Hard disk crashed - where is my 50-digital WinXP installation id?
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From: Erica Eshoo on 4 Nov 2007 03:55 I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my WIndows XP 50-digit installation ID? After my kid's hard disk crashed I put a spare disk, which was long lying around, in the computer. Up popped "Activate Windows" which hangs forever with the laptop on my desk not hooked to anything but power. Googling, I find this is the Windows XP activation process: - Start with a unique 25-character product key on the CDROM case - This creates a 20-digit product id - A hardware hash is created from 10 hardware items - The hardware hash + product key combine to a 50-digit installation ID - You give that 50-digit installation ID to Microsoft (1-888-571-2048) - Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a - This modifies the two files wpa.dbl & wpa.bak (save them for future use) - C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl & c:\windows\system32\wpa.bak - In the future, press F8 to boot to safe mode = minimal - And just copy those files back onto the newly formatted hard disk When I run "Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a" on my second laptop, it says: "Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit" However, my kid's laptop with the spare hard drive in it, won't boot. It's stuck at the "Activate Windows" screen with nothing to press or hit except the red x to close the window. I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my Windows XP 50-digit installation ID?
From: mscotgrove on 4 Nov 2007 04:37 On Nov 4, 8:55 am, Erica Eshoo <evesunf...(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my > WIndows XP 50-digit installation ID? > > After my kid's hard disk crashed I put a spare disk, which was long lying > around, in the computer. Up popped "Activate Windows" which hangs forever > with the laptop on my desk not hooked to anything but power. > > Googling, I find this is the Windows XP activation process: > - Start with a unique 25-character product key on the CDROM case > - This creates a 20-digit product id > - A hardware hash is created from 10 hardware items > - The hardware hash + product key combine to a 50-digit installation ID > - You give that 50-digit installation ID to Microsoft (1-888-571-2048) > - Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a > - This modifies the two files wpa.dbl & wpa.bak (save them for future use) > - C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl & c:\windows\system32\wpa.bak > - In the future, press F8 to boot to safe mode = minimal > - And just copy those files back onto the newly formatted hard disk > > When I run "Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a" on my second laptop, it says: > "Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit" > > However, my kid's laptop with the spare hard drive in it, won't boot. > It's stuck at the "Activate Windows" screen with nothing to press or hit > except the red x to close the window. > > I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my > Windows XP 50-digit installation ID? I thought you just needed 25 character string, on the CD or the holigraphic label on the laptop/PC case. It is normally asked for whem one does a complete initial install, or first start of Laptop Michael Michael
From: Erica Eshoo on 4 Nov 2007 13:15 On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote: >> I thought you just needed 25 character string, on the CD or the >> holigraphic label on the laptop/PC case. >> It is normally asked for whem one does a complete initial install, or >> first start of Laptop > It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card. My kid's laptop didn't come with a CD for Windows. It just came with Windows XP on it.Then the hard disk drive crashed. When I put a spare hard drive I had lying around in, up came this message about Windows Activation being needed before I could log in. OK. Fine. But, the Windows Activation window just came up blue and blank with no buttons, no action, no words, no nuthin'. I waited an hour and still nothing. I plugged into a live ethernet, and did a hardware reboot, and still nothing when it came up the same way. What's wrong with Windows Activation?
From: Erica Eshoo on 4 Nov 2007 15:30 On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote: > It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card. Well, even though I didn't find it in the google record, it seems if you change EVERYTHING (all ten parameters), then Windows Activation just locks up. I'm surprised it does this - not because Microsoft wouldn't want you to swap C drives on computers - but because I haven't seen this in the googling I did. Anyway, be advised - Microsoft will NOT let you move a hard drive boot disk from one laptop to another as a boot disk - Microsoft won't even let you activate it - the activation screen will simply lock up on you. Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I did). Be forwarned!
From: Harry331 on 4 Nov 2007 16:52
Erica Eshoo wrote... >Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I >did). > >Be forwarned! or restore from backup's (which is what many of us did). Be prepared (for disasters)! |