Windows XP Professional - Activation

[Gary]

Sometime ago I purchased a new PC in Taiwan that came
with a copy of WindowsXP Professional pre-loaded and
activated. I had been using this PC to carry out a
considerable amount of confidential company work, I have
since replaced the computer with a new machine. A month
ago my son visited me here in Taiwan and I gave him my
old PC, along with the software, to take back to the UK.
Upon arrival in the UK and at my request he re-formatted
the hard drive to remove all my companies sensitive
material. When he reloaded the XP software and tried to
activate it he was refused activation, the message stated
that the product was already registered to another user
(me). What can he do to get his PC up and running again.

 

[D.Currie]

Sometime ago I purchased a new PC in Taiwan that came
with a copy of WindowsXP Professional pre-loaded and
activated. I had been using this PC to carry out a
considerable amount of confidential company work, I have
since replaced the computer with a new machine. A month
ago my son visited me here in Taiwan and I gave him my
old PC, along with the software, to take back to the UK.
Upon arrival in the UK and at my request he re-formatted
the hard drive to remove all my companies sensitive
material. When he reloaded the XP software and tried to
activate it he was refused activation, the message stated
that the product was already registered to another user
(me). What can he do to get his PC up and running again.

Software isn't activated to a user, it's activated based on the PC hardware,
so if it's the same computer and the same CD key, it should have activated
fine. The option, if it doesn't activate online, is to activate on the
phone.