Re: "Genuine -Validation " issue

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

...After data recovery , I
told her to use the Dell CD to wipe PC/ get Windows back to the "way it
should be", then reinstall her apps, then run windowsupdate ( PC is ~5
years old so not sure if XP SP2 etc came with original image.)

That's probably her best bet. She may need to download/install SP2 manually before she'll be able to install any other Windows Updates. The following might come in handy, too:

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after you repair a Windows XP installation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

NB: Also applies to clean installs, upgrade installs, and Recovery installs.

You're welcome, Bobb, and thanks for your feedback. Best of luck to you & yours. Let us know how things work out, please.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

- Bobb - wrote:
as a general FYI .... bump in the road - From Msft website:
"The WGA Kit includes Service Pack 2 (SP2). You can also purchase a WGA
legalization kit. To do this, visit the following Web site, and then start
the validation process:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine
After you receive the notification that the validation is unsuccessful,
click Buy Now. "

Ahhhh, maybe that was once there ( I didn't see it until now) , but now
user gets to a screen that you can enter a 25 digit code, but "Buy Now" is
never an option. Once it fails, you either "try again" or XP logs user off
and back at login screen. So no chance to go to any website. And it's a
bit strange that the validation failure/check must be done on the PC that
NEEDS the license , since one cannot get to a desktop !

I think we're done here: I'll have her call msft directly.
Thanks for the help.

Also see Related Links section at bottom of
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/content.aspx.

It'd probably be best (and certainly less expensive, if not cost-free)
to reinstall Windows using the Dell (Recovery?) CD, Bobb.

Yeah, but she uses Quickbooks for a small business and it's not backed
up, so $100-200 - or whatever a license costs - isn't the problem ! She
did buy a USB drive a few months ago to back it up, but "never got
around to it" (it was still in blister pack !) After data recovery , I
told her to use the Dell CD to wipe PC/ get Windows back to the "way it
should be", then reinstall her apps, then run windowsupdate ( PC is ~5
years old so not sure if XP SP2 etc came with original image.)

Thanks for the pointers - I couldn't find the right terminology on msft
site - from your link, I can see what they now need is called :
"Windows Genuine Advantage Kit "
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932301
Cost either $99 (home) or $149 (pro)

Her husband came home and after interrogation he told me that he had
a
problem last year and a friend helped him 'get it going'.

Whatever the problem was, I'd bet he has similar problems again.
--
~PA Bear

- Bobb - wrote:
"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eZKM5DfoIHA.1420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Have your son-in-law's friend fix the problem.
--
~PA Bear

That's exactly how I left it last night. I drove there with "basic
stuff"
and not geared up for what the problem really turned out to be. " The
friend " is going there tomorrow.

But ... if he can't fix it - can she just call msft to get buy a
license
code to enter (have the "friend " pay the $$$ !) and then her drive is
instantly "usable" ? ( She needs the Quickbooks info by month end )

This is the first time I'd ever seen a license issue - is this
"normal"
that you cannot access anything on the hard drive ? ( Don't want to
start
another license thread - just an observation:) I could see how MSFT
would
have the right to not allow "windows to work", but no right to prevent
the
entire drive from being accessed ( getting access to non-msft data
files).


- Bobb - wrote:
Any pointers to details of "what gets hosed when it is disabled ?
How
to
recover - easily ?

Background:
I got a panic call today from family - they "updated XP " to see if
maybe
that's why she had IPOD problem - and now XP reports license error -
won't
boot. Once she ran updates and it prompted for 'XP License key', she
entered the Dell OEM "license key" on the box. Failed a few times
with
error message to call MSFT at ' phonenumber". She spent 45 minutes
with
MSFT, then an hour with Dell - they each said the other is the
problem.
Since she can't logon, remote support can't connect to "help her"-
she
called me. I brought another desktop PC and a spare disk drive. I
thought
worst case I'd restore XP to this spare - add her disk as second -
recover
her data to my drive, then wipe her original disk by reinstalling
with
XP
CD. BUT what I found: Disk Mgmt shows one partition on her "bad
drive"-
no
Dell partition ! Right-click on disk and "assign drive letter" not
an
option. While troubleshooting, I installed Norton Ghost on my box to
run
backup - I chose "entire drive" ( since no folders) and it shows the
image
file will be 0mb. ???

Her husband came home and after interrogation he told me that he had
a
problem last year and a friend helped him 'get it going'. I
suspect :
his friend wiped the drive, installed XP using HIS full version.
Friend
had / has registered that license on his PC already. MSFT shows -
already
used - sorry. I suspect I could do full reinstall using their Dell
XP
CD
but will those their data - quicken, lots of business docs etc ....
I
told
them it'll cost $100 to buy a copy of XP and even then that still
doesn't
recover their data - quickest way is to get a valid license. I put
the
drive back into the original PC and it boots to login screen and in
the
lower right there's a box that shows "requires validation". Click on
it
and get the "go online " or call MSFT " option screen ( that's what
she'd
done earlier.)

Questions now:
1. to get it going quickly, could they just call MSFT back and BUY a
license ?? ( Lots the cost of his friend "helping him" previously.)
What
does an XP Home license cost - anyone know ?

2. This issue 'did something' to the original hard drive to make it
unmountable/unreadable so can't assign a drive letter to it. What
exactly does it do - to make it boot XP yet show as 0mb in size ?

3. Genuine Validation... If I then reinstall using the Dell OEM XP
CD
back onto a drive in the Dell PC, does OEM XP ask for validation
updates
in the future - or once OEM license is it never an issue again ?

Thanks very much

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Genuine -Validation " issue
    ... If data Ok, then boot Dell CD. ... manually before she'll be able to install any other Windows Updates. ... NEEDS the license, since one cannot get to a desktop! ... I'll have her call msft directly. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: OEM Licensing
    ... Dell doesn't seem be to a very good choice for any future ... as long as you retain the WinXP license in ... Windows, but there is still no way to downgrade the installed ... CD and Product Key for the target OS. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.general)
  • Re: SPEAKERS
    ... warranty and at the request/supervision of dell tech support. ... it should never be necessary to reinstall ... Windows. ... do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: XP Activation
    ... > suddenly interested in preserving my full license to the ... >>One cannot transfer a Dell OEM version of Windows XP ... >>Windows XP in order to install and activate Windows XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: "Genuine -Validation " issue
    ... It'd probably be best to reinstall Windows using the Dell CD, Bobb. ... This is the first time I'd ever seen a license issue - is this "normal" ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)