Win XP Activated saying Not Activated

johnny

New Member
I have a computer with Windows XP Home edition OEM. Its a legit copy of Windows. I've installed this version on one computer. However, its been over 30 days and now I am getting a error message when it boots up saying its not activated, when it is activated. When I choose to activate it gives me the activation screen and says "Windows is Activated".

Is there anyway I could get by this or am I screwed and have to reformat with a illegal copy of XP like one of the old computers I have at home?
 

PC eye

banned
First of all pat attention to the forum rules seen at http://www.computerforum.com/off-topic-chat/announcements.html when starting a new thread about just what subjects can't be discuseed in any form!

As far as coming up with the continual activation prompts the activation screen provides a toll free number to call MS and if you should get a live operator explain what you are seeing to have them have you type in a command and read off the several sets of digits where they will provide a new set to type in for reactivation. That will see the copy validated through them there.
 

johnny

New Member
I havent been here in so long I guess I forgot the rule of the forum. But in my defence I'm not really discussing it, I'm just saying is there another option that I really have here other then using that copy you know they dont sell XP anymore.

I chose to activated over the internet. It activated and so far it was working fine, updates and everything. Now its been over 30 days. And I get a message box telling me to activate, when I click yes it tells me its activated. I dont see any other screen at all.
 
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Geoff

VIP Member
What happens when you try to activate over the phone, does it say the same thing or does it give you a place to type in an activation code?
 

johnny

New Member
It doesnt give me that option. Once the PC loads up, I guess to the log in screen and tell me Windows needs to be activated. I click Yes, and it opens a window and says Windows is Activated. So I don't get the option to activate over the phone.
 

PC eye

banned
You should see the option to activate by phone as well as the activate now online above that. The MS page going into detail and providing instructions for activation can be seen at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307890

"How to activate Windows XP by phone

To contact a Microsoft customer service representative to activate Windows by phone, follow these steps:
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Activate Windows.

Or, click the Windows Activation icon in the notification area.
Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to active Windows now.
Click Read the Windows Product Activation Privacy Statement, click Back, and then click Next.
Follow the steps in the Activate Windows by phone dialog box, and then click Next.

Note The number appears now and differs based on the location that you select.
When activation is completed and you receive the following message, click OK.

You have successfully activated your copy of Windows. "
 

johnny

New Member
Like I said before I do not have the option.

I'm just going to reformat, however being a IBM computer its not letting me. I cant get it to boot from disk, into safe mode nor into the BIOS. Any suggestions?
 

johnny

New Member
Right now I cant even get into safe mode. Thats a good tittle tidbit but its useless for me at this point.
 

Hugh9191

New Member
You say its not booting from CD...

Have you told it to boot from CD, when you power it up it should say something along the lines of press F* to see boot menu. This would usually be F12.

Alternatively go into the bios and change it there.

You say it won't let you into the bios though. Do you have a USB keyboard?
 

johnny

New Member
You say its not booting from CD...

Have you told it to boot from CD, when you power it up it should say something along the lines of press F* to see boot menu. This would usually be F12.

Alternatively go into the bios and change it there.

You say it won't let you into the bios though. Do you have a USB keyboard?

The last time I formated I set it to boot in this sequence: D > A > C (A or D might be reversed but I know that C is the last). When I power it up, I get IBM logo. Tells me system is starting up, press enter to interput normal startup. The keyboard is a new PS/2 type. This is the first time I'm getting this problem. Just to add, they keyboard seems to be dead up until the log in menu. If I do get into the menu where I can choose to boot from safe mode, normal, comand promt etc... I cannot move the highlighted box up/down.
 
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Hugh9191

New Member
So you cant do the press enter to interupt boot then?

It might be worth trying another keyboard coz it could be that the motherboard doesn't support the keyboard so you cant use it til windows is up.

Have you changed your keyboard since you formatted?
 

johnny

New Member
So you cant do the press enter to interupt boot then?

