Trouble with XP Validation, need to make legit?!?

[markjs]

I got this new client who I have done some work for and one thing I did was put a PCI 2.0 card in. It ended up taking service pack 2 of course, and I found it odd that all updating was disabled. Well it took SP2 and SP3 just fine, but when I went to Windows Update it just tries to validate Windows and says that the key was not issued by Microsoft and tells me it's $150 for a key. The really odd thing is that I turned automatic updates on and it seemed to have gotten IE7 that way which should not happen on a non legit machine and the machine gives me no message about being non-legit. I begin to wonder if it is already legit but somehow the thing fails validation.

In any case I tried two different key changers to no avail, (I have a legit key to use) and I am kind of stumped. The only alternative is to completely reinstall XP and that would cost her a lot more money that she cannot really afford. I do need to try and get this thing worked out ASAP though so any help will be much appreciated.

 

[plonk420]

call microsoft if it's legit... (possibly the computer manufacturer)

 

[markjs]

No see it's on old HP that came with ME and someone upgraded to XP Pro.

I can try calling them tommorrow and it is a good thought, but I have a feeling they are going to be stumped too.

 

[plonk420]

you should be able to call MS. i activated (an OEM (Newegg)) Vista that deactivated itself after a hardware change at 2am. i was able to use the automated system, tho. a key is a key is a key as far as MS is concerned.

edit: also make sure you change the key back to whatever the original legit key was before you call...

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: markjs
it's on old HP that came with ME and someone upgraded to XP Pro.

Ask "someone" if it's legit.
If remnants of ME are still on the drive, I'd recommend doing a clean install with a WinXP-SP3 install disc.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: markjs
The only alternative is to completely reinstall XP and that would cost her a lot more money that she cannot really afford. I do need to try and get this thing worked out ASAP though so any help will be much appreciated.

Most likely, somebody installed a "patch" to allow a non-legitimate version of XP to run, or used a volume-licensed copy with a stolen key.

The cheapest way out of this is to pay MS the $150 and have them take responsibility for the conversion process.

If you believe that the current software and key are legitimate, then MS has an online forum where you can get help with Activation issues. But the time you'll spend troubleshooting the problem will probably cost her more than the $150.

 

[plonk420]

so the default is to assume XP with warnings are pirated? Wikipedia says that somewhere between 1% and 20% of WGA warnings are false. 1% is 5 million alone.

i'll have to ask my friend what he does, as he does a lot of "computer repair" on the side...

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: plonk420
so the default is to assume XP with warnings are pirated? Wikipedia says that somewhere between 1% and 20% of WGA warnings are false.

Citing sources that do not cite their own source except to say "according to Microsoft data" without any links that could allow one to confirm this alleged 'Microsoft data' (e.g. Arstechnica). Since Microsoft is the only one with the numbers, and Microsoft says its less than 1%, nobody is really in a position to dispute it.

And yes, I've seen false positives, but I've seen 20x as many true positives. So as a default assumption, its a fairly good one.

The problem thus far is that he is dealing with an installation of unknown origin or legitimacy. We don't know why Windows failed WGA, which could be for any number of reasons, including but not limited to, the previous tech using install media that is not correct for the product key he is now attempting to use.

If he cannot verify what the previous tech did, what is Microsoft supposed to do about it? If you are working on a Toyota that some previous mechanic screwed up, is Toyota supposed to dispatch someone to tell you what is wrong and how to fix it?

 

[RebateMonger]

I've only seen one false-positive since XP was released. But it's not like I see thousands of PCs. Only a couple of hundred PCs.

The false-postive was on my own desktop PC with MS Action Pack XP installed. A reboot fixed the problem. And I had one WGA failure on MS Office 2007, again with an Action Pack license Key. That one was fixed by a quick Google search.

On the other hand, I've seen several PCs that failed WGA and had obviously been tampered with. XP Professional is a big warning sign, since most pirated software Windows seems to be centered around XP Pro.

Anyway, if it's a false postive, Microsoft does offer free assistance to fix the problem. But somebody has to sit at the PC and troubleshoot the problem. If they get paid for their time, then that can be pricey.

 

[bruceb]

Start here:

http://www.microsoft.com/genui...4238-a26f-aba0b8e36cc9

If need be, after you run the tool, you can post at the proper MS Windows WGA forum, where MS will help fix the issues.

http://social.microsoft.com/Fo...n-US/category/genuine/