Product key is not working

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Guest

I type in my product key # when activating and is giving an error saying
incorrect product key. I double checked and rechecked and I'm positive that
this # is correct. What are reasons for this?
 
product said:
I type in my product key # when activating and is giving an error
saying incorrect product key. I double checked and rechecked and I'm
positive that this # is correct. What are reasons for this?
Click to expand...

The key doesn't match the product you are installing. e.g You may be trying
to use a VL key with a retail product or a retail key with a OEM product
etc.

Did the key come with the media you are installing from?

Kerry
 
"product key cant be wrong" <product key cant be
I type in my product key # when activating and is giving an error saying
incorrect product key. I double checked and rechecked and I'm positive that
this # is correct. What are reasons for this?
Click to expand...

The most common reason is that you have read the printed Product Key
incorrectly. Some of the printed keys use a font that makes it quite
easy to misinterpret certain letters.

The most common mistake, in my experience, is with B and 8, followed
by G and 6 or S and 5.

Also sometimes a Q is misread as 0 or O. Neither 0 or O are used in
Windows product keys.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
product said:
I type in my product key # when activating and is giving an error saying
incorrect product key. I double checked and rechecked and I'm positive that
this # is correct. What are reasons for this?
Click to expand...

Is this a major brand OEM computer? M$ has disabled on-line activation
for many major brand OEMs due to theft of their product keys. You may
have to resort to phone activation.

Steve
 
Steve N. said:
Is this a major brand OEM computer? M$ has disabled on-line activation
for many major brand OEMs due to theft of their product keys. You may
have to resort to phone activation.
Click to expand...

That only applies to the SLP (= BIOS Locked) OEM versions which are
self-activating when installed on a computer from the specific OEM
that supplied the Windows XP.

There would an activation problem with these versions if:
1. The motherboard was replaced with a board that did not come from
that specific OEM.

or

2: If a flash BIOS update was installed using an update file obtained
directly from the BIOS manufacturer rather than from the OEM. In that
case the BIOS would no longer have the specific BIOS signature of the
OEM and activation would fail.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
No, I believe that ALL OEM product keys are disabled for online
activation, whether the OEM is using bios locking or not.

The problem is that OEM PCs (e.g. ANY factory made PC .... Compaq, IBM,
Dell, HP, eMachines, Gateway ...... etc.) have these labels on them with
the product key, sometimes on the side, sometimes on the back. Well,
when machines are located in libraries, airports, kiosks, really
anywhere that they are "in public", people can "steal" the product key
with nothing more than a paper and pencil. So beginning just under a
year ago, Microsoft decided to disable online activation of all OEM
Windows XP product keys. You must do activation over the phone.
Regardless of whether the copy of Windows is bios locked or not (which
is an option for the OEM, some are, some are not).
 
Barry said:
No, I believe that ALL OEM product keys are disabled for online
activation, whether the OEM is using bios locking or not.
Click to expand...

No, this is not true. I sell computers with generic OEM XP on them. They can
be activated by Internet or phone.

Kerry
 
Ron said:
That only applies to the SLP (= BIOS Locked) OEM versions which are
self-activating when installed on a computer from the specific OEM
that supplied the Windows XP.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I and others have direct experience to the contrary and your
statement makes no senses at all; if it was "self-activating" then there
would be no need to activate online or over the phone.
There would an activation problem with these versions if:
1. The motherboard was replaced with a board that did not come from
that specific OEM.

or

2: If a flash BIOS update was installed using an update file obtained
directly from the BIOS manufacturer rather than from the OEM. In that
case the BIOS would no longer have the specific BIOS signature of the
OEM and activation would fail.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
Click to expand...

Niether were the case in my experience. A simple re-install is all that
occured (was on a Dell laptop as I recall). Had to talk to some guy in
India after the nice robot lady said "Sorry".

Steve
 
Barry said:
No, I believe that ALL OEM product keys are disabled for online
activation, whether the OEM is using bios locking or not.

The problem is that OEM PCs (e.g. ANY factory made PC .... Compaq, IBM,
Dell, HP, eMachines, Gateway ...... etc.) have these labels on them with
the product key, sometimes on the side, sometimes on the back. Well,
when machines are located in libraries, airports, kiosks, really
anywhere that they are "in public", people can "steal" the product key
with nothing more than a paper and pencil. So beginning just under a
year ago, Microsoft decided to disable online activation of all OEM
Windows XP product keys. You must do activation over the phone.
Regardless of whether the copy of Windows is bios locked or not (which
is an option for the OEM, some are, some are not).
Click to expand...

Good point about the pencil and paper, but it is still not _all_ OEM
keys affected. Ive re-installed OEM OSes on CTL and ByteSpeed PCs (not
major players) many times with no activation issues.

Steve
 
Steve N. said:
Sorry, but I and others have direct experience to the contrary and your
statement makes no senses at all; if it was "self-activating" then there
would be no need to activate online or over the phone.
Click to expand...

The change that Microsoft made to activation as of 1 March 2005 was
with respect to the SLP (BIOS Locked) OEM Versions. These versions
are self-activating on the original hardware. New PCs from HP/Compaq,
Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Acer, and many others do not require
activation.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
 
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