Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 19

Thread: Windows Activation

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571

    Windows Activation

    I turned on my PC today and got a screen I never got before. It asks if i want to Activate my Windows software. PC is my daughters old computer and she has no idea where the disk is. How can I find out what the numbers are for the registration? I've been using this PC for years and this is the first time this popped up. Just used it yesterday and it didn't do this. Is this something Microsoft just started. Any help is appreciated.

    thanks, Pete

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Prairieville, Louisiana
    Posts
    578

    Smile Don't do anything . . .

    Don't do anything until you here from one the "pros" on here . . . This site is packed with IT Pros in their day job . . . . . . I did something similar years ago and it was actually an ad ware . . . .

    Steve
    Support the "CREEK" . . .

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Bradenton, Fl
    Posts
    499
    Well Microsoft is having major problem with their Zune because of the New Year maybe they are have problems with Windows also!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Parrish View Post
    Well Microsoft is having major problem with their Zune because of the New Year maybe they are have problems with Windows also!
    Could be, it worked yesterday.

  5. #5
    Just "click" yes, you want to activate. If activation fails, call MS support and tell them. They will reactivate for you. Activation is not the same thing as having the "installation key" which you need to even install the OS. Activation involves allowing your computer to communicate with MS servers to verify that you are not attempting to install a copy of the OS on two different machines. Usually you only have to do this once within 30 days of the initial install. But every now and then it can get effed up.
    David DeCristoforo

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571
    Quote Originally Posted by David DeCristoforo View Post
    Just "click" yes, you want to activate. If activation fails, call MS support and tell them. They will reactivate for you. Activation is not the same thing as having the "installation key" which you need to even install the OS. Activation involves allowing your computer to communicate with MS servers to verify that you are not attempting to install a copy of the OS on two different machines. Usually you only have to do this once within 30 days of the initial install. But every now and then it can get effed up.
    Well I had to call Microsoft and after going through 3 people I finally got it going again. Was hoping for a easy solution but it only took about 25 minutes. Thanks everyone for your help.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Stahl View Post
    Was hoping for a easy solution but it only took about 25 minutes. Thanks everyone for your help.
    With Microsoft, 25 minutes is the easy solution.

  8. #8
    "With Microsoft, 25 minutes is the easy solution"

    Amen!
    David DeCristoforo

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Harvey, Michigan
    Posts
    20,801
    So, what was the corrective action?
    Steve

    “You never know what you got til it's gone!”
    Please don’t let that happen!
    Become a financial Contributor today!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Schlumpf View Post
    So, what was the corrective action?
    I called the 800 number, they asked what my problem was, transferred me to another person who then transferred me to the person who was able to change the activation number and then the product key. Not sure why it worked for so long then all of the sudden wouldn't activate. May have been a windows update, not sure.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Harvey, Michigan
    Posts
    20,801
    Thanks Peter! Was wondering if they walked you through some code or something. Glad you were able to get things back up and running!
    Steve

    “You never know what you got til it's gone!”
    Please don’t let that happen!
    Become a financial Contributor today!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
    Posts
    11,896
    I think you have 30 days to activate, so if your daughter gave you the computer since then and reloaded the OS, it may have just caught up with you. When the activation scheme first came out, there was talk that new hardware could force a reactivation. I've never seen that. Or it could have been a glitch. I'm surprised it took so long. The keys that Microsoft gives out to Certified Partners have been activated so many times that most of them will not activate of the internet. When I call the number to activate one of those products it probably doesn't take 5 minutes.


  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Beatrice, NE
    Posts
    17
    Changing hardware can cause it, but you have to change 3 or 4 different components before it gets mad and wants to reactivate.

    Chris

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571
    Must have been something they initiated on 1/1/09 because it's been a long time since any hardware changes. Unless one of the auto updates did something I have no idea what it could have been. She gave me this PC a couple years ago.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    South Jersey
    Posts
    1,571
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Schlumpf View Post
    Thanks Peter! Was wondering if they walked you through some code or something. Glad you were able to get things back up and running!
    The last person I talked to did everything. Had me save the registry, delete a entry, then had me enter a new activation number then He had me put in a new key. Used the magic jelly bean program and the new Key shows up. Help line guy also told me to put a label on the tower case with the new Key number. Procedure would have went a little faster if my hearing was a little better and his accent wasn't a little hard to understand at times. He was very friendly and patient with me though. It's amazing how good the phone connection is between here and India.

Similar Threads

  1. Newlydraw - dongle / windows 98
    By Zachery Thomas in forum Laser Engraving General Topics
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 12-04-2008, 1:08 PM
  2. New Windows
    By Byron Trantham in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 09-26-2007, 7:38 PM
  3. Am I Wrong? - Long
    By Karl Laustrup in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 05-15-2007, 9:20 PM
  4. OT: Windows
    By martyphee in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 12-09-2005, 10:34 AM
  5. Replacing Windows part II: Andersen vs Andersen
    By Dan Mages in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 10-03-2005, 8:07 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •