Windows XP Activation Loop Problem

[Guest]

Note: I have already tried the regsvr32 regwizc.dll and licdll.dll remedy.

I have a Windows XP activation loop problem: I login and I'm told to
activate Windows. I click Yes and I'm told that Windows is already activated
and I'm taken back to the login screen. This loops indefinitely.

This is a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2 installed with my MSDN subscriber's
product key. I ran the installation process from scratch (I first
reformatted the system drive). I was asked to activate Windows. I did so
and Windows reported that the activation was successful. At this point I was
returned to the login screen. Logging in at this point I was told that I
needed to activate by phone because the activation period had expired. I
completed the phone activation process and Windows reported that it was
successful. Now when I login, I'm told that I need to activate Windows. I
click Yes and I'm told that Windows is already activated and I'm returned to
the login screen.

I re-ran the installation process again from scratch: same results.

I have tried the regsvr32 regwizc.dll and licdll.dll fix. regsvr32 reported
these dll's registered successfully. However, this did not remedy the
activation loop problem.

 

[Anton Pegan]

Hi Rob,
You will probably have to repair your activation wizard. To repair the
Activation Wizard:
1. Restart the computer, press F8 during startup, and then select Safe Mode
from
the Startup menu.
2. Log on to the computer as an administrator.
3. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
4. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks), and
then
press ENTER.
5. At the command prompt, type "cd \windows\system32" (without the quotation
marks), and then press ENTER.
6. Expand the original files from the Windows XP CD-ROM. To do so, type the
following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command:
expand d:\i386\licwmi.dl_ c:\windows\system32
expand d:\i386\regwizc.dl_ c:\windows\system32
expand d:\i386\licdll.dl_ c:\windows\system32
expand d:\i386\wpabaln.ex_ c:\windows\system32
ren wpa.dbl wpa.old
expand d:\i386\wpa.db_ c:\windows\system32
7. Copy the files you expanded in step 6 into the Dllcache folder. To do so,
type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each
command:
copy c:\windows\system32\licwmi.dll c:\windows\system32\dllcache
copy c:\windows\system32\regwizc.dll c:\windows\system32\dllcache
copy c:\windows\system32\licdll.dll c:\windows\system32\dllcache
copy c:\windows\system32\wpabaln.exe c:\windows\system32\dllcache
8. Register the DLL files that were unregistered. To do
so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after
each command:
regsvr32.exe licwmi.dll
regsvr32.exe regwizc.dll
regsvr32.exe licdll.dll
exit
9. Click Start, click Run, type "regedit" (without the quotation marks), and
then press ENTER. View the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Add a DWORD value to this key that is named "Activation Required", and then
set the value of this DWORD to 1 (dword:00000001).
10. Restart your computer.

If the steps above do not help, try the following:
1. Log in as the local Administrator
2. Click Start > Run > and type in Regedit
3. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\wpaevents
4. In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify
5. Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows
6. Click OK and close regedit
7. Click Start > Run and type in: "%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a"
8. Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to
activate Windows, and then click Next
9. Re-activate your operating system

You are prompted to activate Windows every time you restart your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312295

Regards,
Anton Pegan

 

[Guest]

Anton,

I appreciate your help however these procedures didn't correct the problem.

Please note: your statement "You are prompted to activate Windows every time
you restart your computer" is correct. However, there is one twist --
although I can get the activation process to complete successly, I never
actually get into Windows. I'm always returned to the login screen. I can
only get into Windows SAFE mode.

Rob

 

[Anton Pegan]

Hi Rob,

What do you mean by: can get the activation process to complete successly?
Did you follow the steps for reseting the OOBTimer? Did the files copy and
register succesfully?

Regards,
Anton Pegan

 

[Guest]

The activation process completes with a message "You have successfully
activated Windows". I then click the Finish button which takes me back to
the login screen. I login and I'm told that I need to activate Windows. If
I try to activate Windows again, I get a message saying that "Windows is
already Activated" and I'm returned to the login screen.

I did try the steps for reseting the OOBTimer. It did tell me that the
authorization period had expired and I went through the telephone activation
process. This process also completed with a message saying that Windows
activation was successful. It then returned me to the login in screen. And,
again when logging in, I was told that I need to activate Windows.

btw: this morning I downloadeded a fresh CD image of WinXP Pro w/ SP2. I
installed it from scratch. Same results.

Possible something to do with the configuration of this PC? It does have
two NIC cards. The NIC onboard the motherboard appears to be bad. I
installed a NetGear NIC PCI to rectify the problem with the onboard NIC.

Rob