checking the license for this computer

[Mike]

Hi, I hope someone can help. I've gotten 3 computers in
my repair shop this week alone with Product activation
issues. I get the following error message:
a problem is preventing windows from accurately checking
the license for this computer. Error code 0x80070002

I have read the Knowledge base article #310794 and there
are no cryptography keys to delete. This is getting
epidemic here. Thanks.

 

[JJ]

4684 » Windows XP 'Error Code: 0x80070002' - license-checking?



When you start your computer, you receive:

A problem is preventing Windows from accurately checking the license for
this computer. Error code: 0x80070002.

This problem is caused by changing the system drive letter or by changing
the default security provider.

If your system drive letter has changed, undo the actions that caused it,
or:

1. Use the Registry Editor to navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Defaults\Provider.

2. In each Provider key, edit the Image Path value to match the new drive
letter.

3. When you are finished, exit the Registry Editor and shutdown / restart
your computer.

If the default security provider has changed:

1. Restart your computer in Safe mode by pressing F8 during startup.

2. Use the Registry Editor to delete the following keys:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Providers

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Cryptography\Providers

3. Exit the Registry Editor and shutdown / restart your computer.

 

[Guest]

The solution below does not help in this particular case.
There are no cryptography keys in the registry at the
locations listed.

 

[Alex Nichol]

The solution below does not help in this particular case.
There are no cryptography keys in the registry at the
locations listed.

That is exceedingly odd, and suggests that some malware has got in, to
cause serious damage, which may extend elsewhere. One place you might
check is at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\
CurrentVersion\Winlogon
To see if UIHost is still set to logonui.exe
and that Userinit is on C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe

But if they are pointing elsewhere, make sure that you get proper
versions of the files restored to system32 before daring to change the
registry entries. If there is a restore point dating from before the
trouble arose but still reasonably recent, that might be the safest
course. Consult Jim Eshelman's page on parasites -
www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm and use especially the CWShredder tool
linked from it