How/Where to enter COA number?

[MS]

Hi,

I recently re-installed XP Home edition on my Dad's machine, this was the
OS that came pre-installed on the PC when it was bought and this was the
1st time the OS had been re-installed.

The XP install instructions say the COA number must be entered at some
stage during the 1st 4 weeks and, although I have the COA number, I can't
find where I am supposed to enter it and during the installation I wans't
asked for it. Where do I type it in?

Thanks,

MS

 

[Jim Macklin]

The COA would be required during the reinstallation, what
you most likely need to do is reactivate Windows. START/All
Programs/Accessories/System Tools>Activate Windows, you'll
be prompted for the COA.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


message | Hi,
|
| I recently re-installed XP Home edition on my Dad's
machine, this was the
| OS that came pre-installed on the PC when it was bought
and this was the
| 1st time the OS had been re-installed.
|
| The XP install instructions say the COA number must be
entered at some
| stage during the 1st 4 weeks and, although I have the COA
number, I can't
| find where I am supposed to enter it and during the
installation I wans't
| asked for it. Where do I type it in?
|
| Thanks,
|
| MS

 

[MS]

Jim Macklin emailed this:

The COA would be required during the reinstallation, what
you most likely need to do is reactivate Windows. START/All
Programs/Accessories/System Tools>Activate Windows, you'll
be prompted for the COA.

That must be it. Many thanks.

Cheers,

MS

 

[Yves Leclerc]

If the XP was pre-installed on the PC, then it may have already have a COA
installed and the XP was activated. Large "name-brand" PC makers have an
agreement with Microsoft which allows them to install, and activate, XP onto
there PC products. You were probably given a "recovery" type CD which would
re-set XP back to the way it was when it left the factory.

 

[MS]

Yves Leclerc emailed this:

If the XP was pre-installed on the PC, then it may have already have a COA
installed and the XP was activated. Large "name-brand" PC makers have an
agreement with Microsoft which allows them to install, and activate, XP onto
there PC products. You were probably given a "recovery" type CD which would
re-set XP back to the way it was when it left the factory.

Thanks Yves, but I don't think it's a recovery type CD. I re-formatted the
hard disk (deleting and re-creating the partition) and installed XP Home
edition from scratch.

Jim said that I'd need to 'reactivate Windows' and I could do this here:
"START/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Activate Windows"
where I'd be prompted for the COA.

But the folder "START/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/" contains no
'Activate Windows' program. Where else might I 'activate windows' or
verify that it's already activated?

Thanks,

MS

 

[Jim Macklin]

Open any Windows HELP and search for "activate" and you
should get 45 hits. Here is part of one of those...
Notes

a.. Alternatively, you can open the Windows Product
Activation Wizard by clicking Start, then Run, and then
typing "oobe/msoobe /a".

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


message | Yves Leclerc emailed this:
| > If the XP was pre-installed on the PC, then it may have
already have a COA
| > installed and the XP was activated. Large "name-brand"
PC makers have an
| > agreement with Microsoft which allows them to install,
and activate, XP onto
| > there PC products. You were probably given a "recovery"
type CD which would
| > re-set XP back to the way it was when it left the
factory.
|
| Thanks Yves, but I don't think it's a recovery type CD. I
re-formatted the
| hard disk (deleting and re-creating the partition) and
installed XP Home
| edition from scratch.
|
| Jim said that I'd need to 'reactivate Windows' and I could
do this here:
| "START/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Activate
Windows"
| where I'd be prompted for the COA.
|
| But the folder "START/All Programs/Accessories/System
Tools/" contains no
| 'Activate Windows' program. Where else might I 'activate
windows' or
| verify that it's already activated?
|
| Thanks,
|
| MS
|
|
| >
| >
in message
| > | >
| >>Jim Macklin emailed this:
| >>
| >>>The COA would be required during the reinstallation,
what you most likely
| >>>need to do is reactivate Windows. START/All
Programs/Accessories/System
| >>>Tools>Activate Windows, you'll be prompted for the COA.
| >>
| >>That must be it. Many thanks.
| >>
| >>Cheers,
| >>
| >>MS
| >>
| >
| >
| >

 

[MS]

Thanks Jim. I'll give that a go tomorrow.

MS

Jim Macklin emailed this:

 

[NobodyMan]



Don't upload binaries to this text newsgroup. I didn't want this
crappy picture on my hard drive.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I recently re-installed XP Home edition on my Dad's machine, this was the
OS that came pre-installed on the PC when it was bought and this was the
1st time the OS had been re-installed.

The XP install instructions say the COA number must be entered at some
stage during the 1st 4 weeks and, although I have the COA number, I can't
find where I am supposed to enter it and during the installation I wans't
asked for it. Where do I type it in?

A Preinstall like that will have been 'locked' to the machine's BIOS
instead, and if you use the maker's Restore method it still will be.

The number should anything ask for it is the 25 characters in groups of
five on a label on the back; not a pure numeric one