XP Home activation problem - cannot complete activation

[Harley]

After changing motherboard, processor and memory and
installing new drivers I am prompted to activate Windows
before I am able to log on. When you click the YES button
to complete the activation, no activation screen appears.
Instead you are looped back to the same window. Any
suggestions before I pay for Microsoft support?

Thanks - Harley

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Until you've performed a repair installation, nothing is likely to
work correctly, you know.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM licenses are not
transferable to a new motherboard), unless your motherboard is
virtually identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS
version, etc.) to the one on which the other WinXP installation was
originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place
upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also require re-activation. If it's been more than 120
days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.


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