Enter New key for winXP 1

[madonnac]

OK, i admit it - i got the devils own key..

Now I have brought a new licenced XPpro, i can't enter the new key - even though I try to alter a registry key to invalidate winXP [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\wpaevents] and re-run msoobe.exe /a - all this does is cause the hourglass to appear for a few seconds, then back to the normal cursor.

Any Ideas?

 

[destructa]

if you are trying to input a new key after previuosly trying to activate xp, you may have to re-install xp. I know someone who had a keygen and after he tried to activate with the key created by the keygen, it wouldn't accept the key, so he bought a copy of xp and it still didn't work. In the end he just installed xp over his existing installation and it worked fine. If it annoys Microsoft then it's worth doing, and doing well!!

 

[jeremybarker]

Did you choose to activate by phone? If you haven't done so, you will be given the option to change your product key then. Restart your computer then check to see if the product key has been registered. What did you alter in the registry key?

 

[mithrilhall]

Change Product Key without Reinstall:

1. Run regedit and go to: HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents, on the right double click on "oobetimer" and change at least one digit of this value to deactivate windows.

2. Choose run from start menu and type in this command:
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a to get the activation screen and go to the second option which is activate by phone.

3. In the new screen choose the option to change product key, and type in the new product key (Corporate one only).

4. Close that window, reboot your system and enter the command in step 2 for the second time to verify your activation , you should see "windows is already activated".
====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[madonnac]

I altered the key as shown in step 1 above this

When I run msoobe, I get nothing - no screen, no input box, nothing - that is where my problem lies

 

[mithrilhall]

You went to Start-->Run and ran this command:

%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a


And you got nothing? ====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[madonnac]

Yes, that's right

When I first installed winXP, I ran this to check the registration, and I got a screen telling me it was already registered, but now I get absolutly nothing

 

[mithrilhall]

I'm not sure you can get that to come back up after you got the screen telling you that it was registered.

There might be a registry hack to get the screen to come back up. I'll keep looking for you.

http://www.govital.net/~soz/changekey.htm

====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[mithrilhall]

Hmm....I think I found your problem.

Windows XP Devil's Own is a Corporate edition and the key you're trying to put in is a Professional edition. You'll have to get a Corporate licence number. ====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[madonnac]

I can't get to the place you put in a number!

 

[mithrilhall]

When I first installed winXP, I ran this to check the registration, and I got a screen telling me it was already registered, but now I get absolutly nothing

You stated that you got a message indicating that it was successfully installed. If so, why do you want to enter a new number? ====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[destructa]

If it is a corporate edition you don't need to activate it (that's the best thing about corporate edition!!), if you're being asked to activate it then it's probably not a corporate edition (i have installed corporate before for someone and just skipped the register option when it was first installed. It has never needed to be activated, or asked to be activated. (note if you use a key that is well know to microsoft it'll be deactivated if you install service pack 1 when it's available, but individual updates from the web won't affect it) If it annoys Microsoft then it's worth doing, and doing well!!

 

[madonnac]

because I used the "devils own" key to install it

now I have the proper licence key, I want to use that so that I won't get disabled when I install service pack 1

But, as you can see from the thread, when I run the msoobe program, it gives nothing - not even telling me it's already registered - just an hourglass as it runs something, and then back to the normal cursor.

It seems I may have to reinstall, and download all those updates again, unless you can reinstall with the right code and not have to reinstall everything else

 

[mithrilhall]

Looking into it for you. ====================================
I love people. They taste just like
chicken!

 

[mickyjune26]

if you reinstall right over the existing installation, without erasing the drive, doesn't it keep all the apps, drivers, AND updates? Maybe it's just the apps and drivers. I'm basing this on '98 and 2k experience, who knows about XP....

 

[Guest_imported]

You prob ran XPANTISPY util rerun it and reset defaults as it disables the OOBE then walk throught the steps above.

 

[madonnac]

Thankyou Kcdog97!!!

I had completely forgotten about this program!