Activation after restore

[Dan]

After I restored my system hive files, after one went
corrupt, I get a message that XP needs activated at
startup. However the computer locks at the activation
message.

Any thoughts?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

How did you restore your system files? If you used System Restore there shouldn't be any need to re-activate. What do you see if you run the following from Start>Run:

%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe /a

Will

 

[Dan]

Thanks for the response.

I used the recovery console to delete the 5 hive files and
replace them with files from the repair folder. I then
used the safe mode to recover saved registry files. I
used the procedure described in base article 307545 found
here.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;307545&Product=winxp

I will not be able to run the instructions you sent until
tonight.

Dan

-----Original Message-----
Hi

How did you restore your system files? If you used

System Restore there shouldn't be any need to re-
activate. What do you see if you run the following from
Start>Run:

 

[Will Denny]

Hi Dan

It's sometime since I've used that method, but I can't remember having to re-activate XP and there is no reference to re-activating on that web page. The run command will tell you if XP is activated or not. Do you remember the exact message you get regarding the re-activation?

Will

 

[Dan]

Will, after the intial XP startup screen where you chose
which user account to activate you get the following
message.

Windows Product Activation

A copy of windows must be activated with Microsoft before
you can log on. Do you want activate Windows now?

Whether you select yes or no the computer locks up. It
does this for each user avaiable.

-----Original Message-----
Hi Dan

It's sometime since I've used that method, but I can't

remember having to re-activate XP and there is no
reference to re-activating on that web page. The run
command will tell you if XP is activated or not. Do you
remember the exact message you get regarding the re-
activation?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi Dan

I haven't see this occur before. The following article by MVP Alex Nichol may help you:

"Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP"
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

Will

 

[Dan]

thanks for the help Will. I give it a look

-----Original Message-----
Hi Dan

I haven't see this occur before. The following article

by MVP Alex Nichol may help you:

 

[Alex Nichol]

It's sometime since I've used that method, but I can't remember having to re-activate XP and there is no reference to re-activating on that web page. The run command will tell you if XP is activated or not. Do you remember the exact message you get regarding the re-activation?

The backups that were restored may have been ones made before the system
was ever activated. The last stage of the method ought to be to boot
into Safe mode, using the Administrator logon, and there use System
Restore to restore a good set of registry and other files made before
things went wrong. If there is no such restore point available, then
the system needs to be booted and activated again. As the date of first
setup in the registry will be way back, the activation wizard will think
that the 30 days to do it in has lapsed, and it will be necessary to run
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Activate Windows
and use the 'Activate by phone' method, calling the toll free number
that will be given, to explain (activation record has got lost in a
restore of the registry) and swap one long number for another to type in

 

[Will Denny]

Hi Alex

Surely any backups made before activation would have been 'nulled' - if XP had already been activated. If, however, this isn't the case, why would the Activation screen freeze?

ATM, Dan, is being presented with an 'Activation' message that can't be taken through to fruition.

Dan

Did you run - %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe /a - if so, what was the outcome.

Will

It's sometime since I've used that method, but I can't remember having to re-activate XP and there is no reference to re-activating on that web page. The run command will tell you if XP is activated or not. Do you remember the exact message you get regarding the re-activation?

The backups that were restored may have been ones made before the system
was ever activated. The last stage of the method ought to be to boot
into Safe mode, using the Administrator logon, and there use System
Restore to restore a good set of registry and other files made before
things went wrong. If there is no such restore point available, then
the system needs to be booted and activated again. As the date of first
setup in the registry will be way back, the activation wizard will think
that the 30 days to do it in has lapsed, and it will be necessary to run
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Activate Windows
and use the 'Activate by phone' method, calling the toll free number
that will be given, to explain (activation record has got lost in a
restore of the registry) and swap one long number for another to type in