Hard disk crashed - where is my 50-digital WinXP installation id?

I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
WIndows XP 50-digit installation ID?

After my kid's hard disk crashed I put a spare disk, which was long lying
around, in the computer. Up popped "Activate Windows" which hangs forever
with the laptop on my desk not hooked to anything but power.

Googling, I find this is the Windows XP activation process:
- Start with a unique 25-character product key on the CDROM case
- This creates a 20-digit product id
- A hardware hash is created from 10 hardware items
- The hardware hash + product key combine to a 50-digit installation ID
- You give that 50-digit installation ID to Microsoft (1-888-571-2048)
- Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a
- This modifies the two files wpa.dbl & wpa.bak (save them for future use)
- C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl & c:\windows\system32\wpa.bak
- In the future, press F8 to boot to safe mode = minimal
- And just copy those files back onto the newly formatted hard disk

When I run "Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a" on my second laptop, it says:
"Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit"

However, my kid's laptop with the spare hard drive in it, won't boot.
It's stuck at the "Activate Windows" screen with nothing to press or hit
except the red x to close the window.

I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
Windows XP 50-digit installation ID?

On Nov 4, 8:55 am, Erica Eshoo <evesunf...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
> WIndows XP 50-digit installation ID?
>
> After my kid's hard disk crashed I put a spare disk, which was long lying
> around, in the computer. Up popped "Activate Windows" which hangs forever
> with the laptop on my desk not hooked to anything but power.
>
> Googling, I find this is the Windows XP activation process:
> - Start with a unique 25-character product key on the CDROM case
> - This creates a 20-digit product id
> - A hardware hash is created from 10 hardware items
> - The hardware hash + product key combine to a 50-digit installation ID
> - You give that 50-digit installation ID to Microsoft (1-888-571-2048)
> - Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a
> - This modifies the two files wpa.dbl & wpa.bak (save them for future use)
> - C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl & c:\windows\system32\wpa.bak
> - In the future, press F8 to boot to safe mode = minimal
> - And just copy those files back onto the newly formatted hard disk
>
> When I run "Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a" on my second laptop, it says:
> "Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit"
>
> However, my kid's laptop with the spare hard drive in it, won't boot.
> It's stuck at the "Activate Windows" screen with nothing to press or hit
> except the red x to close the window.
>
> I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
> Windows XP 50-digit installation ID?


I thought you just needed 25 character string, on the CD or the
holigraphic label on the laptop/PC case.

It is normally asked for whem one does a complete initial install, or
first start of Laptop

Michael

Michael

mscotgrove@aol.com wrote:
> On Nov 4, 8:55 am, Erica Eshoo <evesunf...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
>> WIndows XP 50-digit installation ID?
>>
>> After my kid's hard disk crashed I put a spare disk, which was long lying
>> around, in the computer. Up popped "Activate Windows" which hangs forever
>> with the laptop on my desk not hooked to anything but power.
>>
>> Googling, I find this is the Windows XP activation process:
>> - Start with a unique 25-character product key on the CDROM case
>> - This creates a 20-digit product id
>> - A hardware hash is created from 10 hardware items
>> - The hardware hash + product key combine to a 50-digit installation ID
>> - You give that 50-digit installation ID to Microsoft (1-888-571-2048)
>> - Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a
>> - This modifies the two files wpa.dbl & wpa.bak (save them for future use)
>> - C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl & c:\windows\system32\wpa.bak
>> - In the future, press F8 to boot to safe mode = minimal
>> - And just copy those files back onto the newly formatted hard disk
>>
>> When I run "Start -> Run -> oobe/msoobe /a" on my second laptop, it says:
>> "Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit"
>>
>> However, my kid's laptop with the spare hard drive in it, won't boot.
>> It's stuck at the "Activate Windows" screen with nothing to press or hit
>> except the red x to close the window.
>>
>> I don't mind calling Microsoft at 1-888-571-2048, but, where do I get my
>> Windows XP 50-digit installation ID?
>
>
> I thought you just needed 25 character string, on the CD or the
> holigraphic label on the laptop/PC case.
>
> It is normally asked for whem one does a complete initial install, or
> first start of Laptop
>
> Michael
>
> Michael
>
It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.
Lee

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote:
>> I thought you just needed 25 character string, on the CD or the
>> holigraphic label on the laptop/PC case.
>> It is normally asked for whem one does a complete initial install, or
>> first start of Laptop
> It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.

