Windows XP Home Activation problem after repair install

T

tbradford

This posting is more for general information, not a question, as I just
spend 3+ hours trying to find a fix for this and eventually had to get
creative on my own and find a new fix that wasn't listed anywhere that
I could find on Google groups.

Scenario:
1-Customer has a laptop with spyware/virus/OS corruption, to the point
where Explorer is unable to browse files. So, to get XP Home working to
the point where I can install spyware/virus removal tools, I perform a
repair install of windows XP home OEM
(http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI)

2-During the repair install process I attempt to activate windows
again, to no avail, and never get the telephone activation screen
option

3-After the repair install, I go to log into the user's profile, and
get the message "This copy of windows must be activated with microsoft
before you can log on."(more text follows, can't recall it all) with a
yes or no button for the question "Do you want to activate now?"

4-Click on yes, the desktop background of the user comes up, pauses for
a few seconds, and then falls back to the welcome / logon screen, and
the activation window never comes up.

Solutions tried:
Booting in safe mode, changing
hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows nt\current
version\wpaevents, and changing first bit.
Start->run->regsvr32.exe regwzc.dll
Start->run->regsvr32.exe licdll.dll
start->run->%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a (would not run in
safe mode)
Reboot and try activation from the welcome screen again

All to no avail.

Solution:
So simple it is incredibly annoying
Boot into safe mode.
Logon as administrator
Create a new user profile
Reboot into regular mode
Logon to new user profile
Activate (I had to via phone, even tho the NIC drivers were working)

Hope this helps someone, and saves them 3 hours.
 

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