[shazel]

when i download microsoft intispyware i recive follwing errer mesage,
"Validation Failure: Invalid Product Key
Why did it not validate?
Windows has been installed on your machine with an invalid product key. The type of key found on your system is typically licensed by organizations who want to use multiple copies of windows. If you do not have a Volume License Agreement with Microsoft, then you may be a victim of software piracy."
please help me.

[Ian]

Have you got a legal copy of windows?

[muckshifter]

Who supplied the PC ...

[jeffpgpc]

This usually means that your Windows validation key is either not genuine Microsoft (counterfeit) or it has been validated on another PC. If you have installed this version of Windows on another PC and used the same key, then that would cause this problem. Your hardware profile does not match the hardware profile used to validate this Windows key previously. For example: Let say you installed Windows XP on a machine that you built and then validated the key on the Microsoft website. A couple months later, that mother board burns up and you start from scratch with a new motherboard/processer and load XP from scratch, you could run into this problem. The hardware profile changed and does not match the one MS has on file for that Windows key. The other more sinister scenario would be that whoever you purchased your machine from or your copy of Windows from, used the key on another machine and it was validated elsewhere. I think a call to Microsoft or to your retailer who sold you the machine/Windows would be in order here. Always keep your receips for your stuff even if it goes out of warranty. It is all that you have to prove that you purchased it.

[G~MAN]

so say i have a pc on windows xp home edition ... and im building another soon ...i cant use that copy of windows on my new machine ??? and cant use the cd key ?? DAMN !

please tell mr if im wrongg ... and please confirm it if i am right lol

[Me__2001]

Originally Posted by G~MAN

so say i have a pc on windows xp home edition ... and im building another soon ...i cant use that copy of windows on my new machine ??? and cant use the cd key ?? DAMN !

please tell mr if im wrongg ... and please confirm it if i am right lol

your licence is for your copy to be used on only one system, you cant have the same copy on more than one system at the same time

[G~MAN]

but i wont use the other system anymore i doubt ...

if i do cant i use the xp home disk i have ?? that sucks if i cant! could i try and see if it works ?

[Adywebb]

If you disable your old system, you can use your OS on a new computer, but you have to ring Microsoft and get it activated.

[G~MAN]

how do you disable it then ?

can i install it and when i have to activate it then i will disable my old one ... because you have 14 days or something ... so could i copy all my files over and then disable it on my old one and then activate xp again on my new computer ?

[jeffpgpc]

Yes. I think you can do that. When you validate after installation, you may want to choose to activate over the phone so that they can make sure that your CD key will not be associated with the last Windows. Be prepared to go through the Second Spanish Inquisition and exlain what you are doing. Expect more of this over the next year as Microsoft gears up for the release of Vista. I love Microsofts products but they do make it difficult on advanced users who do not keep the same system configuration all of the time.