Windows Me Free Upgrade to Windows XP

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I have a customer that has a computer that came with Windows Me pre installed
on it, and got a free upgrade to Windows XP Professional when he got the
computer, but did not install it. I recently installed it for him, but it
will not activate accross the internet. I call the telephone number to
acctivate it and I am told that I have invalid product. This is not a
duplicated product, and was still sealed when I installed it. How can we get
it activated for the customer?
 
Bradley said:
I have a customer that has a computer that came with Windows Me pre installed
on it, and got a free upgrade to Windows XP Professional when he got the
computer, but did not install it. I recently installed it for him, but it
will not activate accross the internet. I call the telephone number to
acctivate it and I am told that I have invalid product. This is not a
duplicated product, and was still sealed when I installed it. How can we get
it activated for the customer?
Click to expand...


Contact the OEM that provided it for assistance.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Bradley J. Nichols said:
I have a customer that has a computer that came with Windows Me pre installed
on it, and got a free upgrade to Windows XP Professional when he got the
computer, but did not install it. I recently installed it for him, but it
will not activate accross the internet. I call the telephone number to
acctivate it and I am told that I have invalid product. This is not a
duplicated product, and was still sealed when I installed it. How can we get
it activated for the customer?
Click to expand...

Are you installing the upgrade on the same computer, or is this a
replacement machine?

If it is the same computer that came with Windows Me have any major
components, specifically the motherboard, been replaced?

That type of situation - different computer or different motherboard -
might explain the results you are getting.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
When Windows XP first came out, there was no upgrade path from Windows
ME to either Windows XP Home or Professional. I don't know if that is
still true, and in any case, if it does install for your customer, not
sure why that would prevent it from being activated.

More interesting was a problem I ran into when trying to install
Windows XP Home for a friend. Activation using the key on the sealed
package would not work. It took over an hour on the phone with
Microsoft, and two transfers to higher level support, but this is what
the problem was. The first level support person insisted that the key
I had was valid, but could not explain why it didn't work. Finally,
after speaking to the upper level support technicians, they discovered
that the key was valid - except that it was a key for Windows XP
Professional Upgrade, not the Windows XP Home Full Install that I had.
After confirming that what I really did have was a fully sealed
package and disk for Windows XP Home, they generated a new key and
activation went forward without a problem. Microsoft had no answer to
why this happened, and it did take over an hour of long-distance
telephone charges to correct.
 
Scott said:
When Windows XP first came out, there was no upgrade path from Windows
ME to either Windows XP Home or Professional.
Click to expand...

That is not correct. I upgraded from Windows Me to Windows XP many
times, even during the Beta testing of Windows XP.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Bradley J. Nichols said:
I am using the same computer with no hardware upgrades to it.
Click to expand...

Is this an upgrade that came from the computer manufacturer?

There were some manufacturers who were still shipping systems with
Windows Me after the release of Windows XP and who provided purchasers
of these systems with a special "OEM Upgrade" version of Windows XP to
allow them to upgrade to XP.

Is this what your customer has, or is it a regular Microsoft retail
upgrade version of XP Pro in a blue Microsoft retail box?

If it is that special "OEM Upgrade" version then you need to contact
the computer manufacturer's technical support dept. for assistance.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
That is not correct. I upgraded from Windows Me to Windows XP many
times, even during the Beta testing of Windows XP.
Click to expand...
I agree that it says now that Me can be upgraded to Windows XP, but
when I first looked in to upgrading from Me to XP (just before and at
introduction), it was not listed as a viable upgrade path. Something
to do with some of the drivers and system files that were tried
(alpha/ beta testing of by purchasers of Me) were not what they ended
up being in XP, and therefore it was not recommended at the time.
Doesn't mean that it wouldn't work; Microsoft may have just been
trying to avoid responsibility if the upgrade failed.

I can't quickly find the references from that time regarding the
upgrade paths, but if I do come across it in my files, I'll post it.
 
I recall that you had to have ME to use the upgrade priced version (that
95-98 were not 'upgrades'. Anyone else remember that or am I just having
a "senior moment".
 
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