We're installing WinXP, which goes fine, but when the first login screen
eventually appears a window pops up requiring us to activate. Normally we
get 30 days, right? Problem is, there's no code there if we were to call in,
and naturally the machine can't do it online because there's no NIC driver
yet...we haven't even seen the desktop to this point. There's no way past
this, other than reformat and reinstall. :-(

Last time we had this happen we reformatted the drive and it worked as
expected on the second try. Yesterday, we attempted to install on an
identical copy of the hardware we used last week and the same problem
occurs. Reformat, and it happens again. Any idea why this is happening?

Info: iGoLogic i3899F integrated mobo, Core 2 Duo T5500. OEM Win XP CD.

-John O

JohnO wrote:
> We're installing WinXP, which goes fine, but when the first login
> screen eventually appears a window pops up requiring us to
> activate. Normally we get 30 days, right? Problem is, there's no
> code there if we were to call in, and naturally the machine can't
> do it online because there's no NIC driver yet...we haven't even
> seen the desktop to this point. There's no way past this, other
> than reformat and reinstall. :-(
> Last time we had this happen we reformatted the drive and it worked
> as expected on the second try. Yesterday, we attempted to install
> on an identical copy of the hardware we used last week and the same
> problem occurs. Reformat, and it happens again. Any idea why this
> is happening?
> Info: iGoLogic i3899F integrated mobo, Core 2 Duo T5500. OEM Win XP
> CD.

Hoping a second posting fairs better?

This OEM CD you are using - did it come with the system? If so - contact
the makers of said system. If it did not come with the system - is it a
GENERIC OEM installation CD and not one from some name-brand system?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Shenan Stanley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> JohnO wrote:
>> We're installing WinXP, which goes fine, but when the first login
>> screen eventually appears a window pops up requiring us to
>> activate. Normally we get 30 days, right? Problem is, there's no
>> code there if we were to call in, and naturally the machine can't
>> do it online because there's no NIC driver yet...we haven't even
>> seen the desktop to this point. There's no way past this, other
>> than reformat and reinstall. :-(
>> Last time we had this happen we reformatted the drive and it worked
>> as expected on the second try. Yesterday, we attempted to install
>> on an identical copy of the hardware we used last week and the same
>> problem occurs. Reformat, and it happens again. Any idea why this
>> is happening?
>> Info: iGoLogic i3899F integrated mobo, Core 2 Duo T5500. OEM Win XP
>> CD.
>
> Hoping a second posting fairs better?

This is a different group...so yeah, I am. :-)

>
> This OEM CD you are using - did it come with the system? If so - contact
> the makers of said system. If it did not come with the system - is it a
> GENERIC OEM installation CD and not one from some name-brand system?
>

It's a custom system, actually it's a robot, and a brand-new generic OEM CD
pack. We buy these XP packs by the dozens from our regular white box
builder, install them regularly and they always work fine on various mobos,
until now. We've found that if the install is left unattended---as if we
really want to sit there and watch it---it fails as described. If we attend
the installation and click on the options with little delay, it installs
fine.

-John O

Description of Microsoft Product Activation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302806

How to contact MS product activation center
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950929
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/


JohnO wrote:
> We're installing WinXP, which goes fine, but when the first login screen
> eventually appears a window pops up requiring us to activate. Normally we
> get 30 days, right? Problem is, there's no code there if we were to call
> in,
> and naturally the machine can't do it online because there's no NIC driver
> yet...we haven't even seen the desktop to this point. There's no way past
> this, other than reformat and reinstall. :-(
>
> Last time we had this happen we reformatted the drive and it worked as
> expected on the second try. Yesterday, we attempted to install on an
> identical copy of the hardware we used last week and the same problem
> occurs. Reformat, and it happens again. Any idea why this is happening?
>
> Info: iGoLogic i3899F integrated mobo, Core 2 Duo T5500. OEM Win XP CD.
>
> -John O