COA DELL Notebook

[Clayton]

I have a DELL notebook here where the COA sticker key on the system differs
from that within Windows, I've tried to change it to match the COA sticker
and it says that the key is invalid.

How can I change it?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Dell uses a factory-only Windows XP image that uses a special Product Key.
The Product Key affixed to your PC is only to be used with the Dell
supplied Reinstallation CD. There is no need to try and change the existing
installed Product Key because you cannot. It is designed only to be used
with the Dell factory version of Windows XP and cannot be reused.

If you really desire to change the Product Key, you'll need to perform
a "Repair Install" using the Dell Reinstallation CD and the Product Key
affixed to your Dell PC.

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have a DELL notebook here where the COA sticker key on the system differs
| from that within Windows, I've tried to change it to match the COA sticker
| and it says that the key is invalid.
|
| How can I change it?

 

[Clayton]

I have already performed a clean install using the Dell CD, the only problem
with that is it never prompts you to enter the key. I could always use
another copy of XP and then it will prompt me to enter the key but then I
will have all sorts of problems trying to activate it because Microsoft has
changed the activation process for large OEM's

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Dell Reinstallation CD is BIOS-locked to your Dell PC.
It may not require you to type in the Dell Product Key.
You cannot use the Dell Product Key with a different copy
of Windows XP.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have already performed a clean install using the Dell CD, the only problem
| with that is it never prompts you to enter the key. I could always use
| another copy of XP and then it will prompt me to enter the key but then I
| will have all sorts of problems trying to activate it because Microsoft has
| changed the activation process for large OEM's

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Clayton;
That is normal because of the image method Dell and other OEMs use for
Windows XP.
It may not be possible to change the installed key.
There is no need to change the key, it is a non issue.
You may cause problems by attempting, there is nothing to gain except
possible installation issues.

 

[Clayton]

Lets hope when the new Windows Update V6 comes out it doesn't reject the key
as WU is going to have a confirmation prompt from the COA sticker to access
WU

 

[Sam Horton]

So what do you do? I've had the same problem with my new HP laptop. Try to
download software from Microsoft. Some of it you have to register for and
the first thing it checks is to see if you have a valid product key.

Both, the internal key and the COA keys were invalid. So, I poes my original
question to you: what do we do?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Start by contacting the manufacturer of the computer assuming the OS came
with the computer.

 

[Clayton]

Why should we contact the manufactrer? if Micosoft didn't change the goal
post on us I would have easily fixed this.
If I was to use another XP SP-2 CD and enter the key supplied with the
computer Microsoft has an obligation to honour it and allow me to activate,
if Micosoft refuses to allow me to activate then they are two faced.
No big deal, I suppose I could live with it, but I don't really want to!!

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Clayton;
Why contact the manufacturer, because that is the first line of support for
an OEM computer.
They may have a quick easy solution.
Also the OEM is probably the first place Microsoft will direct you.

"another XP SP-2 CD"?
You should be using the original CD that came with the computer, another may
give an error.
If you use the wrong CD, it is not Microsoft or the OEM who is wrong.

 

[Clayton]

This is rather bizzare,
When I got this notebook last week I decided to buy a bigger hard drive
which I took out the origianal and put in the new one and installed XP from
the Dell XP CD on it, I then came across this posting from Microsoft, which
I followed http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;328874

I decided to do this on the drive I had replaced incase something went
wrong, I followed the instructions to a tee and restarted the system, it
then asked me to activate which I did and it went through straight away
(without calling MS), so I decided to put the new drive back in and do the
same, this time it asked me to activate which I did and was prompted to call
MS to activate. I did just that and was given a series of numbers and now
I'm activated with the correct COA key.

Just one question. With both drives being indentical why was I prompted to
call MS the second time? I have done reinstalls on customers pc's with the
XP CD supplied, which this time would have been the second activation and
they go through straight away.

Clayton

 

[Steve N.]

This is rather bizzare,
When I got this notebook last week I decided to buy a bigger hard drive
which I took out the origianal and put in the new one and installed XP from
the Dell XP CD on it, I then came across this posting from Microsoft, which
I followed http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;328874

I decided to do this on the drive I had replaced incase something went
wrong, I followed the instructions to a tee and restarted the system, it
then asked me to activate which I did and it went through straight away
(without calling MS), so I decided to put the new drive back in and do the
same, this time it asked me to activate which I did and was prompted to call
MS to activate. I did just that and was given a series of numbers and now
I'm activated with the correct COA key.

Just one question. With both drives being indentical why was I prompted to
call MS the second time? I have done reinstalls on customers pc's with the
XP CD supplied, which this time would have been the second activation and
they go through straight away.

Clayton

What did you expect? As far as Windows knows it was a new installation
(which it was... duh) so it had to activate. Online activation failed
because the M$ activation machinery out there holds a record of
activations for 120 days (supposedly).

What's even more bizzare is once I installed XP on a hard drive, a week
later got a larger drive and decided to install XP on it instead. It
wouldn't activate online. It was late so I shut it down, deciding to
deal with it in the morning. Fired it up the next day and it then
activated online no problem.

WPA is no where near a science, trust me.

Steve

 

[Clayton]

What did you expect? As far as Windows knows it was a new installation

(which it was... duh) so it had to activate. Online activation failed
because the M$ activation machinery out there holds a record of
activations for 120 days (supposedly).

So activating again after 20 mins should have gone straight through without
contacting MS (supposedly).

 

[Steve N.]

So activating again after 20 mins should have gone straight through without
contacting MS (supposedly).

How do you figure? If you install Windows and activate it, then
re-install it within 120 days there is a good chance it will not
activate online. Where do you get the 20 minute figure from?

Steve