C
Chuck Lavin
Hi --
I've been going around in circles for going on five hours with this, and I
need to get this machine back up.
I replaced the hard drive on a Windows XP Pro SP3 computer. The hard drive
was cloned with Symantec Ghost, and the new drive was installed in place of
the old one.
When the PC rebooted and I attempted to log in, I was informed that "This
copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log in." I
clicked on the Yes button, and I spent the next 15 minutes staring at a
blank desktop with just wallpaper. No icons, no taskbar, just the wallpaper
and the mouse pointer.
I rebooted the PC and tried this four more times. If I clicked on "Yes" at
the activation question, I wound up with the empty desktop. If clicked on
"No", I was taken back to the login screen.
I can log in and work on the PC (to a point) if I boot the PC in Safe Mode.
But if I try to run the Activation Wizard in Safe Mode, I get an error that
the program cannot be run in Safe Mode.
I've already performed two Repair installations on this machine, using the
SP2 CD with which the PC was originally installed. In both cases, the
installation key was accepted when I was asked to enter it, and the repair
installation went without a hitch. But after the PC rebooted, as soon as I
tried to log in I was told that Windows had to be activated -- and I was
back at the same blank desktop.
I have even installed SP3 from an installation image I have locally, with
the PC in Safe Mode. So the computer shows that it is running Windows XP Pro
SP3 (which is what it was running before the hard drive was replaced).
I know the PC has a usable network connection. Not only is its DHCP lease
showing up on the server, but I can connect to it from any other PC via
mstsc. If I try to connect to the PC with the TS client, I get the same
"This copy of Windows must be activated" nonsense.
After getting nowhere with this I called PSS. The agent who took the call
transferred me to the Activation department. The rep at the Activation
department told me that this was a support issue and transferred me to Tech
Support -- where I was transferred back to the Activation queue.
I need to get this machine back up and runnning (it is, in a way ...), and I
cannot afford the massive amount of time it would take to get this PC back
up if I have to perform a clean install of Windows. I don't know why a
simple hard drive replacement has resulted in this mess, or why online
searches for "this copy of Windows must be activated" result in dozens and
dozens of hits but no apparent resolution.
How do I get his PC back up and running?
Thanks,
CL
I've been going around in circles for going on five hours with this, and I
need to get this machine back up.
I replaced the hard drive on a Windows XP Pro SP3 computer. The hard drive
was cloned with Symantec Ghost, and the new drive was installed in place of
the old one.
When the PC rebooted and I attempted to log in, I was informed that "This
copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log in." I
clicked on the Yes button, and I spent the next 15 minutes staring at a
blank desktop with just wallpaper. No icons, no taskbar, just the wallpaper
and the mouse pointer.
I rebooted the PC and tried this four more times. If I clicked on "Yes" at
the activation question, I wound up with the empty desktop. If clicked on
"No", I was taken back to the login screen.
I can log in and work on the PC (to a point) if I boot the PC in Safe Mode.
But if I try to run the Activation Wizard in Safe Mode, I get an error that
the program cannot be run in Safe Mode.
I've already performed two Repair installations on this machine, using the
SP2 CD with which the PC was originally installed. In both cases, the
installation key was accepted when I was asked to enter it, and the repair
installation went without a hitch. But after the PC rebooted, as soon as I
tried to log in I was told that Windows had to be activated -- and I was
back at the same blank desktop.
I have even installed SP3 from an installation image I have locally, with
the PC in Safe Mode. So the computer shows that it is running Windows XP Pro
SP3 (which is what it was running before the hard drive was replaced).
I know the PC has a usable network connection. Not only is its DHCP lease
showing up on the server, but I can connect to it from any other PC via
mstsc. If I try to connect to the PC with the TS client, I get the same
"This copy of Windows must be activated" nonsense.
After getting nowhere with this I called PSS. The agent who took the call
transferred me to the Activation department. The rep at the Activation
department told me that this was a support issue and transferred me to Tech
Support -- where I was transferred back to the Activation queue.
I need to get this machine back up and runnning (it is, in a way ...), and I
cannot afford the massive amount of time it would take to get this PC back
up if I have to perform a clean install of Windows. I don't know why a
simple hard drive replacement has resulted in this mess, or why online
searches for "this copy of Windows must be activated" result in dozens and
dozens of hits but no apparent resolution.
How do I get his PC back up and running?
Thanks,
CL