina
posted 04-24-2009 01:00:26 AM
quote:
There was much rejoicing when Mortious said this:
Anyone got a way around activation? I doubt the Microsoft phone people will believe I'm helping a friend out, even if the product key is perfectly legit, because it's a different CD than the one that was supplied with the computer.

Under Fair Use law, you'd be entitled to make your own copies of the CD anyway, so they couldn't question the legality of whatever medium you used as long as you have a non-pirated key.

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Ryuujin
posted 04-24-2009 06:48:57 AM
Windows made different versions of XP CDs based on what company was buying them for their pre-built machines. I went through something similar. I ended up installing another version of home on the computer, a legit copy I had, then doing some registry tweaking to bring up the product activation screen.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874

Was the process I used. Hope this helps.

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Mortious
Gluttonous Overlard
posted 04-24-2009 10:15:09 AM
quote:
Ryuujin said:
Windows made different versions of XP CDs based on what company was buying them for their pre-built machines. I went through something similar.

Yeah, the product key certificate sticker on the side of the computer also has the computer makers name stamped on it, so I'm think it's inherently linked to the CD that was supplied with it. Which is lost in the ether.

I'll call them later and see if they chew me up and spit me out, or if they're actually helpful.

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Kegwen
Sonyfag
posted 04-24-2009 10:21:05 AM
They'll likely reset it automatically without even having to talk to a person. Even if you do need to talk to someone you won't be on the phone more than 10 minutes. It's really not a big deal at all
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Ghost of Forums Past
Pancake
posted 04-26-2009 09:49:25 AM
quote:
Mortious had this to say about Punky Brewster:
Yeah, the product key certificate sticker on the side of the computer also has the computer makers name stamped on it, so I'm think it's inherently linked to the CD that was supplied with it. Which is lost in the ether.

I'll call them later and see if they chew me up and spit me out, or if they're actually helpful.

Good luck. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope you have a drama free experience.

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