1. #1
    Bloodsail Admiral Orodoth's Avatar
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    windows xp validation problems

    I have an acer laptop I got for free (broke screen). Had windows vista on it, but the lady who gave it to me didn't provide me with a password for the admin account, making vista even more worthless to me than ever. So I downgraded to a copy of Xp pro I had. I currently have 2 copies, one from an HP laptop that was scrapped, and one from a Gateway laptop that was scraped. I installed the HP copy of windows xp pro and couldn't get the cd key to validate, so I tried it again today now with the gateway copy. Neither will validate. I've tried to activate over the phone, went to the various Microsoft websites, downloaded the tools they provide, got keyfinding programs and check and double check my keys are good. I've ran the online tool that configures pc setting (on the Microsoft website) and gotten the green light on everything but product key validation... I'm at a loss here. Has anyone else ran into the problem and resolved it? Is there a program I can get that will legally patch something over here and make them compatible, or what? Thank you for any help you guys can provide.

    No, I do not wish to, nor have the funds to go out and buy a fresh copy of any version of windows.
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  2. #2
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    Administrator passwords on Windows are purely a cosmetic feature. They can be easily removed with certain boot CD's. However, that's too late now When you called them, didn't you get put through with some guy from Microsoft? It should put you through on a failed validation.

    What's most likely the case, is that the CD keys were bound to certain hardware. This can be changed once every <x> months, however Microsoft needs to validate that. That's why you call them

  3. #3
    Bloodsail Admiral Orodoth's Avatar
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    sweet, I'll give them a call and HOPEFULLY not get a machine this time lol. (and hope my cell phone signal is good, cause I can never understand the Indian accents over the phone, no offense to anyone reading this)

    Oh, and I tried the whole using boot CDs thing. Ended up with several, and none of them worked. I'm usually better with hardware than software, which is why this has been stumping me.
    If you love / enjoy WoW in its current state, don't bother with my signature...with all due respect, its not for you. (note: I am happy and respectful though, of your enthrallment with WoW... if not a little envious!)
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  4. #4
    With newer versions of Windows, OEM copies (like the HP and Gateway copies) are usually tied to an OEM BIOS - meaning unless your new laptop has a HP or Gateway BIOS (and it wont, given that its an Acer :P) Windows will not automatically activate. Not sure if XP worked this way, though.

    If you call up MS and explain that you are using a copy from an old, dead machine, they may give you an activation key for the Acer. Then again, they may not because OEM keys are meant to be tied to one machine only.

    If they do give you a key, the first thing you will want to do once its all activated is take an image of your laptop with Ghost or something, so if you ever need to reinstall you wont need to jump through the product activation hoops again.

  5. #5
    Dreadlord Kyocere's Avatar
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    The keys you have are for the specific manufacturer. As Mage said, they are most likely bound to pieces of hardware stamped with the Gateway and HP name. You could also remedy the situation by getting an HP or Gateway specific Windows XP cd and using the key for it.

  6. #6
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    It's extremely simple. Both your old computers had OEM Windows versions which allow activation only on the computer they were installed on. It's really that simple. Your product key will not validate. You got one key for that specific HP laptop and one for that Gateway laptop and they will not work on your Acer since they are OEM

  7. #7
    Dreadlord Kyocere's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jacekbn View Post
    It's extremely simple. Both your old computers had OEM Windows versions which allow activation only on the computer they were installed on. It's really that simple. Your product key will not validate. You got one key for that specific HP laptop and one for that Gateway laptop and they will not work on your Acer since they are OEM
    They will work with the correct OEM branded disks. I have done it at work a few times. A few Dells that think they are HP.

  8. #8
    Whisper to: OP
    Psssst, use the corporate windows cd-key, works like a charm

  9. #9
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    I'm not sure if that's entirely true. When I worked in a computer shop we used random OEM keys (we had *loads*) to install new PC's with that had no key yet. (Win XP that is). And those were HP's and Dell's.

    As for the removal of keys. We used to do this with Hiren's BootCD, using Offline NT Password Changer.

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