XP Pro product validation issue

[Guest]

Hi all,
I bought a valid copy of XP Pro and installed it on my box. I was having
some hardware problems and took the box in for a repair. They replaced the
motherboard and the power supply. I got the box back and have been using it
for a while, assuming that updates were happening. But, when I just tried to
do a manual update it said that the product key failed validation. I'm
pretty sure that when they did the repair they must have reloaded XP, but
installed it with an invalid product key.

I tried to go into product validation to modify my product key, but all it
says is that it is already validated and only gives me the option to exit
validation. Does anyone know how I can get my valid product key entered so
that I can start getting updates for my box? I'm really not a fan of
Microsoft's validation. It seems like the people that are really getting
hassled by it are those of us who like having legal copies of software...
Thanks for your help!

-Dan

 

[kurttrail]

Hi all,
I bought a valid copy of XP Pro and installed it on my box. I was
having some hardware problems and took the box in for a repair. They
replaced the motherboard and the power supply. I got the box back
and have been using it for a while, assuming that updates were
happening. But, when I just tried to do a manual update it said that
the product key failed validation. I'm pretty sure that when they
did the repair they must have reloaded XP, but installed it with an
invalid product key.

I tried to go into product validation to modify my product key, but
all it says is that it is already validated and only gives me the
option to exit validation. Does anyone know how I can get my valid
product key entered so that I can start getting updates for my box?
I'm really not a fan of Microsoft's validation. It seems like the
people that are really getting hassled by it are those of us who like
having legal copies of software... Thanks for your help!

-Dan

Repair install with your CD and Product Key.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Ed]

I got the box back and have been using it
for a while, assuming that updates were happening.

Have heard that one way too many times. Honest owners of the software
thinking their auto updates were in full swing and then find that they
have been refused those updates without their knowledge by M$'s flawed
product activation scheme.

I'm really not a fan of
Microsoft's validation. It seems like the people that are really getting
hassled by it are those of us who like having legal copies of software...

Very profound and true statement. The pirates and thieves circumvent
activation and verification so they never have to hassle with it while
the poor victims that paid for the software and are trying to be
honest have to keep proving that they are not thieves over and over
and over.

Remember from reading posts on this exact forum where victims that
have a problem with activation or verification are told by the M$
clone faction to go out and get a legal copy of the software. In
other words, as everyone can see by reading such posts, that they
really think that everyone is a thief until they can prove otherwise.
They are programmed to believe that there is no way that product
activation and/or verification is a flawed scheme and every time that
a activation or verification fails or keeps popping back up again and
again and again on the same victim that the only reason must be that
the victim this is happening to must be a thieving pirate.

Of the four machines I have, I have had product activation pop up on
me three times AFTER I proved I didn't steal the software by
activating all four copies on all four machines during the initial
installations. 1st time was after installing a modem which was the
only hardware change since the initial activation proving I didn't
steal the software. 2nd time was after changing the administrator
password. Last time, no one has any idea why. It just popped up its
ugly threat one morning to activate and prove I didn't steal the
software and nothing.... NOTHING had been changed (software or
hardware) to that machine in months.

Thieving Pirates don't have to deal with this...... Just your honest
victims that paid out hard bucks for the product do.....

 

[Jon]

Partly true, but not an entirely accurate picture.

Plenty of honest people, who have legitimately paid for their software, ALSO
choose not to have the validation spyware installed. Not just your "thieving
pirates".

Honesty is not an unquestioning submission to a software company's every
whim, but seeing things for what they are, and responding appropriately.

Jon

 

[Greg Ro]

Partly true, but not an entirely accurate picture.

Plenty of honest people, who have legitimately paid for their software, ALSO
choose not to have the validation spyware installed. Not just your "thieving
pirates".

Honesty is not an unquestioning submission to a software company's every
whim, but seeing things for what they are, and responding appropriately.

Jon

Jon,
What make the validation spyware? It is not spyware.
spyware sneaks on your computer. Microsoft ask you to install it.

Greg Ro

 

[kurttrail]

Jon,
What make the validation spyware? It is not spyware.
spyware sneaks on your computer. Microsoft ask you to install it.

Greg Ro

Forces it, if you want to run Windows and Microsoft Update.

Was forced validation something you agreed to in the EULA in order to
apply the security patches to the Windows Quilt?

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Alceryes]

I bought a valid copy of XP Pro and installed it on my box. I was having

some hardware problems and took the box in for a repair. They replaced
the
motherboard and the power supply. I got the box back and have been using
it
for a while, assuming that updates were happening. But, when I just tried
to
do a manual update it said that the product key failed validation. I'm
pretty sure that when they did the repair they must have reloaded XP, but
installed it with an invalid product key.

If this is the case then the repair shop is at fault. The should
'unequivocally and without payment -
Backup your current data.
Reload your system with 'your' valid product key.
Fully update your system with ALL windows updates.
Reinstall ALL of your apps, games, and any other software that was on there
(updating them if needed).
Re-integrate all of your data as seamless as possible.

