Moving HD from dead PC to another PC - can't activate

[Hula Baloo]

I had a 3+ year old Gateway PC that died, so I built a new PC from
scratch (BioStar G31 mobo w/Intel E5200 CPU) & put the old hard drive
from the dead PC into the new PC. It boots fine in Safe Mode, but in
normal mode it says I must activate. However I've been unable to
activate it. Here's my tale of woe. When I try to activate over the
Internet, it says it's unable to make a connection & gives me an 800 no.
to call. When I call the 800 no., MS tells me the license is invalid
because when you move an OEM version on a HD to a new machine, you need
to call the initial vendor (Gateway in my case) to get a "workaround
product key". So they transferred my call to Gateway's support.
However Gateway says they don't have a "workaround product key". Catch 22.
I booted up in Safe Mode (which fortunately I can do) and made sure
the NIC driver was properly installed. Then I started Internet Explorer
to see if I needed to run a wizard to initialize Web browsing. It came
up without any wizard but of course in Safe Mode it was unable to get on
the net. Note: Booting in Safe Mode with networking doesn't work
because I run into the same activation problem. As a temporary
workaround I installed another copy of XP on a separate partition which
I booted up to make sure all the hardware is working as it should be.
The hardware is fine, but I really want to be able to use the XP Media
Center version that was originally installed on that HD by Gateway.
FWIW the Gateway PC didn't come with a Windows install CD, only a
RESTORE CD.
Since I paid for this license with the original machine, I should be
able to use it as I'm trying to do. MS acknowledges this, but says I
should be able to get a "workaround product key" from Gateway which
Gateway says they don't have. Any kind soul have a suggestion? TIA

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I had a 3+ year old Gateway PC that died, so I built a new PC from
scratch (BioStar G31 mobo w/Intel E5200 CPU) & put the old hard drive from
the dead PC into the new PC. It boots fine in Safe Mode, but in normal
mode it says I must activate. However I've been unable to activate it.
Here's my tale of woe. When I try to activate over the Internet, it says
it's unable to make a connection & gives me an 800 no. to call. When I
call the 800 no., MS tells me the license is invalid because when you move
an OEM version on a HD to a new machine, you need to call the initial
vendor (Gateway in my case) to get a "workaround product key". So they
transferred my call to Gateway's support. However Gateway says they don't
have a "workaround product key". Catch 22.
I booted up in Safe Mode (which fortunately I can do) and made sure the
NIC driver was properly installed. Then I started Internet Explorer to
see if I needed to run a wizard to initialize Web browsing. It came up
without any wizard but of course in Safe Mode it was unable to get on the
net. Note: Booting in Safe Mode with networking doesn't work because I
run into the same activation problem. As a temporary workaround I
installed another copy of XP on a separate partition which I booted up to
make sure all the hardware is working as it should be. The hardware is
fine, but I really want to be able to use the XP Media Center version that
was originally installed on that HD by Gateway. FWIW the Gateway PC didn't
come with a Windows install CD, only a RESTORE CD.
Since I paid for this license with the original machine, I should be
able to use it as I'm trying to do. MS acknowledges this, but says I
should be able to get a "workaround product key" from Gateway which
Gateway says they don't have. Any kind soul have a suggestion? TIA

You paid for a Gateway computer on which was installed a Gateway customized
OEM operating system. Under the terms of an OEM license, the operating
system stays with the computer on which it was originally installed. This is
definitely true for BIOS locked OEMs.

If you were to try to use your restore CD on your new machine, it would fail
because it would not find a Gateway BIOS.

Your computer is essentially no longer a Gateway, so you will get no support
from Gateway either. You will have to buy a new XP license..

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I had a 3+ year old Gateway PC that died, so I built a new PC from
scratch (BioStar G31 mobo w/Intel E5200 CPU) & put the old hard
drive from the dead PC into the new PC. It boots fine in Safe Mode, but
in normal mode it says I must activate. However I've been unable to
activate it. Here's my tale of woe. When I try to activate over
the Internet, it says it's unable to make a connection & gives me
an 800 no. to call. When I call the 800 no., MS tells me the
license is invalid because when you move an OEM version on a HD to
a new machine, you need to call the initial vendor (Gateway in my case) to
get a "workaround
product key". So they transferred my call to Gateway's support.
However Gateway says they don't have a "workaround product key". Catch 22.
I booted up in Safe Mode (which fortunately I can do)
and made sure the NIC driver was properly installed. Then I started
Internet
Explorer to see if I needed to run a wizard to initialize Web
browsing. It came up without any wizard but of course in Safe Mode it was
unable to
get on the net. Note: Booting in Safe Mode with networking doesn't
work because I run into the same activation problem. As a temporary
workaround I installed another copy of XP on a separate partition
which I booted up to make sure all the hardware is working as it should
be. The hardware is fine, but I really want to be able to use the XP
Media Center version that was originally installed on that HD by
Gateway. FWIW the Gateway PC didn't come with a Windows install CD, only a
RESTORE CD.
Since I paid for this license with the original machine, I should
be able to use it as I'm trying to do. MS acknowledges this, but
says I should be able to get a "workaround product key" from
Gateway which Gateway says they don't have. Any kind soul have a
suggestion?

