product ID

[Ben]

I posted about this yesterday, but I now figured out what
the problem was, at least I think, only I don't know how
to go about fixing the problem.

I bought a computer from a friend of mine with WinXP on
it. He had reformatted his drive and re-installed XP for
me. After I downloaded SP1, windows update tells me that
it can't validate the product ID. After looking into it,
I found that with SP1 installed, it tries to validate the
product ID, which it didn't do before. Because of this,
I am guessing that microsoft thinks that I am using a
hacked product ID, even though it is a legal version. Is
it possilbe that that is what my problem is? When I
posted about this yesterday, somebody had told me that I
need to call microsoft, but I don't know what number I
need to call. I also need to know what sort of info I'd
need, such as activation codes, CD keys, etc. because I
don't have any of those on hand.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Ben,

Error Message: The Product Key Used to Install Windows Is Invalid
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326904

Does this sound like what you are seeing? If so, you were sold a pirated
version of WindowsXP and will need to obtain a legal one and do a repair
installation with it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Ben]

Yeah, that's the message, but I'm almost certain that it
is a legal copy of windows xp, because it is the same
copy that was on the computer when my friend owned it,
it's just been re-installed, and it never had that
problem. That's why I'm wondering if maybe microsoft
thinks that I've pirated windows and used his product ID,
when in fact, I'm using his old computer. Do you need to
deactivate windows when selling an old computer or
anything like that first? Maybe he neglected to do that.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Unfortunately, the Product Key that generates that error is a commonly
distributed illegal one, hence the block from installing SP1. Despite what
you think of your friend, he or she used an illegal copy and sold you the
same. There is nothing illegal about selling a legal copy, and purchasing
one such would not prevent you from installing SP1. The block is only for a
few commonly distributed illegal keys.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Alex Nichol]

I bought a computer from a friend of mine with WinXP on
it. He had reformatted his drive and re-installed XP for
me. After I downloaded SP1, windows update tells me that
it can't validate the product ID. After looking into it,
I found that with SP1 installed, it tries to validate the
product ID, which it didn't do before. Because of this,
I am guessing that microsoft thinks that I am using a
hacked product ID, even though it is a legal version. Is
it possilbe that that is what my problem is?

Are you sure of that? A lot of copies have been put out by unscrupulous
parties - often selling to innocent people - which have used one of a
couple of pirated keys, with no payments going back to Microsoft.
Microsoft has explicitly prevented machines that were installed with
these keys from installing SP1. Check in Control Panel - System for the
Product ID number under your name - if it fits

XXXXX-640-0000356-23XXX
or
XXXXX-640-2001765-23XXX

Where X represents any digit, you have one of these keys.

 

[Guest]

Neither of those are anywhere close to my product ID.