Please Help! Windows activation question

[jwhicks727]

I installed a update via Windows Update a week ago, and it is requiring me to reactivate windows. Every time I've restarted in the last week, it pops up a window that says "This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log on. Do you want to activate Windows now?" If I click No, it restarts Windows and displays the same thing again. If I click yes, it pops up Windows Activation and says "Windows has already been activated." The only option from here is "Ok," and when I click that it just starts the whole process over again. I can't access Windows obviously, but I can get into BIOS.

I've tried reinstalling Windows from CD, but the disc won't boot to Windows Setup, but rather only gives me the option to "Start Windows Normally," which initiates the same sequence described above. I'm at a loss, can someone please help??? I'm willing to solve this by wiping the hard drive, but I don't know how to do that. Is it possible from BIOS?

 

[mechBgon]

You can wipe the hard drive with DBAN, that'll do the job. But if your system won't start Windows Setup from CD-ROM, then that isn't likely to change after DBAN. So maybe start with that problem.

 

[jwhicks727]

Update: I've successfully entered Windows Setup, and am attempting to reinstall Windows. Will this get me back to the "Original" Windows, with no downloaded updates?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: jwhicks727
Update: I've successfully entered Windows Setup, and am attempting to reinstall Windows. Will this get me back to the "Original" Windows, with no downloaded updates?

Yeah. Do you have a router providing firewall protection for your raw Windows installation until you can get it patched?

 

[RebateMonger]

Microsoft would probably give you free support over this problem and stay with you until it gets fixed. Assuming your copy of Windows is "Genuine".

 

[elendil850]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Microsoft would probably give you free support over this problem and stay with you until it gets fixed. Assuming your copy of Windows is "Genuine".

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

I'm a tech for a small compouter business, and once we had to replace a motherboard in a Dell and when we called MS to reactivate the box, they stupid computer system told us that the copy of Windows was "invalid" even though the sticker was on the box since the day it was built!

Called MS and talked to 4-6 different people, and continued to get the runaround, eventually had to load XP PRO on the system instead of the Home version which it came with, and that seemed to solve the problem.

This same problem has happened to us twice now, which is a real pain in the butt to deal with.

Usually MS has really good tech support though.

 

[DBSX]

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

I'm a tech for a small compouter business, and once we had to replace a motherboard in a Dell and when we called MS to reactivate the box, they stupid computer system told us that the copy of Windows was "invalid" even though the sticker was on the box since the day it was built!

Called MS and talked to 4-6 different people, and continued to get the runaround, eventually had to load XP PRO on the system instead of the Home version which it came with, and that seemed to solve the problem.

This same problem has happened to us twice now, which is a real pain in the butt to deal with.

Usually MS has really good tech support though.

MS was right to deny activation (based on the EULA). Unless you replaced the motherboard with an identical one, the EULA states that the Dell motherboard is what the Windows lisence is tied to. New motherboard = new computer = invalid Dell key. That's one of the main reasons I don't like OEM machines with OEM Windows.

\Dan

 

[Varun]

Originally posted by: DBSX

MS was right to deny activation (based on the EULA). Unless you replaced the motherboard with an identical one, the EULA states that the Dell motherboard is what the Windows lisence is tied to. New motherboard = new computer = invalid Dell key. That's one of the main reasons I don't like OEM machines with OEM Windows.

\Dan

If the motherboard is replaced due to failure then you don't need a new copy of XP.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Varun
If the motherboard is replaced due to failure then you don't need a new copy of XP.

The particular motherboard mentioned was a Dell. If you purchase a Dell with OEM XP, your license agreement and support is from with Dell. And Dell won't support a PC that has a non-Dell motherboard installed. Hence, Microsoft won't activate it.