Your OEM Windows XP license died with the computer it came with originall
(the Gateway PC.)

No matter what you have been told elsewhere by anyone - they are simply
ignorant of the facts. You had an OEM licensed copy of Windows XP you say
came with your Gateway PC. That tied that OEM licensed copy of Windows XP
to the fate of that Gateway PC - 100% - in accordance with the agreement
(EULA) included with the OEM licensed Windows XP. When the Gateway died
(not repairable), so did all of your rights to that OEM licensed Windows XP.

Gateway may well have taken that a bit further and "BIOS locked" said copy.
The message you are getting may very well be its inability to find the
Gateway component(s) it needs.

In any case - in order to be legit again (per the EULA) - you will need to
locate and purchase a legitimate unused license of Windows XP and attempt to
change the product key to the new product key.

Addressing your last paragraph:

The representative you were speaking to was ignorant of the facts and
incorrect *or* did not have the whole story as you told it here *or* there
was some miscommunication/misunderstanding somewhere in there. Gateway told
you correctly - no such thing as a "work-around product key" - where ever
that came from. You owned a package deal - the Gateway PC and the OEM
license. You did not own them individually - unfortunately for you.

Your sentence, "Since I paid for this license with the original machine, I
should be able to use it as I'm trying to do." is incorrect because you paid
for the package deal (Gateway computer with an OEM licensed Windows XP
installed) - not a computer and a Windows XP Retail license (which is
transferrable.)

While there may be some technical manner to get you out of this without you
paying anything (certainly not one based of your agreements for use of said
software) - I cannot think of any. You don't have an actual installation
CD, you likely do have the product key (on a sticker on the side of the
defunct Gateway) - so you might make sure that the installed key matches
that

Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/)... If it does not match it - try
matching it by using a Microsoft tool to change your product key:

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

But even if that works - it doesn't change the fact that in accordanc with
the EULA - you have lost all rights to said copy of Windows XP.

 

[Hula Baloo]

Your OEM Windows XP license died with the computer it came with originall
(the Gateway PC.)

No matter what you have been told elsewhere by anyone - they are simply
ignorant of the facts. You had an OEM licensed copy of Windows XP you say
came with your Gateway PC. That tied that OEM licensed copy of Windows XP
to the fate of that Gateway PC - 100% - in accordance with the agreement
(EULA) included with the OEM licensed Windows XP. When the Gateway died
(not repairable), so did all of your rights to that OEM licensed Windows XP.

Gateway may well have taken that a bit further and "BIOS locked" said copy.
The message you are getting may very well be its inability to find the
Gateway component(s) it needs.

In any case - in order to be legit again (per the EULA) - you will need to
locate and purchase a legitimate unused license of Windows XP and attempt to
change the product key to the new product key.

Addressing your last paragraph:

The representative you were speaking to was ignorant of the facts and
incorrect *or* did not have the whole story as you told it here *or* there
was some miscommunication/misunderstanding somewhere in there. Gateway told
you correctly - no such thing as a "work-around product key" - where ever
that came from. You owned a package deal - the Gateway PC and the OEM
license. You did not own them individually - unfortunately for you.

Your sentence, "Since I paid for this license with the original machine, I
should be able to use it as I'm trying to do." is incorrect because you paid
for the package deal (Gateway computer with an OEM licensed Windows XP
installed) - not a computer and a Windows XP Retail license (which is
transferrable.)

While there may be some technical manner to get you out of this without you
paying anything (certainly not one based of your agreements for use of said
software) - I cannot think of any. You don't have an actual installation
CD, you likely do have the product key (on a sticker on the side of the
defunct Gateway) - so you might make sure that the installed key matches
that

Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/)... If it does not match it - try
matching it by using a Microsoft tool to change your product key:

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

But even if that works - it doesn't change the fact that in accordanc with
the EULA - you have lost all rights to said copy of Windows XP.

OK, thanks Shenan and Mike Hall for a definitive answer to clear up
that misunderstanding. I wasn't trying to cheat or violate the EULA, I
was just under a misunderstanding. Obviously you didn't tell me what I
wanted to hear, but I appreciate the quick and definitive answers.

 

[Gis Bun]

OK, thanks Shenan and Mike Hall for a definitive answer to clear up
that misunderstanding. I wasn't trying to cheat or violate the EULA, I
was just under a misunderstanding. Obviously you didn't tell me what I
wanted to hear, but I appreciate the quick and definitive answers.

One other note. Each piece of major hardware [NIC, hard disk, CPU, etc.] is
given points. After 3 points changed [i.e. change any 3 components in your
system] and you would have to reactivate. In your case, even if you could use
the OEM license, you would need to reactivate.