XP Pro OEM recent re-activation failures

David B. wrote:
> Did you even read my post before replying? I'll quote the relevant part,
> "Almost all of them have been running for years since their last
> activation"
>

With no hardware changes? Did they have the WGA tool installed?

Alias

WPA is designed to create hash key of the computer hardware so each time you
install XP, that hardware hash should be the same unless you changed a
component. Even the same model computer will create a unique hash because
of serial numbers in the CPU and disk drive serial numbers as well.
Supposedly no matter how many times you install XP (OEM or other non VL
version) on a computer it is supposed to activate just fne over the net
because of the harware hash anonymously identifying the computer. Kind of
like a finger print with no name attached.

Several times I had to build a bunch of computers at a time and lost track
of the key code I was on in my list. I mistakenly put the code on a second
computer and it took. I corrected the problem and put the right code on the
second computer and shortly aftrer had to rebuild the first and was forced
to call in. MS did whatever they did when I called in and now I can redo
that test computer as often as I want with the OEM verions on it. I have
not had to call back in since they updated their records on the phone.

If there is an issue at the time with the MS activation server you could get
denied and told to call in.....Or it could be what I have complained to MS
about before. That is their policy of forcing you to place your OEM tag on
the computer for anyone in the building to get a gander at. It could be
that you have an employee giving out your OEM numbers to friends and family
or just posting them on the Internet to stick it to the company.

I don't mind the activation part, but I really hate having to keep the code
on the computer for all the world to see because anyone working in the
building could rip you off.


"David B." <mail.RemoveThis@nomail.net> wrote in message
news:eG$Ns5a7IHA.1080@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Did you even read my post before replying? I'll quote the relevant part,
> "Almost all of them have been running for years since their last
> activation"
>
> --
>
> ----
> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>
>
>
> "farid" <faridansari.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uvhVv4Z7IHA.2332@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> If the reinstall is within 120 days you will be required to activate on
>> phone. Over 120 days its normal internet activation. This policy has been
>> in vogue since the beginning. Please check with your local Microsoft for
>> confirmation.
>> Cheers,
>> Farid
>>
>> "David B." <mail.RemoveThis@nomail.net> wrote in message
>> news:ue6blWZ7IHA.2416@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> We have a few hundred identical PC's we built for many clients back in
>>> 2004, on various occasions due to malware or general corruption we
>>> format and reload them. Up until a month ago they were reactivating just
>>> fine, now every one of them is requiring that I call in to get them
>>> activated. Almost all of them have been running for years since their
>>> last activation. These are XP Pro OEM licenses being reinstalled with a
>>> genuine OEM SP2 CD onto the original PC.
>>> Any ideas? Did MS change something in the activation scheme?
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> ----
>>> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>>> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

I doubt it's a stolen key issue, 3 different clients, 6 different PC's.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"Jordan" <me RemoveThis @here.com> wrote in message
news:%23RLs7pb7IHA.4548@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> WPA is designed to create hash key of the computer hardware so each time
> you install XP, that hardware hash should be the same unless you changed a
> component. Even the same model computer will create a unique hash because
> of serial numbers in the CPU and disk drive serial numbers as well.
> Supposedly no matter how many times you install XP (OEM or other non VL
> version) on a computer it is supposed to activate just fne over the net
> because of the harware hash anonymously identifying the computer. Kind of
> like a finger print with no name attached.
>
> Several times I had to build a bunch of computers at a time and lost track
> of the key code I was on in my list. I mistakenly put the code on a
> second computer and it took. I corrected the problem and put the right
> code on the second computer and shortly aftrer had to rebuild the first
> and was forced to call in. MS did whatever they did when I called in and
> now I can redo that test computer as often as I want with the OEM verions
> on it. I have not had to call back in since they updated their records on
> the phone.
>
> If there is an issue at the time with the MS activation server you could
> get denied and told to call in.....Or it could be what I have complained
> to MS about before. That is their policy of forcing you to place your OEM
> tag on the computer for anyone in the building to get a gander at. It
> could be that you have an employee giving out your OEM numbers to friends
> and family or just posting them on the Internet to stick it to the
> company.
>
> I don't mind the activation part, but I really hate having to keep the
> code on the computer for all the world to see because anyone working in
> the building could rip you off.
>
>
> "David B." <mail RemoveThis @nomail.net> wrote in message
> news:eG$Ns5a7IHA.1080@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Did you even read my post before replying? I'll quote the relevant part,
>> "Almost all of them have been running for years since their last
>> activation"
>>
>> --
>>
>> ----
>> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>
>>
>>
>> "farid" <faridansari RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:uvhVv4Z7IHA.2332@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> If the reinstall is within 120 days you will be required to activate on
>>> phone. Over 120 days its normal internet activation. This policy has
>>> been in vogue since the beginning. Please check with your local
>>> Microsoft for confirmation.
>>> Cheers,
>>> Farid
>>>
>>> "David B." <mail RemoveThis @nomail.net> wrote in message
>>> news:ue6blWZ7IHA.2416@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> We have a few hundred identical PC's we built for many clients back in
>>>> 2004, on various occasions due to malware or general corruption we
>>>> format and reload them. Up until a month ago they were reactivating
>>>> just fine, now every one of them is requiring that I call in to get
>>>> them activated. Almost all of them have been running for years since
>>>> their last activation. These are XP Pro OEM licenses being reinstalled
>>>> with a genuine OEM SP2 CD onto the original PC.
>>>> Any ideas? Did MS change something in the activation scheme?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> ----
>>>> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>>>> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