My kid's laptop didn't come with a CD for Windows.
It just came with Windows XP on it.Then the hard disk drive crashed.

When I put a spare hard drive I had lying around in, up came this message
about Windows Activation being needed before I could log in. OK. Fine.

But, the Windows Activation window just came up blue and blank with no
buttons, no action, no words, no nuthin'. I waited an hour and still
nothing. I plugged into a live ethernet, and did a hardware reboot, and
still nothing when it came up the same way.

What's wrong with Windows Activation?

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote:
> It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.

Well, even though I didn't find it in the google record, it seems if you
change EVERYTHING (all ten parameters), then Windows Activation just locks
up.

I'm surprised it does this - not because Microsoft wouldn't want you to
swap C drives on computers - but because I haven't seen this in the
googling I did.

Anyway, be advised - Microsoft will NOT let you move a hard drive boot disk
from one laptop to another as a boot disk - Microsoft won't even let you
activate it - the activation screen will simply lock up on you.

Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I
did).

Be forwarned!

Erica Eshoo wrote...

>Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I
>did).
>
>Be forwarned!

or restore from backup's (which is what many of us did).

Be prepared (for disasters)!

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:52:31 GMT, Harry331 wrote:
> or restore from backup's (which is what many of us did).

Do you REALLY backup your ENTIRE operating system?

And, when you restore it to a brand-new disk, are you SURE it really works?

I've NEVER had success backing up programs.

I've only had success backing up data.

Do you really back up the entire operating system and all the programs and
they work when you're done?

I find that very hard to believe. You _must_ be a genius 'cuz I can never
get that to work.

Erica Eshoo <evesunflor@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote:
>> It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.
>
>Well, even though I didn't find it in the google record, it seems if you
>change EVERYTHING (all ten parameters), then Windows Activation just locks
>up.
>
>I'm surprised it does this - not because Microsoft wouldn't want you to
>swap C drives on computers - but because I haven't seen this in the
>googling I did.
>
>Anyway, be advised - Microsoft will NOT let you move a hard drive boot disk
>from one laptop to another as a boot disk - Microsoft won't even let you
>activate it - the activation screen will simply lock up on you.
>
>Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I
>did).
>
>Be forwarned!

Yeah, but you can do a "repair" install rather than a "fresh" install,
then activate it. That way, you won't have to re-install all your
applications and data.

Larry

Erica Eshoo wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote:
>> It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.
>
> Well, even though I didn't find it in the google record, it seems if you
> change EVERYTHING (all ten parameters), then Windows Activation just locks
> up.
>
> I'm surprised it does this - not because Microsoft wouldn't want you to
> swap C drives on computers - but because I haven't seen this in the
> googling I did.
>
> Anyway, be advised - Microsoft will NOT let you move a hard drive boot disk
> from one laptop to another as a boot disk - Microsoft won't even let you
> activate it - the activation screen will simply lock up on you.
>
> Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system (which is what I
> did).
>
> Be forwarned!

You might have tried phoning them. I've had cases of activation lockup
before, and they've stepped me through safe-mode (where activation
doesn't run) stuff that has allowed the current install to be used by
resetting the activation. I had to bypass the voice prompts to get to a
live person, who then referred me to licensing. This was on a retail
version install.

Cheers.

Erica Eshoo <evesunflor@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:11:08 -0500, Lee wrote:
>> It also asks if you change motherboard, hard drive or network card.
>
> Well, even though I didn't find it in the google record, it seems if
> you change EVERYTHING (all ten parameters), then Windows Activation
> just locks up.
>
> I'm surprised it does this - not because Microsoft wouldn't want you
> to swap C drives on computers - but because I haven't seen this in the
> googling I did.
>
> Anyway, be advised - Microsoft will NOT let you move a hard drive
> boot disk from one laptop to another as a boot disk - Microsoft won't
> even let you activate it - the activation screen will simply lock up on you.

Wrong.

> Your only choice is to reinstall the operating system

Wrong.

> (which is what I did).

> Be forwarned!

You're mangling the story completely.