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Same hardware changes, vista required reactivation, xp did not.

B

BehindEnemyLines

Senior member
Hardware changes that led to re-activation in Vista.

1. Both OS are activated after all drivers are installed properly.
2. Two months before hardware change, a stick of memory was added.
3. Needed to install a 2nd tv tuner, but this required pci sound card removed.
4. Booted XP, uninstall sound card drivers.
5. Shutdown. Removed sound card.
5. Enable on-board sound card from BIOS. Booted XP, installed the on-board drivers. No re-activation so far.
6. Shutdown and insert in 2nd tv tuner.
7. Boot XP & install drivers. No re-activation required. Works great.

Repeat 1 - 6 for Vista:
7. Boot Vista. Got greeted with a not genuine error and activation is needed (tv tuner drivers not installed yet).
8. No problem. Click on activate online via my broadband connection, but got a message that product key is already used. Hmm, that key was only installed on that computer.
9. Okay. Used the phone activation. No good. Got transfer to someone.
10. Explained new hardware was installed and the OS is from MSDNAA.
11. He gave me the activation code. Very easy to listen. And everything is okay now. Took about 5-7 minutes total via the phone.

Just wondering why XP didn't require re-activation but Vista did. Is the algorithm for hardware changes different?
 
what is MSDNAA? That's probably your answer right there...the product ID of the install may inherantly be locked to 1 system unless you call.
 
I am not sure if the product key encodes for MSDNAA type (versus OEM, Retail, and Corporate). As far as I can tell, a MSDNAA product key is "like" a retail key. Please correct if I am wrong. They're installed on a computer used mainly for engineering programs and programming.

Should mention that XP and Vista are both from MSDNAA.
 
well, I just read up on MSDNAA but anyhow it sounds like the products ID (not the key which is totally different) is an OEM ID and will lock you out. There are ways around that, but if you could just call and get it fixed up it shouldn't be a big deal.

I'm just guessing at the possible cause.
 
i have 6 copies of xp from msdnaa, only use one and have had to reactivate it like 7 times lol, had to do it over the phone for 5 of the 7 times... no big deal tho as it only took 5 mins to do.

ive just installed the vista business verson and and getting it all setup before i activate the thing. tho i dont see why it should be such a problem.
 
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