Klaus Jorgensen wrote:
> Alias formulated the question :
>> Malke wrote:
>>> Yes. MS changed the activation requirements for generic OEM installs
>>> quite a while ago.
>>
>> How long ago? I reinstalled an OEM XP Pro back in late May and it
>> activated on line with no problems. Can you provide documentation?
>>
>
> It applies to preactivated OEM installations only:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078.aspx
>
> Installations from a Microsoft OEM CD should not be affected by this.
>

I was confused because Malke wrote "generic OEM installs", not "pre
activated OEM installs".

Alias

I think you read something into my post that wasn't there, the issue is not
that they won't activate it.

--

----
Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375



"Jordan" <me.RemoveThis@here.com> wrote in message
news:u$79xld7IHA.1592@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> They should not be telling you that you can only activate a certain amount
> of times especially in this virus infested world. Most of my fellow
> employee's kids are downloading viruses and spyware left and right and if
> I don't have the spare time to give them a hand they have to blow away
> their computer and start from scratch. Not all of them have pre-activated
> recovery disks like Dell's and that would be a royal screw over if they
> are only able to re-install twice or something.
>
> The whole point of WPA was so they could detect that you are installing on
> the exact same computer as before. If they changed the activation system
> to only allow you to install your OEM copy on the same hardware just once
> even though they know it is the same hardware that would mean if you got a
> serious virus you would have to throw out your copy of Windows if you get
> a serious virus. That is complete BS if they are trying to tell you that
> or even if they now have a system that hounds you when you install it on
> the same PC.
>
> You tell them there is no way you will tolerate that and badger the
> operator into activating your legit copy even if you have to go to the
> managers. Enough complaints will get them to stop that BS.
>
>
>
> "David B." <mail.RemoveThis@nomail.net> wrote in message
> news:ebZ0t5c7IHA.616@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>
>> Guess I'll have to, I asked the first person I talked to when I called to
>> activate, it apparently confused her because she hung up on me, second
>> person gave me the canned response, you can only activate a certain
>> amount of times, bla bla bla, didn't really expect them to have a clue.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> ----
>> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>
>>
>>
>> "Carey Frisch [MVP]" <cnfrisch.RemoveThis@nospamgmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:e9luRwc7IHA.616@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> Please contact Microsoft support directly:
>>> https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=9860
>>>
>>> --
>>> Carey Frisch
>>> Microsoft MVP
>>> Windows Desktop Experience -
>>> Windows Vista Enthusiast
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> "David B." <mail.RemoveThis@nomail.net> wrote in message
>>> news:ue6blWZ7IHA.2416@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> We have a few hundred identical PC's we built for many clients back in
>>> 2004,
>>> on various occasions due to malware or general corruption we format and
>>> reload them. Up until a month ago they were reactivating just fine, now
>>> every one of them is requiring that I call in to get them activated.
>>> Almost
>>> all of them have been running for years since their last activation.
>>> These
>>> are XP Pro OEM licenses being reinstalled with a genuine OEM SP2 CD onto
>>> the
>>> original PC.
>>> Any ideas? Did MS change something in the activation scheme?
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> ----
>>> Crosspost, do not multipost http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>>> How to ask a question http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

In 2030 Microsoft will be releasing a patch so that activation won't be
necessary and they can find other ways to keep their activation servers
busy. I guess by that time you will be using some other operating
system or you may be dead.

Good luck in your finding a solution to your immediate problem!



David B. wrote:

> We have a few hundred identical PC's we built for many clients back in
> 2004, on various occasions due to malware or general corruption we
> format and reload them. Up until a month ago they were reactivating
> just fine, now every one of them is requiring that I call in to get
> them activated. Almost all of them have been running for years since
> their last activation. These are XP Pro OEM licenses being reinstalled
> with a genuine OEM SP2 CD onto the original PC.
> Any ideas? Did MS change something in the activation scheme?
>