ReActivation

[Bill]

PCs are a sort of hobby to me so there are lots of changes to
hardware. Recently I changed the motherboard on my oldest
desktop and afterwards did an install/repair with the oldest
copy of XP that I had.

The activation took awhile and I had to use a human to take
the code and then answer a bunch of questions about the
number of machines this was installed on. MS did reactivate
but the puzzle was why it was such a hassle.

I found a small utility that would read the code and sure enough
I had installed the wrong number and now have two PCs with
the same 'Product Key'. Is there a way to fix this?

I have four of the codes but two are for laptops and they are
very unlikely to be upgraded. The other two are desk bound
and likely to change with the latests bargains at Fry's!

Also from reading the posts on this ng - the CD is not hardcoded
to the product key - so any disk will do? They are all service
pack 2. None of my laptops are OEM anymore having long
since been changed to the Pro version and service pack 2.

The key viewer has a place to 'change' the code but I don't
want to screw up the system.

 

[Alex Nichol]

The activation took awhile and I had to use a human to take
the code and then answer a bunch of questions about the
number of machines this was installed on. MS did reactivate
but the puzzle was why it was such a hassle.

I found a small utility that would read the code and sure enough
I had installed the wrong number and now have two PCs with
the same 'Product Key'. Is there a way to fix this?

I have four of the codes but two are for laptops and they are
very unlikely to be upgraded. The other two are desk bound
and likely to change with the latests bargains at Fry's!

Also from reading the posts on this ng - the CD is not hardcoded
to the product key - so any disk will do? They are all service
pack 2. None of my laptops are OEM anymore having long
since been changed to the Pro version and service pack 2.

To change the code set out on activation by phone, and along the way
there is a place to do it. Do so, accept, cancel without phoning. If
the key has not been previously activated you may then be able to
activate on the net.

Keys work by being checked by the setup program when you install, to
make sure that the key is valid for that series of CD (eg Retail Pro
Upgrade) so one will work with any CD of the same sort