Windows Product Activation Questions..

[moose]

So, I FINNALLY was able to get my laptop boot.

I already got Windows XP installed on it.

Now..

This laptop came with Windows XP, activated at the store.

I reformatted the drive, and try to activate with the Product Key on the sticker..

Says I have the wrong key..


Ok, so I reformat my Desktop quite a while and I never got this..

What am I to do?

IF I can't find out how this happened, I'll call.

[James]

So, I FINNALLY was able to get my laptop boot.

I already got Windows XP installed on it.

Now..

This laptop came with Windows XP, activated at the store.

I reformatted the drive, and try to activate with the Product Key on the sticker..

Says I have the wrong key..


Ok, so I reformat my Desktop quite a while and I never got this..

What am I to do?

IF I can't find out how this happened, I'll call.

If is says you have wrong key it means the cd you used to intall it is different.
If you want a key for that cd you are using pm me.

[tikloos]

No need to do anything dodgy..

Simply activate it by phone, that is what i always do.
Since it is completely legal.

After a reformat you must activate it again via phone each time even though your CD-KEY is valid, that is what I was told by that Microsoft guy I talked to when I was activating mine.

[James]

Its not ilegal if you own the disk, the cd key is nothing its only to track how many installs they are getting, and to stop illegal things from happening.

The program i have serches the cd and generate the cd key of the cd, which means its not illegal and it will work.
I have 20 keys of my xp pro disk, all vaild and legal.

I would try the phone method though, but be ready to talk for a while as you need to enter like 25 digits into the phone then listen and enter the ones you hear into the activation screen. And this does get very anoying, trust me iv done over 50 installs and it sucks.

Hope this helps

[tikloos]

IT takes only like 5 minutes.
I would suggest to talk to the operator rather than using some key maker.

[nightscream]

is it a packard-bell notebook?

[flapietoetoe]

The key that is on your laptop is a so called OEM license, it is a full fledged licence that a shopkeeper can only give away When someone buys a piece of hardware at thier store (Even if you were to buy a keyboard you could get a real cheap windows licence, in holland that is , a fault in the TOS)...
It isn't that you don't have a license, but it isn't a plain CD-KEY
Just call the phoneline and they'll fix it for you.

[Jake]

@The_End - if you read the print that your supposed to agree to when installing windows it specifically states that one legal copy of windows on ONE pc is legal, any more is a violation of the "contract" you just agreed too. that includes getting cd-keys from a cd you own, there is no difference, 1 computer, 1 cd, 1 windows (why linux is nice )

[bigguy]

Using a "Key-generator" to generate windows keys is also illegal no matter what is said, you just cant do it. As jake has said 1 cd, 1 key. NOT 20 for 1 cd.

[James]

Well if you have the cd its not illegal, (i asked a microsoft person on the phone, when activating)
Theres no real advantage, doing this its only like if you lose it or something.
and there can be more than one serial, how do you think they make the cd, theres a lot of explaining to how this works so i will not go into it.


cya's