RE: Valid product key fails/how to prevent setup from running

From: Darrell Gorter[MSFT] (Darrellg_at_online.microsoft.com)
Date: 07/13/04 

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 01:59:55 GMT

Hello Dean,
You ar etoo far into setup to really recover without a mis-match of any
number of files. The system currently has partially Windows XP Pro files
and partially Windows Media Center files. So the setup has probably
overwritten some of the Media Center files which means that the most you
would have to be Windows XP Pro, no longer Media Center that would work
properly.
The Windows XP Pro Upgrade cd should only take the Product key that is on
the side of the packaging that it shipped in.
It will not take the product key from the side of the machine or the Media
Center packaging.
What are you looking to get from the repair process?
In install of Windows XP Pro?
An Install of Windows Media Center? You will need to use the recovery cd
to get this back.
To recover files before doing the restore? At the Product Key prompt do a
shift -F10 to open a CMD prompt.
This should open a cmd prompt, and you may be able to copy files off in
this prompt.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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>Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
>From: "Dean Smetana" <djckj@bellsouth.net>
>Sender: "Dean Smetana" <djckj@bellsouth.net>
>Subject: Valid product key fails/how to prevent setup from running
>Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 05:00:32 -0700
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>Hello,
>
>We have an HP machine with XP Media Center that recently
>stopped booting up. It was in an infinite loop showing a
>screen about "machine not being properly shut down" that
>gave options to do a normal boot / safe mode / last good
>config / ... All options had the same result. My guess
>was corruption of some important XP files. Ran chkdsk /r
>and although it said it fixed some problems, the boot
>process got no further.
>
>Tried disconnecting CD/DVD drives, 8-1 card reader,
>diskette drive but no help. Put them all back.
>
>Had access to an XP Pro Upgrade CD and thought I could use
>it to repair any corruption. But when the setup gets to
>the prompt for the product key, none of the keys I have
>work: not the one on the packaging for the CD, not the one
>on the side of my HP machine, not the OEM key returned by
>BelArc advisor.
>
>Now I'm stuck in an infinite loop where the machine wants
>to run setup even if I go into safe mode or any of the
>other options.
>
>Any ideas why none of these product keys work? I've
>inspected very carefully for '8' vs 'B', '6' vs 'G', ...
>
>Any way to prevent setup.exe from starting any more? I'm
>thinking maybe the setup may have already done enough to
>fix the original (assumed) corruption. But it's probably
>not as simple as that.
>
>I can actually get to a point where I can run programs on
>the system: by leaving the setup CD out of the drive when
>booting and going through a series of pop-ups that are
>looking for certain installation files - until I get to a
>pop-up that has a 'Browse' button on it. With that I can
>navigate around my drive and run things like regedit, task
>manager, command prompt, ... Tried to run ntbackup.exe in
>an attempt to create an Auto-Recovery backup with
>diskette, but that fails - probably because I'm really
>running in the context of setup.exe.
>
>Thanks for any suggestions!
>
>Dean Smetana
>
>
>