Change Windows Product key prior to activation

[Guest TKMarshall]

Can anyone offer guidance?

 

I have two licensed copies of Windows XP Home, one of which is on a damaged

disk...a fact I became aware of when I recently swapped out a dead pc. Long

story short I currently have two machines loaded from the same XP install

disk. Assuming this will eventually cause problems, I have tried to update

the product key during telephone activation per Knowledgebase article 810892

but the activation routine will not accept the change. I have also tried to

use the windows KeyUpdateTool with equal lack of success. Any thoughts before

I punt and go to Linux?

[Guest Big_Al]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

TKMarshall wrote:

> Can anyone offer guidance?

>

> I have two licensed copies of Windows XP Home, one of which is on a damaged

> disk...a fact I became aware of when I recently swapped out a dead pc. Long

> story short I currently have two machines loaded from the same XP install

> disk. Assuming this will eventually cause problems, I have tried to update

> the product key during telephone activation per Knowledgebase article 810892

> but the activation routine will not accept the change. I have also tried to

> use the windows KeyUpdateTool with equal lack of success. Any thoughts before

> I punt and go to Linux?

 

If they are *exactly* the same CD's then there is no reason you can't

use the same CD for both machines, just use different license Keys to

activate.

But if you are having issues with the keys, then I suspect the problem

is that the OS's are not loaded the same. Like one is retail and the

other is an OEM. If you right click on my computer | properties. Do

they both say the same thing. Does either key under the product name

have an OEM on it?

[Guest ByTor]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

In article <B9E97BB4-EDD1-4F2D-B6E9-67370CE09ABE@microsoft.com>,

TKMarshall@discussions.microsoft.com says...

> Can anyone offer guidance?

>

> I have two licensed copies of Windows XP Home, one of which is on a damaged

> disk...a fact I became aware of when I recently swapped out a dead pc. Long

> story short I currently have two machines loaded from the same XP install

> disk. Assuming this will eventually cause problems, I have tried to update

> the product key during telephone activation per Knowledgebase article 810892

> but the activation routine will not accept the change. I have also tried to

> use the windows KeyUpdateTool with equal lack of success. Any thoughts before

> I punt and go to Linux?

>

 

Grab 1.51........It will allow you to change the key. I'm not familiar

with the newer versions & their capability.

 

http://magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/old.shtml

[Guest TKMarshall]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

Big_Al, thank you for the reply. Yes, the "good" disk is OEM and the "bad"

disk is retail.

 

"Big_Al" wrote:

> TKMarshall wrote:

> > Can anyone offer guidance?

> >

> > I have two licensed copies of Windows XP Home, one of which is on a damaged

> > disk...a fact I became aware of when I recently swapped out a dead pc. Long

> > story short I currently have two machines loaded from the same XP install

> > disk. Assuming this will eventually cause problems, I have tried to update

> > the product key during telephone activation per Knowledgebase article 810892

> > but the activation routine will not accept the change. I have also tried to

> > use the windows KeyUpdateTool with equal lack of success. Any thoughts before

> > I punt and go to Linux?

>

> If they are *exactly* the same CD's then there is no reason you can't

> use the same CD for both machines, just use different license Keys to

> activate.

> But if you are having issues with the keys, then I suspect the problem

> is that the OS's are not loaded the same. Like one is retail and the

> other is an OEM. If you right click on my computer | properties. Do

> they both say the same thing. Does either key under the product name

> have an OEM on it?

>

[Guest TKMarshall]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

ByTor, thanks for the suggestion unfortunately it did not work. Windows

Script Host returned an error ndicating the product key is a bad number. I

checked and rechecked my keypunch several times to confirm accurate input.

The article linked from MagicalJellyBean keyfider tool indicates it is for

volume license agreements. Perhaps this makes a difference?

 

"ByTor" wrote:

> In article <B9E97BB4-EDD1-4F2D-B6E9-67370CE09ABE@microsoft.com>,

> TKMarshall@discussions.microsoft.com says...

>

> > Can anyone offer guidance?

> >

> > I have two licensed copies of Windows XP Home, one of which is on a damaged

> > disk...a fact I became aware of when I recently swapped out a dead pc. Long

> > story short I currently have two machines loaded from the same XP install

> > disk. Assuming this will eventually cause problems, I have tried to update

> > the product key during telephone activation per Knowledgebase article 810892

> > but the activation routine will not accept the change. I have also tried to

> > use the windows KeyUpdateTool with equal lack of success. Any thoughts before

> > I punt and go to Linux?

> >

>

> Grab 1.51........It will allow you to change the key. I'm not familiar

> with the newer versions & their capability.

>

> http://magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/old.shtml

>

[Guest Mistoffolees]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

 

TKMarshall wrote:

> ByTor, thanks for the suggestion unfortunately it did not work. Windows

> Script Host returned an error ndicating the product key is a bad number. I

> checked and rechecked my keypunch several times to confirm accurate input.

> The article linked from MagicalJellyBean keyfider tool indicates it is for

> volume license agreements. Perhaps this makes a difference?

>

 

The product key for the retail version of Windows XP is still valid.

Either get an exact replacement cdrom from Microsoft (check its website

on how to accomplish it) or borrow an exact version from a friend and

duplicate it. Product keys are linked to specific versions of XP and

are not interchangeable amongst the different varieties of Windows XP.

[Guest TKMarshall]

Re: Change Windows Product key prior to activation

 

Many thanks...just to recap what I've learned for the benefit of others:

Windows product keys can be changed with...

Phone Activation

Windows KeyUpdateTool

MagicalJellyBean Tool

 

But only if it's a similiar type windows product key,i.e. OEM to OEM, Volume

Licensing Agreement to Volume Licensing Agreement or Retail to Retail.

Changing product keys across types will not work.

 

To obtain a replacement windows disk I found this as Mistoffolees suggested:

 

Knowledgebase Article 171931

"If your CD-ROM or floppy disk is clearly physically defective (cracked,

badly warped, contains a deep scratch, etc.), you can exchange it for a

replacement CD-ROM or floppy disk in the United States of America by calling

Microsoft Press at 800-MS-PRESS." Open Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 10:00pm

Eastern.

 

Again thanks to all

 

 

"Mistoffolees" wrote:

>

> TKMarshall wrote:

>

> > ByTor, thanks for the suggestion unfortunately it did not work. Windows

> > Script Host returned an error ndicating the product key is a bad number. I

> > checked and rechecked my keypunch several times to confirm accurate input.

> > The article linked from MagicalJellyBean keyfider tool indicates it is for

> > volume license agreements. Perhaps this makes a difference?

> >

>

> The product key for the retail version of Windows XP is still valid.

> Either get an exact replacement cdrom from Microsoft (check its website

> on how to accomplish it) or borrow an exact version from a friend and

> duplicate it. Product keys are linked to specific versions of XP and

> are not interchangeable amongst the different varieties of Windows XP.

>