Before you do this you need to make SURE that they installed a key other
than yours.
Go here -
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
and download the software to see what key they installed your system with.
If it differs from yours them it's off to the repair shop. Take a screen
shot of the key that magic jellybean finds and print it out to take with
you.
If it's the same key then what happened is someone is using 'your' key on
another machine. At this point you'd need to go through Microsoft - good
luck you're going to need it.
--


"I don't cheat to survive. I cheat to LIVE!!"
- Alceryes

 

[Jon]

Jon,
What make the validation spyware? It is not spyware.
spyware sneaks on your computer. Microsoft ask you to install it.

Greg Ro

Software being classified as spyware or not doesn't really depend on whether
it asks your permission to install it, or not. It depends on what the
program gets up to.

The term spyware includes programs that track your movements / downloads
unnecessarily and / or obtain unnecessary information from your machine.

It's spyware, because each download you now make from microsoft.com, or trip
to Windows Update can be related to your product id, your computer name,
your hardware setup (computer brand, computer model), alongside previously
transmitted information (such as your ip address). [There is also a "User
Account Name" information field, that may well be used to send that
information too under certain circumstances / in future versions ]

You might agree to proving the genuineness of your software, but would you
give free reign to any other program to extract whatever information it's
writers arbitrarily decide is important? I suspect you would run a mile from
any such software.


It used to be voluntary, true, but that, was just part of a gentle phasing
in process. Start with a voluntary scheme, and let the initial objections
run their course. Then make it compulsory, but still easy to circumvent. The
next steps, presumably, are to make it harder to get round and then to
progressively obtain more and more intrusive information. But all to be done
gradually so as not to shock the customer too much at once. Boil the frog
slowly and it won't jump out of the cooking pot.

Jon

 

[Guest]

If this is the case then the repair shop is at fault. The should
'unequivocally and without payment -
Backup your current data.
Reload your system with 'your' valid product key.
Fully update your system with ALL windows updates.
Reinstall ALL of your apps, games, and any other software that was on there
(updating them if needed).
Re-integrate all of your data as seamless as possible.

Before you do this you need to make SURE that they installed a key other
than yours.
Go here -
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
and download the software to see what key they installed your system with.
If it differs from yours them it's off to the repair shop. Take a screen
shot of the key that magic jellybean finds and print it out to take with
you.
If it's the same key then what happened is someone is using 'your' key on
another machine. At this point you'd need to go through Microsoft - good
luck you're going to need it.
--


"I don't cheat to survive. I cheat to LIVE!!"
- Alceryes






Dear Dan the happening man!

No need to reload os just edit your registry

Fortunately, there is not too difficult if you're not afraid to delve into
the Registry. Start by changing one of the values of the Registry Key
specified below to any number 0-9 or character A-F. Changing any character
will do - it doesn't matter which one you change or what you change it to.
run regedit

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents
Name: ODBETimer
Data Type: REG_BINARY
Value: just change one of the entries as mentioned above

What this will do is deactivate the copy of Windows. Now click Start, Run,
and copy the following into the Run box:

%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe /a

This launches the Product Activation Wizard. From there you can choose an
option such as calling a Microsoft representative, and select the Change
Product Key option. Enter your new product key, Update and close the Wizard
and reboot (you may have to select Remind Me Later if the Wizard pops up
again). When you reboot, follow the normal activation process which should
work if you've entered your valid product key.
let me know if you need further assistance

 

[Alceryes]

This launches the Product Activation Wizard. From there you can choose an
option such as calling a Microsoft representative, and select the Change
Product Key option. Enter your new product key, Update and close the
Wizard
and reboot (you may have to select Remind Me Later if the Wizard pops up
again). When you reboot, follow the normal activation process which should
work if you've entered your valid product key.
let me know if you need further assistance

Oh, yea...I forgot about this step...
This is definitely your best choice as long as they DID use a different key.
You should still DL and use the jellybean program to see that the key is
indeed different.
--


"I don't cheat to survive. I cheat to LIVE!!"
- Alceryes

 

[Guest]

I finally resolved this and wanted to post the final solution. Thanks to
everyone who sent me tips, they were all very much appreciated.

I followed the tip that "Hot" had mentioned and was able to get back to the
activation screen. I called MS and asked them for a new product key. It
turns out that the installation that the repair shop had used was some kind
of volume distribution that had an invalid product key. According to MS
support I couldn't just get a new product key.

After 3 hours on the phone speaking to 5 different people I was finally told
that my best solution was to uninstall SP2, insert my original installation
CD and do a repair. That did the trick and wasn't too much of a hassle. One
of the 5 people that I talked to told me I had to reload the OS from scratch.
I told him there was no way I was going to do that and I think he bumped me
up to the next level of support. I'm glad I didn't just follow his
suggestion.

The funny thing was that two of the five people who tried to help me told me
they couldn't help me because they were having computer problems on their
end. I'm thinking that linux could solve some of their support issues...

-Dan

 

[Jon]

The funny thing was that two of the five people who tried to help me told
me
they couldn't help me because they were having computer problems on their
end....

Perhaps they were having problems validating their machines.

Jon