It might be worth trying another keyboard coz it could be that the motherboard doesn't support the keyboard so you cant use it til windows is up.

Have you changed your keyboard since you formatted?

I cannot interupt the boot. I was able to interupt it once but pushing F12, and got to the boot screen where it gave me the option to boot from removeable drive, floppy, optical drive and hard drive. Again, I could not choose any of those options and I cant even get to that option again.

Personally, I'm not the one who really uses this computer. Since the last time I formatted, I have not changed the keyboard. I dont know if it has been changed prior to me changing it today to a new one.

I dont think that the motherboard would not support the keyboard becuase I even tried the keyboard that I used when I formatted.

I've tried 2 other keyboards today. Right now I'm thinking on trying a USB keyboard. I know the USB keyboard is a long shot, but maybe just maybe it might work?
 
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Hugh9191

New Member
yeh, its defo worth a shot if you have one. However if you have managed to get to that menu once before using that keyboard Im not sure.

But yes, try a usb one.
 

tremmor

Well-Known Member
if he has a legit key and even calling microsoft then he needs to do a low level format. your wasting to much time. and you will do this anyway in the end.
 

PC eye

banned
I'm starting to think besides the keyboard problem you may be running into some preactivation code problem if anything is left over from the original preinstalled OS on the drive. When buying a new separate OEM XP disk you needed wipe the original data off of the drive entirely and not simply install onto the original primary.

That would see a fresh drive and primary to work with. I have to agree with tremmor on a need for a good wipe and clean install since something is clashing between the original and OEM installation there to be running into this type of problem.
 

johnny

New Member
yeh, its defo worth a shot if you have one. However if you have managed to get to that menu once before using that keyboard Im not sure.

But yes, try a usb one.

I took a quick trip down to Office Depot and picked up a Microsoft Digital Media 3000 Keyboard, which has USB connection. I plugged it it and I could tell right away from seeing the Num Lock LED come on that it was working. I was able to get into safe mode. I was also able to press F12 and select which device I wanted to boot from. However, I do think the BIOS firmware has been upgraded because its way different then the last time I was in there. I did run into a problem when trying to install the OS, at the License Agreement screen where it tells you to push F8 if you agree, well the keyboard has a on/off button for the "F" keys (first time Ive seen a keyboard with a on/off button for the "F" keys) and I just had to turn that on and then it was smooth sailing. So I'm just going to return the keyboard sometime tomorrow and hopefully the next I wont run into this problem and if I do I just buy another keyboard and use it, or hopefully I wont have to reformat for a while.


if he has a legit key and even calling microsoft then he needs to do a low level format. your wasting to much time. and you will do this anyway in the end.

I got it to format and choose to activate later. I'm gonna choose activate by phone and call Microsoft and activate with them.

I'm starting to think besides the keyboard problem you may be running into some preactivation code problem if anything is left over from the original preinstalled OS on the drive. When buying a new separate OEM XP disk you needed wipe the original data off of the drive entirely and not simply install onto the original primary.

That would see a fresh drive and primary to work with. I have to agree with tremmor on a need for a good wipe and clean install since something is clashing between the original and OEM installation there to be running into this type of problem.

I think there might be a conflict somewhere with the keyboard and the motherboard. I also think there might be some preactivate/activation error that I've run into without knowing it.
 

PC eye

banned
I kind of thought this might be the problem if you left the recovery partition and other things intact but simply went ahead and installed Windows without even reformatting the current primary. That's the problem with preinstalls bonded to the one machine plus seeing certail specific serial number and product information hidden away right on the primary itself.

If you were working with a partitioning tool like Partition Magic, GParted, or another tool being looked into you would have already deleted everything off of the drive to see a brand new single primary created for a fresh clean install and no problems like this popping up out of nowhere!

With a separate full install disk you would then see Windows activated online as seen as you were sure Windows was running good and not rushing to activate finding out you saw a bad install needing to go through it all over again. Once you have the drive cleaned off and see a good install then proceed to see Windows activated.
 
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