OEM XP activation deadline question

niallb

If a BIOS-locked system is installed to a board where the lock fails, it enters a normal Activation process at startup. However, beginning 1 March 2005, the Product Key supplied on a label by the computer manufacturer, and used for the initial intallation, will not be accepted for activation. A new copy of Windows XP, with a license allowing installation on a different machine, will be needed. This means that any replacement motherboard (or upgrade to its BIOS) must be supplied by the original maker, who will ensure the lock is maintained.

Hi,
I'm crossing swords with my first XP installation here,
and need some information on activation.

More detail below, but my main question is:
Will I have an activation problem with this system
after installing SP2 on it? No hardware has changed.

It's an OEM Dell install - restore disk includes SP1.
The system was crawling with malware and while I have
spybot congratulating me and adaware finding nothing serious,
my firewall shows activity from the box which I don't like the look of,
and want gone by the time the box goes home.

Attempting to install SP2 currently bombs with a cryptographic service failure.
This service fails to start because RPC can't be started, and
almost no services are running because of this.

The Services list in the control panel has a number
of blank lines (visible because they are highlighted) under the extended tab.

A full reinstall is the best way to deal with it I feel,
but am I going to lock the system out?

NiallB

osmethod

Initially, it sounds like malware/spyware on your box. Before you install SP2 download MSAnitispyware - google for it.... it actually does an excellent job on detecting and eliminating spyware.

Also, if your AV is still working make sure the virus definitions are up to date and perform a full scan.

Installing SP2 doesn't affect activation assuming your current install has been activated some time in the past.

Download autoruns from www.sysinternals.com
It will show you almost everything thats running on your box

Osmethod

niallb

osmethod wrote:

Installing SP2 doesn't affect activation assuming your current install has been activated some time in the past.
Osmethod

Thanks for the reply, the box went home early last week,
but that was the question I wanted an answer to.

SP2 played havoc with existing zonealarm and broke
printing, but other than that other problems have yet
to surface. It all just took so loooong! Reboot after reboot.

Thanks again,
NiallB

Capt'n Midnight

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/jan05/01-26GenuineAdvantagePR.asp

It looks like microsoft will require all the OEM preinstalled copies of XP to be activated with thier unique key rather than the generic one if customers want continued updates. Not sure if this will only apply to new installs or will also apply to older ones.

This should not affect corporate customers since they would be patching with SUS or similar.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Closes_Activation_Loophole/1109293194

Microsoft is closing a loophole that enabled unscrupulous resellers to use Windows XP product keys that were stolen from large OEMs. The result: customers who purchase Windows on a new PC may not be able to reinstall their operating system without first calling Microsoft.
...
Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox said the change shouldn't affect many PC buyers. "Seeing as how the typical OEM would normally preactivate Windows XP, most legitimate users shouldn't have much need to go through the activation process," noted Wilcox.

"But it would be possible for someone to lift a COA number from, say, a PC on display at a local store and activate a OEM copy of Windows on another computer. Similarly, a smaller dealer could reuse the same key on multiple PCs of the same configuration," added Wilcox.

there are now emails phishing for valid serial numbers