Student licenses, Windows XP, and YOU!

curtmack

So I needed to reinstall Windows XP recently (my old hard drive crashed and burned, and it wasn't worth the trouble recovering data). The problem is, I have a restrictive student license, and I can only install it once. To install it again I need to request a new license key. No big deal, it's free, but in the meantime, I need Windows XP up and running for Visual Studio. Since it gives you 30 days to activate it, I decide to install it again anyway.

When it brings up the "Enter product key" page, it doesn't give you an option to activate later. So I enter in my old license key, hoping that will shut it up. I get the expected "XP could not be activated, you have 30 days to activate it" message and it boots up just fine.

Well, today I got my new license key, and I went to the activation wizard to activate it. Sure enough, it says "XP could not be activated, you have 28 days to activate it." I try multiple times, search the registry, everything.

Here's how I finally figure out how to put in a new license key:

1. Start the activation wizard.
2. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP over the telephone."
3. Click "Get new product key."
4. Enter in your new license key and press enter.
5. Close out of the program.
6. Restart the activation wizard.
7. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP over the Internet."
8. God willing, it should work now.

@curtmack said:

1. Start the activation wizard.
2. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP
over the telephone."
3. Click "Get new product key."
4. Enter in your new
license key and press enter.
5. Close out of the program.
6. Restart the
activation wizard.
7. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP over the
Internet."
8. God willing, it should work now.

Or you could change the key in the registry.

Or slipstream SP3.

Or use Vista.

curtmack

@Spectre said:

@curtmack said:
1. Start the activation wizard.
2. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP over the telephone."
3. Click "Get new product key."
4. Enter in your new license key and press enter.
5. Close out of the program.
6. Restart the activation wizard.
7. Choose "I want to activate Windows XP over the Internet."
8. God willing, it should work now.

Or you could change the key in the registry.

Or slipstream SP3.

Or use Vista.

All valid solutions, to be sure. I was mostly curious as to why you can only enter a new key if you're activating over the telephone, when the product key is equally important for Internet activation. The average liberal arts major from southeast Nebraska does not know how to alter the registry.

belgariontheking

@curtmack said:

Student licenses, Windows XP, and YOU!

When I saw the topic title, I thought this was the 11 o-clock news.

jwenting

@curtmack said:

All valid solutions, to be sure. I was mostly curious as to why you can only enter a new key if you're activating over the telephone, when the product key is equally important for Internet activation. The average liberal arts major from southeast Nebraska does not know how to alter the registry.

who do you think wrote the activation wizard specs document? Hint: it wasn't Bill Gates but you seem to relate to him :)

Nether

@belgariontheking said:

@curtmack said:
Student licenses, Windows XP, and YOU!
When I saw the topic title, I thought this was the 11 o-clock news.

Windows XP: Reliable operating system, or deadly sex offender that preys on children? Find out at 11!

*Fox News: Always Fair and Balanced

dtech

@Nether said:

Windows XP: Reliable operating system, or deadly sex offender that preys on children? Find out at 11!
 *Fox News: Always Fair and Balanced

Nether: Innocent date-overlooker or deadly zombie topic kicker? Find out in next post

PSWorx

Actually no, we'll bring in all that boring stuff first...

As far as I know, it's placed under "telephone activation", because users with activation problems were supposed to use the telephone option, talk with support and get a new key assigned from them if necessary. Apparently, in the happy little world the designers of this lived in, this was the only reason a legitimate user would ever have to enter a new key...

jlumustangcobra

Spectre has it right. Google "Windows XP" product key changer or something similar, put in the new key, then do it again.

Or, you can do a repair install - that will prompt you for the key and (shouldn't) damage/wipe anything