Activation

[ScriptersX]

I keep getting the message "serial key has already been
used tomany times" or something along those lines, what
do i do about activationg windows? i cant help it if
windows stuffs up or i need to format a few times

 

[Willit]

Call This Number to Activate: Explain your problem,
Don't take any crap. Be nice ,but forceful. Ask for a
supervisor if you have a problem. Ask for their name.

Call (800) 426-9400, and explain the situation.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

I keep getting the message "serial key has already been
used tomany times" or something along those lines, what
do i do about activationg windows? i cant help it if
windows stuffs up or i need to format a few times

Choose the option to activate by phone. There you can, if necessary, speak
with a rep that can get you a new activation code.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Smart Display
http://home.comcast.net/~tp.porterfield

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Maiso]

Hi:

I have a similar question and want to verify if i can do the
following things without any problem with the WPA. I am planning to
connect to the Internet via a new DSL modem which is on its way and of
course I will be removing the 56K modem I actually have. I am also
planning to reformat my hard disk which is on a RAID 0 configuration
and then do a clean install of Windows XP Pro with SP1 to get rid of
all the junk I do have on my PC and start fresh. I did the WPA at the
end of August 2003. My question is regarding the Windows XP Pro
version that I have which is an OEM version that I bought from an
online retailer (Newegg) together with one of the hard drive in order
to qualify for the lower price they offered. Will the same rules that
apply to the OEM CD's versions that came pre-installed on a new PC
apply to the OEM CD's that I bought in terms of WPA, transfering
licence to another PC, etc.? The DSL modem upgrade and the reformating
and clean install are the only things I am planning to do. Everything
else will remain the same (Video Card, Motherboard, Audio Card,
etc.).Any advice or comment on this? Am I going to have any problem
re-activating by the Internet before the 120 days period? Thanks in
advance.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

I have a similar question and want to verify if i can do the
following things without any problem with the WPA. I am planning to
connect to the Internet via a new DSL modem which is on its way and of
course I will be removing the 56K modem I actually have. I am also
planning to reformat my hard disk which is on a RAID 0 configuration
and then do a clean install of Windows XP Pro with SP1 to get rid of
all the junk I do have on my PC and start fresh. I did the WPA at the
end of August 2003. My question is regarding the Windows XP Pro
version that I have which is an OEM version that I bought from an
online retailer (Newegg) together with one of the hard drive in order
to qualify for the lower price they offered. Will the same rules that
apply to the OEM CD's versions that came pre-installed on a new PC
apply to the OEM CD's that I bought in terms of WPA, transfering
licence to another PC, etc.? The DSL modem upgrade and the reformating
and clean install are the only things I am planning to do. Everything
else will remain the same (Video Card, Motherboard, Audio Card,
etc.).Any advice or comment on this? Am I going to have any problem
re-activating by the Internet before the 120 days period? Thanks in
advance.

Your hardware is not significantly different from when you activated XP in
August so you should have no problems activating again over the Internet.
For a good writeup on WPA see the article that Alex Nichol wrote at
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm.

Transferring the license to another PC is a completely separate issue that
does not concern activation or WPA. OEM versions of XP are tied to their
hardware. According to the license, once an OEM copy of XP is installed
the license is only valid on that hardware. This means you can't take that
copy of XP and install it on a different PC without breaking the license
agreement.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Smart Display
http://home.comcast.net/~tp.porterfield

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I keep getting the message "serial key has already been
used tomany times" or something along those lines, what
do i do about activationg windows

You have made more hardware changes than is accepted without it being
seen as a different machine. When that happens you have to check in by
phone to explain the circumstances and swap one long number for another.
- this is the alternative action at Start - All Programs - Accessories -
System Tools - Activate Windows

It is possible that something is getting on your machine and having
'fun' with the activation files. So do a check first - I have heard
this reported but no actual confirmation:

Look in the Windows\Repair folder for a RESET.BAT and in
Windows\System\Config for any .bat or .cmd file that contains Reset in
its name and delete them. Indeed you might delete any file with either
of those extensions in either folder - they have no place. I would also
delete the present windows\system32\wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files if you
find one of those suspicious ones. Then get on the net and go to
activate again.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have a similar question and want to verify if i can do the
following things without any problem with the WPA. I am planning to
connect to the Internet via a new DSL modem which is on its way and of
course I will be removing the 56K modem I actually have. I am also
planning to reformat my hard disk which is on a RAID 0 configuration
and then do a clean install of Windows XP Pro with SP1 to get rid of
all the junk I do have on my PC and start fresh. I did the WPA at the
end of August 2003. My question is regarding the Windows XP Pro
version that I have which is an OEM version that I bought from an
online retailer (Newegg) together with one of the hard drive in order
to qualify for the lower price they offered. Will the same rules that
apply to the OEM CD's versions that came pre-installed on a new PC
apply to the OEM CD's that I bought in terms of WPA, transfering
licence to another PC, etc.? The DSL modem upgrade and the reformating
and clean install are the only things I am planning to do.

See www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm
Your changes are at a level that will not be seen as 'substantially a
different' machine' (the modem doesn't come into it at all), and it will
activate anew just as it did the first time - get on the net, then run
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Activate Windows
to Activate on the Internet now.

 

[Maiso]

Hi:

Thanks for your help Tom. My DSL modem just arrived to the US Postal
Office and I need to pick it up today. I will start the reformatting
and clean install process on Monday and see what happened then. By the
way, the article from Alex Nichol is pretty good as always. That
aumha.org site is one of the best site for information and problem
solving I have ever seen. I have been using it for more than 2 years.
Regards.