Re: 70 yr old needs help - reactivating XP

Daave

Many thanks, please see my latest post

regards - Tony Evans

"Daave" wrote:

I believe that if your PC utilizes SLP and you are running the 32-bit
version of XP Pro, you need to enter the following key:

MVF4D-W774K-MC4VM-QY6XY-R38TB

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Locked_Preinstallation

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx


"Anthont" <Anthont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6AFA7B7E-38E8-4B0F-A055-826D0EC234DA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
John,

Thanks to you, and everyone, for the advice given. As I said I am not
computer-wise, but did go through the procedure as you suggested.
Everything
went well until a pop-up stated - "Incorrect product key" / "The
product
key below was mistyped, please correct it and Retry"
There is a product key field which is empty. When I go to fill the
field,
with the product key from the bottom of the computer, I cannot input
certain
letters/numbers, eg: A,E,I/1,5,0. These are available when using
Notepad or
Google, but not for this function.
Again I would be grateful for any further advice, but in the first
instance
I am now going to return the computer to the "Guru", as I have paid
him £35,
for his services. This afternoon I am taking the wife to Wales, to
visit her
sister (oh boy!) and should return on Thursday. I will let you know
on any
further progress - thanks again

Tony Evans

"John Barnett MVP" wrote:

Tony,

You do not need to 'type' in an activation code unless you have to
telephone
Microsoft and they tell you what the number is, it certainly isn't on
the
bottom of your computer.

What 'is' on the bottom of your computer is your 'product code' for
the
operating system and you only use this when installing XP. You have
already
said that you 'took it to the local "Guru" who done it for me.' so he
typed
in the product code number when he installed XP.

To activate XP all you have to do is click the activation button
(usually in
the system tray. it usually say's 'you have xx days left' Make sure
you are
logged onto the internet before you click this button and then follow
the
online instructions. Activation online shouldn't take no more than a
minute
at the most, probably less than that and you don't have to type in
any
numbers; as I've said, the only time you need to type in activation
codes is
when you activate via the telephone.


--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurferguide.org

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"Anthont" <Anthont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:E4475466-4BD6-459F-A8AB-506B46B96C1E@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wife and I are going to the States for 50th wedding aniversary. We
are
going
to drive from Los Angeles to Washington. We intend to take a old
IBM
laptop
and use it to download videos onto. Trouble was that it was rather
full of
programs which, although I deleted as many as I could, did not give
enough
space on the hard disk. The original XP operating system is held in
a
hidden
sector on the hard disk but I didn't know how to get to it. What I
wanted
to
do was to format the disk and then reinstall the OS. However I
couldn't do
it
so I took it to the local "Guru" who done it for me.

When I switched it on I was asked to "actviate" the software. When
I went
to
input the activation code, which is on the bottom of the computer,
it
would
not take it. Specifically I could not input the letter "O" or the
number
"O"
(zero). I can input these in other programs, eg: Wordpad , etc, but
they
just
do not appear when I try to input them into the activation wizard.

Not being sufficiently computer wise, I am asking help from any of
Knowledge Army that supports this forum and would appreciate any
suggestions.


Many thanks - Tony Evans (England)





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