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[vmail]

Repeatedly Prompted to Complete Activation for Windows XP Media Center Edition After You Enter Product Key

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SYMPTOMS

During the Windows Product Activation process, you may be prompted repeatedly to enter the product key, and you may not be able to log on to the computer. This problem may occur if you try to activate Windows when you are connected to the Internet, or when you use the telephone automated activation process to contact Microsoft. Additionally, you may not be able to resolve the problem by using the recovery media that is provided by the computer manufacturer to restore the computer to the original shipping configuration.

RESOLUTION

If you have not yet encountered this problem, you can prevent it from happening by obtaining and installing hotfix 811632. This hotfix is available on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site:

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

If you encounter this problem and cannot complete Windows Product Activation, contact your computer manufacturer to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

[knowlson]

Have a look at this mate and see if this sorts it for you

Technet

[Bibbs]

Have a look at this mate and see if this sorts it for you 

Printed and will try tonight ..

[knowlson]

Groovy if not I have a CD I can lend you that will "probably"sort it

[Bibbs]

Cheers fella .. problem is I resolve one issue, then have to come back to work to check up on the next one.

I can easily "burnination" another XP CD .. one that will hopefully have all the files on it ..

[Bibbs]

Looks like my old System disk has bitten the bullet (bsod). So now it's find a new disk

[Bibbs]

copied theose files back in (using extract) and I'm getting the same error ..

[vmail]

start>run

sfc /scannow

[Bibbs]

Can't get into windows XP to do that fella .. when it comes up with the first login screen the message appears ..

and when I click the "admin" user login logo thingy ..

will not let me get any further .. :ffs:

[Bibbs]

here is a list of the files I can't find on my XP CD ..

(all beginning with 'S' or 'T' .. wonder if one of the scratches has wiped them out)

Should all these be in %systemroot%\system32 ??

tcpip.sys

tahomabd.ttf

tahoma.ttf

sxs.dll

tapi32.dll

themeui.dll

syssetup.dll

symbol.ttf

timesbd.ttf

timesi.ttf

times.ttf

sylfaen.ttf

symbolf.fon

synceng.dll

syncui.dll

sysprop.chm

syscomp.inf

sysdmw.chm

sysdm.cpl

sysdm.hlp

sysinv.dll

sysmon.hlp

sysmon.ocx

sysoc.inf

system.adm

system.chm

t2emdeb.dll

tada.wav

tape.inf

tape.sys

tapi3.dll

tapiP.chm

taskbarw.chm

tasklist.exe

taskmgrw.chm

tcpip6.sys

tdc.ocx

telnet.hlp

telnetW.chm

termmgr.dll

timedate.cpl

timer.drv

tlntsess.exe

tlntsvr.exe

sysmain.sdb

sysfiles.inf

sysmod.dll

sysmod_a.dll

tourstrt.exe

tourW.exe

[Bibbs]

and it now p*ssing well boots into XP proper .. without any of those files!!

Just having to Windows Update the whole thing now .. Just looking at S ATA disks too .. what brand do people recomend?

www.overclockers.co.uk seem to be 200GB for £100 ..

[Razor_Rage]

if you wanna go SATA you'll have to have separate SATA drivers on a floppy during Windows XP installation as SATA disks came out after XP was released.

[vmail]

if you wanna go SATA you'll have to have separate SATA drivers on a floppy during Windows XP installation as SATA disks came out after XP was released.

will I have that prob on win2003 or win2004?

[Bibbs]

if you wanna go SATA you'll have to have separate SATA drivers on a floppy during Windows XP installation as SATA disks came out after XP was released.

So would it be better to keep my IDE disk as a boot disk and the use the ATAs for everything else?

I'd have thought that the speed between ATA vs IDE it would be better to have the windoze files on the ATA?

[Razor_Rage]

if you wanna go SATA you'll have to have separate SATA drivers on a floppy during Windows XP installation as SATA disks came out after XP was released.

will I have that prob on win2003 or win2004?

i do not know about win2003 or 2004 mate. sorry :(

[Razor_Rage]

if you wanna go SATA you'll have to have separate SATA drivers on a floppy during Windows XP installation as SATA disks came out after XP was released.

So would it be better to keep my IDE disk as a boot disk and the use the ATAs for everything else?

I'd have thought that the speed between ATA vs IDE it would be better to have the windoze files on the ATA?

If you're gonna get a SATA you defo should have Windows on the SATA!

the only thing is that it's a bugger to install XP on the SATA...

i'll check with my mate today if i can get the SATA drivers we used on his comp and then i'll send them to you mate. you MUST have a ATA (IDE) disk plugged in while installing windows, i have no idea why but it just won't work otherwise.

so here comes the steps for installing XP on a SATA disk:

1. Get the SATA drivers on a floppy and have that in during windows installation.

2. when the win installation is reading in all the dlls and drivers, it will show what it's reading at the bottom of the screen, when it says to install SCSI or third party RAID drivers or something like that push F6 if i remember right, (the key you have to press is displayed with the text at the bottom)

3.you'll be taken to a new screen where you install the SATA drivers from your floppy.

4. system will reboot, now enter Windows XP installation again.

5. when you get to the screen where you can manage your HD disks, delete all partitions on both IDE and SATA (SATA won't have any if it's new) and then create a partition on the SATA and then one on the IDE disk. doesn't really matter how many partitions you make as long as you begin with the SATA

6.now choose the C: partition that should be on the SATA disk, choose format and Windows Install will format the IDE drive first(don't know why it does this) and when it's formatted the IDE format your C: again, this time it will format the C: partition. remember to format the drives with NTFS file system!

7. choose the C: partition to install to and you're set!

hope that helps.

[vmail]

bibbs this is what I did, obtained the SATA files from the MB(motherboard) CD using an old PC

then when installing XP you press F6 when it tells you (you need to be quick) then XP fill look for the files from the floppy

[Razor_Rage]

i had that in my step install too, the press F6 thing.

[Bibbs]

Okay .. one 200GB disk ordered .. just gotta dig out my Mobo CD with the drivers on ..

[vmail]

is it 10KRPM or 7200RPM?

[Bibbs]

only 7200 .. not that fussed about balls out performance ..

Next question though ..

On my old machine I had it so my files could only be accessed by me .. (withing documents and settings) .. now I'm booting from a new disk and trying to get the data off the old disk and i'm getting "access denied" ..

What's the best way to get this data? Create a user account the same as I used to have to access it? DOS mode?

[knowlson]

You will probably have to take ownership of the files mate right clickon the file or directory click properties then select security and advance you will get the idea

[vmail]

or add full permission under your name

[Bibbs]

Hmm, I go into properties/security etc .. and nothing is set .. it should be open ..

I try moving the file "access denied" ..

[vmail]

in the security window you need to add yourself