XP activation problem and a Q on how badly I'm getting screwed

Factual Questions
1

Okay, here’s the situation…

I have a server that I take to a client’s location to install some specialty software. I do it and everything is mostly happy, but the clients decide they want some changes that will result in a bunch of changes to the hardware. Now that I have my software all configured, I should be able to just transfer things to the new hardware configuration and everything should be fine.

Yeah, right.

Ignoring the fact that the new, larger case came with a bad power supply (but just bad enough to give me a CPU voltage problem causing me to first suspect, and order, a motherboard), and that a motherboard blew while someone else here was working on it, and the chunk of flesh missing from my left index finger, and the fact that it’s a fuckign miracle I haven’t just used this thing as a boat anchor yet…

I get all the hardware straightened out and boot to Windows.

Well, kind of.

Actually, I get to the screen telling me that it wants to activate Windows XP Pro.

Ok, I say, a little annoyed. Go ahead and do it.

I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.

What do you mean? The patch cable is plugged in!

I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.

Why not, Hal?

I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Dave.

So, I put some thought into the deal and it occurs to me - the machine is on the IP scheme from my client’s location. Therefore it’s not making it past my router.

I was planning on reinstalling XP anyways, but, naturally, the CD Key is with the client (so I wouldn’t lose it - hah!), and I, sadly, don’t have memorized the IP scheme of every single client I deal with.

So, to activate XP I need to change my IP address. To change my IP address I need to activate XP.

Anyone have any brilliant ideas besides my just waiting for my client to call with the CD Key and IP scheme?

-Joe, not actually named Dave

2

Changing your IP address will not help you. XP has discovered that it’s now on a completely different hardware configuration than the one it was first installed on, and it thinks “Aha - someone’s trying to pull a fast one on my masters at Microsoft by installing me on two different machines!” It won’t let you boot until you either a) call Microsoft on the phone with the CD Key and the number generated by the activation screen or b) re-install windows by booting from the CD (which also requires the CD key).

Good luck.

3

Yeah, I pretty well figured I was hosed. I just thought the brian trust here at the SDMB might have some idea I hadn’t come up with.

Well, sure this sucks, but at least it’s keeping down piracy and helping keep prices down!

What do you mean prices haven’t come down?

-Joe

4

Can you boot into safe mode and change the IP address that way? I know I’ve done that before… You’ll probably have to end up calling MS for this…

This is why people should figure out what they want before calling the computer guy… :smack:

5

You’ll need to call Microsoft, but surprisingly, it’s not too bad. Just get the CD key from the customer and call Microsoft. I’ve had to do this a few times and was surprised how little resistence they put up.

6

Quite frankly, I don’t trust anyone named Brian. :smiley:

I don’t think the IP has anything to do with it as the times I’ve activated XP, IP wasn’t questioned or known.

IIRC, the XP activation scheme looks at major items like the motherboard, video card and (if present) the ethernet card’s MAC. Change one - no problem. Change two items, well, maybe it won’t notice. Change three - get ready to call Redmond.

7

MS’ XP activation policy isn’t as facist as everyone makes it out to be. I can’t really blame them from wanting to stop ‘casual copying’ because it was rampant. I have never paid for Windows, copied it from work since 3.0 :D. Not especially proud of that, but there it is…

Anyway, I once spent three days fighting with my mom’s PC’s XP activation. It was a completely legit, OEM version of XP that comes installed on eMachines. But to keep costs down eMachine doesn’t give you an actual XP disc. Instead they give you a bootable System Restore CD, an image of your eMachine’s hard drive when its new. But I know that sometimes when you install software or hardware it will ask for your XP disc to complete the installation. So I copied a friend’s XP CD and gave it to her to use for this.

Well, she put it in one time, it auto-played, and she mistakenly reinstalled XP! No big deal I thought, except that now product activation refused to accept her product key.

So I called MS and gave them her key (its on a sticker right on the eMachine cases) and they were happy to give me a few new numbers to try. But none of them would work. I later figured out it was because they were (rightly) giving me OEM codes, but she had accidentally reinstalled the Retail version.

Being that I couldn’t find the System Restore CD I had no other options. I drove to WalMart at 2 in the morning and bought a copy of XP, BUT it was the only copy of XP Home on the shelf and it had no shrinkwrap (IOW somebody had opened it and probably written down the CD key). And sure enough when I tried to activate it, it said this code had been activated already!

In total frustration I called Microsoft and explained this to them and they just gave me a new product key (which did work this time) without any problem.

8

I had something like this with a new notebook; I booted it up for the first time and it wanted activation, I phoned MS, who asked me why I was trying to install my copy of XP on a different machine, I explained that it was a brand new machine, straight out of the box and they told me to contact the vendor. I contacted the vendor, who basically told me to call MS again and shout at them, which worked.

9

I had to re-activate Windows on a new computer twice within one week.

The first time was when I had to replace some bad RAM. The second time was because I swapped videocards with another computer. (I didn’t think Windows would care about the videocard - I was wrong.)

Both times the automatic activation over the internet failed. Both times I called MS and a [friendly/bored] tech gave me a new activation code.

I don’t think the IP address makes any difference, but you will need the CD key.

10

Even though it usually works (product activation that is) these annoying little problems are why I still use Windows 2000 (it doesn’t have PA).

That and because the XP GUI is totally gay… :smiley: