HELP!! Can not login at all, Genuine advantage showing not activa

[Dan Andrews]

Hello,
We have a customer that has ignored the message for several weeks and now
decides to call us. What they told us is they had a company repair the PC
about a year ago and they are no longer in business. Of course this is a
critical PC for them. What I need is the quickest way to get them activated.
I have already tried the activation phone number and it says thay cannot help
me, call the vendor?? The vendor is no longer in business.

Can they purchase a valid XP pro license and run a repair with the CD?

Please help,
Thanks,
Dan

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Please follow this simple troubleshooting procedure, courtesy of MS MVP
Carey Frisch:

1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic Data
in a detailed post:
http://social.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/threads/

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an
appropriate solution.

[Hopefully, you're not charging this customer if you have to ask that
question here.]

 

[Dan Andrews]

Hello and thank you for your reply,
I cannot login to the PC at all so downloading or installing anything
will not work. Any additional help is greatly appreciated.

--
Thanks,
Dan

Please follow this simple troubleshooting procedure, courtesy of MS MVP
Carey Frisch:

1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic Data
in a detailed post:
http://social.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/threads/

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an
appropriate solution.

[Hopefully, you're not charging this customer if you have to ask that
question here.]
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

We have a customer that has ignored the message for several weeks and
now
decides to call us. What they told us is they had a company repair the PC
about a year ago and they are no longer in business. Of course this is a
critical PC for them. What I need is the quickest way to get them
activated. I have already tried the activation phone number and it says
thay cannot help me, call the vendor?? The vendor is no longer in
business.

Can they purchase a valid XP pro license and run a repair with the CD?

Please help,
Thanks,
Dan

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Hello,
We have a customer that has ignored the message for several weeks and
now
decides to call us. What they told us is they had a company repair the PC
about a year ago and they are no longer in business. Of course this is a
critical PC for them. What I need is the quickest way to get them
activated.
I have already tried the activation phone number and it says thay cannot
help
me, call the vendor?? The vendor is no longer in business.

Can they purchase a valid XP pro license and run a repair with the CD?

Please help,
Thanks,
Dan

What exactly happens when you're trying to log on? In Safe Mode? Would this
help: http://www.infopirate.org/how-to-log-into-an-expired-windows?

 

[Dan Andrews]

It just says not activated and logs off, even in safe mode. I was able to
login to administrator once in safe mode, but not anymore. They do not have
any documentation for theis PC at all, so I have told them they will most
likely need to purchase another copy. If that is the case can I run a
repair/install and get there apps back?

 

[HeyBub]

Hello and thank you for your reply,
I cannot login to the PC at all so downloading or installing
anything will not work. Any additional help is greatly appreciated.

--- begin quote

If there is a problem with your Windows XP license, you will be given simple
steps to fix it. Microsoft can help you by offering:

* A detailed description of the cause of the problem. For example, you may
have accidentally received a product key that was reported as lost or stolen
by its original owner. Sometimes, during a repair or reinstall, an invalid
product key is used if the original product key is not handy.

*A replacement key or replacement copy of Windows. If you are a victim of
software counterfeiting, you may qualify for a free replacement copy.

--- end quote

 

[Dan Andrews]

Hello,
I would be happy to have Microsoft help. If I could get through to a real
person. Do you have a number i can call? I also saw a Genuine advantage kit
that can be purchased online , but it doesn't have a single link to it on the
WGA site itself!!

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

It just says not activated and logs off, even in safe mode. I was able to
login to administrator once in safe mode, but not anymore. They do not
have
any documentation for theis PC at all, so I have told them they will most
likely need to purchase another copy. If that is the case can I run a
repair/install and get there apps back?

I suspect you're dealing with two separate and completely unrelated issues:
a) The activation issue. This can always be resolved by attempting to log
on, then allowing the activation process to start.
b) The log-off issue. This is almost always caused by Windows being unable
to locate the file userinit.exe. The underlying cause is usually malware.

If the machine is networked and if you know the password for the
administrator account then you can easily determine what's going on.
1. Working from a networked machine, open the problem PC's registry and
check this key:
HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/Current Version/Winlogon/Userinit
Does it point to c:\Windows\system32?
2. Run a console session (cmd.exe) from a networked machine, using
psexec.exe (www.sysinternals.com).
3. Make a note of the system drive letter. What is it? Drive F: perhaps?
4. Does the file F:\windows\system32\userinit.exe exist?
5. If the system drive letter is something other than C:, do this:
6. Open the Problem PC's registry and navigate here:
HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
7. Rename DosDevices\F: to DosDevices\C:. If DosDevices\C: already exists,
rename it to a free drive letter.
8. Reboot the problem machine, preferably running shutdown.exe \\ProblemPC.

Post again if you need more details.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You or your customer could start here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/getgenuinekit/default.mspx

Hello and thank you for your reply,
I cannot login to the PC at all so downloading or installing anything
will not work. Any additional help is greatly appreciated.

Please follow this simple troubleshooting procedure, courtesy of MS MVP
Carey Frisch:

1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic
Data
in a detailed post:
http://social.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/threads/

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend
an
appropriate solution.

[Hopefully, you're not charging this customer if you have to ask that
question here.]
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

We have a customer that has ignored the message for several weeks and
now
decides to call us. What they told us is they had a company repair the
PC
about a year ago and they are no longer in business. Of course this is
a
critical PC for them. What I need is the quickest way to get them
activated. I have already tried the activation phone number and it says
thay cannot help me, call the vendor?? The vendor is no longer in
business.

Can they purchase a valid XP pro license and run a repair with the CD?

Please help,
Thanks,
Dan

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi Dan,

Technically, you could take an in-place upgrade to address your issue.

For more information, please refer to the following link:

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

It is recommended to take the harddrive to another computer to backup files
before performing an in-place upgrade.

Hope it helps.

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi Dan,

Do you have any update on the issue. Please feel free to let me know.

Thanks.

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support