So I made a windows install cd using the recovery disk of IBM's. Got it all setup and typed in the serial number on the bottom of my laptop during installation and everything was fine. Windows activation comes up not too long after I'm trying to install my drivers. I try to activate and it says the serial number was incorrect and that I should type it in again. I've typed it correctly and it isn't letting me activate it. Anybody have any solutions or does anyone have wpa kill?

8/16/2006 12:05:37 PM

call the number to activate via phone.

it will take you maximum 15 minutes and if the key is legit you'll have 0 problems.

8/16/2006 12:06:47 PM

yeah they dont work after X number of uses. im too lazy to call them though so i just used the one i got for being an engineer last time.

8/16/2006 12:15:17 PM

Quote :

"call the number to activate via phone. it will take you maximum 15 5 minutes and if the key is legit you'll have 0 problems. "

when the automated thing answers, just drop the phone for a minute two ( i put it on speakerphone) and wait for someone to pickup. Whenever I follow the automated thing it never works and transfers me so I just skip that whole part by dropping the phone.

8/16/2006 12:21:22 PM

What if you just put it down gently?

8/16/2006 12:24:54 PM

Quote :

""call the number to activate via phone. it will take you maximum 15 5 minutes and if the key most of the time if even if the key is not legit you'll have 0 problems."

8/16/2006 12:30:54 PM

^^ haha yeah that works too

8/16/2006 12:45:41 PM

yeah it's pretty quick just expect to have to translate indian accent to english.

[Edited on August 16, 2006 at 1:09 PM. Reason : p =/= n]

8/16/2006 1:09:01 PM

ha ok thanks guys

8/16/2006 1:29:21 PM

XP keys will work as many times as you need as long as its the same computer. only if you switch hard drives does it require multiple licenses.

8/16/2006 3:45:49 PM

^not true. doesnt have to be the same computer. i routinely take XP licenses off of junked computers and install that license key on different computers. call in and talk to the indians and all is good. i once had one license off a laptop and installed that on all kinds of computers over the years...all with that same single key.

i'm not sure if the indians even check if the key is running on another machine somewhere in cyberspace somewhere or if you just give them a valid key and then they supply you a confirmation id without checking for multiple installations (i suspect the latter).

and hard drive swaps are meaningless. im not sure where you heard that shit.



basically, Battousai, your post is full of misinformation.

8/16/2006 8:59:48 PM

yeah got it done pretty easy. just asked for the key and they gave me confirmation id. easy as heck. i was looking online and guess i'll do this from now on so i don't have to worry about. http://sniptools.com/tipstricks/reinstall-windows-xp-without-product-activation

8/16/2006 11:10:12 PM

^ i wasn't aware you can activate limitlessly over the phone but i do know you're limited online to only a few on different computers. I've installed and reinstalled xp on numerous computers and found this to be true.

8/17/2006 7:29:39 AM

dude, you don't know what you're talking about. let it go.

8/17/2006 9:02:12 AM

so what you're saying is you can install xp on as many computers as you want with one key?

8/17/2006 10:07:38 AM

yes, only one at a time though

8/17/2006 10:12:19 AM

As long as only one copy is activated at a time.

8/17/2006 10:13:32 AM

How does microsofts' activation system know if an install isn't active anymore?

8/17/2006 10:18:44 AM

Quote :

"yes, only one at a time though"

Quote :

"As long as only one copy is activated at a time."

do they actually check for this?

has anyone called and actually been told "i'm sorry, but this key is active on another computer system"?

8/17/2006 2:17:31 PM

how would they possibly know that?

8/17/2006 2:21:12 PM

thats my point. i doubt they actually check for that.

8/17/2006 3:02:53 PM

there's no way to check for it

the only way they possibly could would be to have some shit running in the background that connects up to one of their servers and says "i'm still alive, here's my id"

which somebody would've found out about by now and it would've blown up

not to mention the vast majority of pc's are business machines and behind firewalls that block random shit going out as well as coming in

can't go the other way to find out

8/17/2006 3:08:09 PM

Whenever I activate, they usually ask the make and model of the system, sometimes they ask where I purchased it, and they always ask if its the only computer that this copy of windows has been installed on.
A couple of times, though, they have asked me to read them the cd-key. I'm not sure why they want the key.

8/17/2006 10:55:18 PM

yea i just had to talk to a lady to get my test box in my cube activated.

They might be matching the OEM key to the OEM manufacturer to make sure you didn't transfer the liscence.

/me shrugs

8/18/2006 11:42:30 AM

Quote :

"there's no way to check for it the only way they possibly could would be to have some shit running in the background that connects up to one of their servers and says "i'm still alive, here's my id" which somebody would've found out about by now and it would've blown up not to mention the vast majority of pc's are business machines and behind firewalls that block random shit going out as well as coming in can't go the other way to find out"

Technically they can check for duplicate ID's. Everytime you download a windows update it verifies your installation. If multiple updates go out to the same install ID, they know something is up. Now tying that to an actual user is a second step, but it's certainly possible.

8/18/2006 12:05:57 PM

this is exactly what the latest round of wga does

8/18/2006 12:14:07 PM

how would reformats take that into account? you couldn't update once you did that if that were the case.

8/18/2006 1:23:44 PM

8/18/2006 2:43:22 PM

after i posted that i figured it probably did just that with the updates

8/18/2006 3:10:44 PM