XP Pro OEM recent re-activation failures

[Ken Blake, MVP]

That said, what method are you using to reinstall? I generally find that an
image taken with Acronis/DriveImage etc. after activation will not need
re-activation when it is reloaded. The best arrangement here is split the
disk into two partitions, and image to the second. This allows for a much
quicker restore than from CD/DVD.

You say "the best arrangement," but I strenuously disagree. It is the
single worst and weakest form of backup there is. It is better than no
backup at all, but just barely. It leaves you susceptible to
simultaneous loss of the original and backup to many of the most
common dangers: user errors, severe power glitches, nearby lightning
strikes, virus attacks, even theft of the computer. Real backup needs
to be on media stored externally to the computer.

 

[David B.]

That's what I was thinking as I noticed it seemed to start around the time I
started using an SP3 slipstreamed OEM CD, but I just did 2 clean re-installs
Friday using the original SP2 disk with the same results. As most of these
boxes get wiped and reloaded only every 2-4 years I don't believe it's worth
the effort creating a recovery partition.

 

[David B.]

As I figured I'm getting nowhere with MS support. emailing with some guy
named Jay Yan, and not surprisingly he can't grasp what I'm trying to tell
him, twice I got the reply of "you can activate by phone" to which I replied
I am aware of that and that is what I have been doing, but that is not what
my question is about. Got an email this morning saying thanks, my case is
resolved and closed, yeah, great support.

 

[Jordan]

Yeah,

One of the changes in SP3 is that the CD key from release, SP1, and SP1a
will not work with that CD. You have to slipstream SP3 (or is it SP2c) into
a Pre-SP2 disk which is a hassle. Also, SP2 and SP2c are not
interchangeable either so if you like to install the latest SP from the get
go on your stations that you need to reformat you have to keep a
slipstreamed copy of at least 3 different disks.

1a slipped to SP(Latest) for 1a or less
SP2 slipped to SP(Latest) for SP2 only
SP2c/SP3

Your CD key needs to match the PID in the setupp.ini on the disk/install
source or else you key won't work.

I use RIS server and AD GPs to install my blank PCs to about 95-100% and the
most annoying part is always the difficulty of activation. Don't get me
wrong, I don't mind activating, but it is some of the needless hassles that
they incorporate into the activation process that drives me nuts like things
with the latest Media Player. I use WSUS to update my computer and there
are some I don't allow to access the internet. I fully install update and
activate fine with RIS and WSUS but when I try to use Media Player on these
computers it says not genuine even though they are, but they just can't get
out to the Internet.

My most recent ordeal was installing the unit and activating, then putting
in group with no internet access. Then a month later I could not use Media
Player after updating to 10 or 11 or something so I had to remove and
manually reinstall after giving computers Internet access. The Office SP3
comes out and I have to give temp access again to all the computers that I
don't want on the Internet.

I hate using all these tools that are designed by MS to help me manage with
Zero Touch methods, but then they are the only ones interfering with my Zero
Touch methods.

 

[David B.]

See my previous post, I have already ruled out it being an SP3 issue.