Prev: nvidia raid
Next: Make Bit-Perfect Archives of Your CDs With FLAC
From: Lee on 4 Nov 2007 06:11
mscotgrove(a)aol.com wrote:
> 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
>
It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.
Lee
From: bluerhinoceros on 4 Nov 2007 17:49
Erica Eshoo wrote:
> 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!

You might have tried phoning them. I've had cases of activation lockup
before, and they've stepped me through safe-mode (where activation
doesn't run) stuff that has allowed the current install to be used by
resetting the activation. I had to bypass the voice prompts to get to a
live person, who then referred me to licensing. This was on a retail
version install.

Cheers.
From: bluerhinoceros on 4 Nov 2007 18:39
Erica Eshoo wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:52:31 GMT, Harry331 wrote:
>> or restore from backup's (which is what many of us did).
>
> Do you REALLY backup your ENTIRE operating system?
>
> And, when you restore it to a brand-new disk, are you SURE it really works?
>
> I've NEVER had success backing up programs.
>
> I've only had success backing up data.
>
> Do you really back up the entire operating system and all the programs and
> they work when you're done?
>
> I find that very hard to believe. You _must_ be a genius 'cuz I can never
> get that to work.

No IQ necessary, use a disk imaging software like DriveImage XML, and
not a file-based backup like (uggh) NtBackup.

Cheers.
From: Raymond J. Johnson Jr. on 4 Nov 2007 21:19
Erica Eshoo wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:52:31 GMT, Harry331 wrote:
>> or restore from backup's (which is what many of us did).
>
> Do you REALLY backup your ENTIRE operating system?
>
> And, when you restore it to a brand-new disk, are you SURE it really works?
>
> I've NEVER had success backing up programs.
>
> I've only had success backing up data.
>
> Do you really back up the entire operating system and all the programs and
> they work when you're done?
>
> I find that very hard to believe. You _must_ be a genius 'cuz I can never
> get that to work.

If you think everyone smarter than you is a genius, there are *billions*
of geniuses in the world.
From: Mark Warner on 5 Nov 2007 09:51
Erica Eshoo wrote:

> 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.

And all this time you thought you'd *bought* something.

--
Mark Warner
lose .inhibitions when replying
 | 
Pages: 1
Prev: nvidia raid
Next: Make Bit-Perfect Archives of Your CDs With FLAC