XP Home - Windows Activation problem after a repair install.

[Pud]

I have a machine that was getting stuck while booting up, and decided that
the best course of action initially was to try a repair install. The machine
is an Advent PC (UK brand) and I did a clean install with an OEM install disk
a couple of years ago after replacing the motherboard.

The new repair install appeared to go the normal way, asking me the right
questions along the way. The problem came at the end of the install when the
machine was rebooted.

There is only one user account on the machine (other than Administrator) and
when it gets to the login screen a Windows Product Activation window appears
"This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can login.
Do you want to activate Windows now."

If I hit [Yes] the desktop image appears for a few seconds, but no icons or
taskbar, after which the login screen returns and we are back to square one.

I have Google'd the problem and found a number of likely solutions which I
have tried to noeffect other than the message now reading slightly different.
It now says:

"A problem has prevented Windows from accurately checking the status of the
License for this computer".

Is there anything that can be done or is the ONLY answer a new clean install?

TIA

 

[thecreator]

Hi Pud,

The only answer right now is a new Clean Install. But for the future use
a program like Acronis True Image Home, Norton Ghost or BootIt NG imaging
software, where you can restore an image instead.

Also you replaced the motherboard with the same motherboard or different
motherboard?

If you replaced the motherboard with a different brand of motherboard,
was the Product Key for Windows XP Home Edition attached to the computer or
to the Windows XP OEM CD?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have a machine that was getting stuck while booting up, and decided that
the best course of action initially was to try a repair install. The
machine
is an Advent PC (UK brand) and I did a clean install with an OEM install
disk
a couple of years ago after replacing the motherboard.

The new repair install appeared to go the normal way, asking me the right
questions along the way. The problem came at the end of the install when
the
machine was rebooted.

There is only one user account on the machine (other than Administrator)
and
when it gets to the login screen a Windows Product Activation window
appears
"This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can
login.
Do you want to activate Windows now."

If I hit [Yes] the desktop image appears for a few seconds, but no icons
or
taskbar, after which the login screen returns and we are back to square
one.

I have Google'd the problem and found a number of likely solutions which I
have tried to noeffect other than the message now reading slightly
different.
It now says:

"A problem has prevented Windows from accurately checking the status of
the
License for this computer".

Is there anything that can be done or is the ONLY answer a new clean
install?

Unfortunately I have never found one, and I have seen this problem a couple
of times.

It does appear to be possible to get into a loop where activation is
required to get to the activation window, with the result that the XP
install is basically bricked.

I found that the only prudent course of action (since I had to actually
deliver working systems) was to copy off the data, which I did by way of
making an image to my main service system, then wipe the drive and start
over with a clean install. I used the image for references as to what I
needed to install, and to restore the data. I was done in a few hours
longer than expected, but the systems were in good working order.

Sorry there isn't better news.
HTH
-pk

 

[Peter Foldes]

See
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q305356

Also see the following and read down the page

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

And if you are able to open then at the command Prompt type the following

oobe/msoobe /a or Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Activate Windows.

If you are doing a repair reinstall of XP on the same hardware, you can back up the
activation status and then restore it after you run the repair install of the OS. To
save the activation status, back up the wpa.dbl file from the %systemroot%\system32
folder to a floppy disk.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

See
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q305356

Also see the following and read down the page

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

And if you are able to open then at the command Prompt type the following

oobe/msoobe /a or Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Activate
Windows.

If you are doing a repair reinstall of XP on the same hardware, you can
back up the activation status and then restore it after you run the repair
install of the OS. To save the activation status, back up the wpa.dbl file
from the %systemroot%\system32 folder to a floppy disk.



--
Peter

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

I have a machine that was getting stuck while booting up, and decided that
the best course of action initially was to try a repair install. The
machine
is an Advent PC (UK brand) and I did a clean install with an OEM install
disk
a couple of years ago after replacing the motherboard.

The new repair install appeared to go the normal way, asking me the right
questions along the way. The problem came at the end of the install when
the
machine was rebooted.

There is only one user account on the machine (other than Administrator)
and
when it gets to the login screen a Windows Product Activation window
appears
"This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can
login.
Do you want to activate Windows now."

If I hit [Yes] the desktop image appears for a few seconds, but no icons
or
taskbar, after which the login screen returns and we are back to square
one.

I have Google'd the problem and found a number of likely solutions which
I
have tried to noeffect other than the message now reading slightly
different.
It now says:

"A problem has prevented Windows from accurately checking the status of
the
License for this computer".

Is there anything that can be done or is the ONLY answer a new clean
install?

TIA

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I beat my head against a wall trying to figure this one out but
finally did so I wanted to share with everyone because I couldn't
find an answer anywhere.

1. Boot into safe mode (NOT w/ networking).

2. Install Internet Explorer 8. It will allow you to do this in safe
mode.

3. After IE8 install, restart Windows to normal mode and activation
window will appear as it should.

This worked for me. I was stuck in a loop until I tried this.

Sounds like your repair install had messed up your Internet Explorer. It
can do this if you had Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) or Internet Explorer 8
(IE8) installed before you performed the repair installation.

Windows XP includes Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). There is no supported method
for integrating IE7 or IE8 into the installation media - so the files are
replaced (sometimes unsuccessfully - I would venture to say almost always)
and you have no working IE - at least not 100%.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I beat my head against a wall trying to figure this one out but
finally did so I wanted to share with everyone because I couldn't
find an answer anywhere.

1. Boot into safe mode (NOT w/ networking).

2. Install Internet Explorer 8. It will allow you to do this in
safe mode.

3. After IE8 install, restart Windows to normal mode and activation
window will appear as it should.

This worked for me. I was stuck in a loop until I tried this.

Sounds like your repair install had messed up your Internet
Explorer. It can do this if you had Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) or
Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) installed before you performed the repair
installation.
Windows XP includes Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). There is no
supported method for integrating IE7 or IE8 into the installation
media - so the files are replaced (sometimes unsuccessfully - I
would venture to say almost always) and you have no working IE - at
least not 100%.

BTW - for everyone wondering what old conversation "hijinx12" brought back
to life:

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...d_support/browse_frm/thread/fa005016560324b8/
(January 29, 2009.)

 

[Daave]

I wonder if it's time to start filterting posts from techarena.in ...