Activations Exceeded

I recently reformatted my computer and this message came up when I tried to
activate.

"According to our records, the number of times you can activate Windows with
this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092

Now, I have OEM and did not change anything to my computer. I did not
replace mobo or cpu, nor anything else. It is exactly the same computer as
before, and I never read in the EULA or OEM agreement that I had a limited
number of activations. So Microsoft, why the hell are you stopping me from
activating my Windows XP?

In news:9959ED16-FFC9-426E-8E3A-9045B04D3B0D@microsoft.com,
Jon had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> I recently reformatted my computer and this message came up when I
> tried to activate.
>
> "According to our records, the number of times you can activate
> Windows with this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092
>
> Now, I have OEM and did not change anything to my computer. I did not
> replace mobo or cpu, nor anything else. It is exactly the same
> computer as before, and I never read in the EULA or OEM agreement
> that I had a limited number of activations. So Microsoft, why the
> hell are you stopping me from activating my Windows XP?

Try the phone activation.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"I am glad of all details, whether they seem to you to be relevant or
not." - Sherlock Holmes

Jon wrote:
> I recently reformatted my computer and this message came up when I
> tried to activate.
>
> "According to our records, the number of times you can activate
> Windows with this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092
>
> Now, I have OEM and did not change anything to my computer. I did
> not replace mobo or cpu, nor anything else. It is exactly the same
> computer as before, and I never read in the EULA or OEM agreement
> that I had a limited number of activations. So Microsoft, why the
> hell are you stopping me from activating my Windows XP?

They aren't. They phrased the message badly. Choose to activate by
telephone.
There is no limit to the number of times you can activate - but within a 120
day period, you usually can activate only once over the Internet.

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

There is a limit to the number of times that you can activate an OEM
product. It is 3 times.
I do not believe this serves Micorsoft very well. This sort of piracy
protection just hurts the legal user and then steers them to the pirated
version instead of keeping them in the fold legally.

Upon the activation process, there is a wizard that allows you to activate
by net or phone and that is where you can find a 800 number to call them.
Call them and tell them that your hard drive crashed and when you replaced
it, you had to re-install it and they will walk through with a bunch of
numbers to enter. I really mean a bunch. These numbers will identify your
hardware that they already have on record and it will confirm that it is the
same computer. Then they will give you a bunch of numbers and I mean a
bunch. Then you will be on your way.

Hopes this helps
Microsoft OEM System Builder

"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23MpVDAqKGHA.3728@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Jon wrote:
>> I recently reformatted my computer and this message came up when I
>> tried to activate.
>>
>> "According to our records, the number of times you can activate
>> Windows with this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092
>>
>> Now, I have OEM and did not change anything to my computer. I did
>> not replace mobo or cpu, nor anything else. It is exactly the same
>> computer as before, and I never read in the EULA or OEM agreement
>> that I had a limited number of activations. So Microsoft, why the
>> hell are you stopping me from activating my Windows XP?
>
> They aren't. They phrased the message badly. Choose to activate by
> telephone.
> There is no limit to the number of times you can activate - but within a
> 120 day period, you usually can activate only once over the Internet.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>

Mike wrote:
> There is a limit to the number of times that you can activate an OEM
> product. It is 3 times.

You are incorrect.
There is no limit to the number of times you can activate an OS (OEM or not)
on a given single computer.

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

"According to our records, the number of times you can activate Windows with
this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092


I have seen this message before personally when the same activation key has been used 10 times on the same computer. That is the amount (10) of activation what is given for a given activation key for a OS from MSDN for the Operating System Subscription .
..
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"Jon" <Jon@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9959ED16-FFC9-426E-8E3A-9045B04D3B0D@microsoft.com...
>I recently reformatted my computer and this message came up when I tried to
> activate.
>
> "According to our records, the number of times you can activate Windows with
> this product key has been exceeded..." Msg #: 45092
>
> Now, I have OEM and did not change anything to my computer. I did not
> replace mobo or cpu, nor anything else. It is exactly the same computer as
> before, and I never read in the EULA or OEM agreement that I had a limited
> number of activations. So Microsoft, why the hell are you stopping me from
> activating my Windows XP?