severach

If you have an Averatec with a factory install just take the CRC of the OEMBIOS.CAT file and you will know which one it is. Spoiler:

Try building a clean Compaq disk. You can add your own junk if you want. http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=63258

If you don't have a Windows CD, a service pack network install, or a recovery partition you might be able to use this one. http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?sfc_os

For late model products Compaq and HP desktops are constructed as an HP product and ship with 06D652A4. Compaq and HP laptops are constructed as a Compaq product and ship with CD4E1902. CD4E1902 often works on the desktops 06D652A4 rarely works on the laptops. Early models are more troublesome. From the strings posted your laptop will take either. I recommend CD4E1902 to keep it as close to original as possible.

This is the most common solution for the problem known as "Slow Browse". Place this in a a REG file: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}]

Read the threads. They are long but they explain everything.

A full release doesn't say, "Please wait while we download something we forgot." A full release can be installed on another planet that doesn't have Internet access. A full release of IE5-6 is 88MB, why is this one only 15 MB? What did they leave out to put a 15MB browser that sucks in a better light compared to a 6MB browser that doesn't suck? The blue screen is with the release a couple of days ago. I knew better than to touch a beta browser I expect to never use anyways. I installed it to see if they straightened out that mess of a tab system, nope, it's as confusing for noobs as ever. I think the Yahoo toolbar tabs addon is better designed. I'm definitely going to wait until the first set of updates come out.

>I think too many folks are quick to bash IE (any version) just because it has M$'s name on it Not so. I initially forced myself to use FF to be a fanboi and I hated it. After a few months I got used to the quirky things about Firefox and now I like FF and hate IE. IE is like a broke down beater car compared to a new Cadillac. IE7 continues to be a day late and a dollar short. I had to uninstall IE7 because it made my system blue screen too often and I now need to reinstall Windows to clean it up. That's what you get when you install a browser that updates system components. I also don't like how IE7 needs to download "more" before installing. I'll wait for the full release.

>ever noticed you don't get "lost chains" like you use to when you run CHKDSK. I do notice that I get pieces of folders that disappear when the indicies go corrupt and I also get files that can't be deleted and CHKDSK won't fix them. I've had to destroy directory entries in diskedit to get CHKDSK to get off it's lazy butt and fix it.

>But the MFT also serves as an index of sorts, so if you do a lot of heavy directory work, then NTFS will be the preferred choice Try creating an NTFS folder with several million files in it and watch how fast that NTFS indexing works. FAT32 limits folders to 65xxx entries. >due to the fact that NTFS stores smaller files in the Master File Table (MFT) to increase performance So if your storing a lot of small files NTFS is good but if you're storing 1GB databases like I am, what then? I use FAT32 because my tests show that is faster every time. All you're saying is that NTFS is faster where it doesn't need to be. >and journaling overhead I've heard that journaling is good for keeping data correct during power outages and unplanned crashes. It must be vaporware because I haven't seen it work yet. >FAT32 is faster by design: It's faster by lack of overdesign. It's also faster because it disallows compression and hard links. No matter how fast NTFS could be, compression hobbles it to the 16-bit dark ages. >its take a loot of time to convert it to NTFS Consider yourself lucky. It takes a lot more time to convert to FAT32. >NTFS is much better with XP. I personally haven't used FAT32 since Win98 XP runs without defect on FAT32. I convert everything I can to FAT32 to make virus scanning faster and easier. NTFS gives virii and spyware lots of juicy tidbits to protect themselves with. >NTFS is better, faster, and safer. definently worth converting too. Not exclusively better, not faster, and not safer unless you want safety for virii and spyware. Definitely worth converting is questionable too. This suggests lots of benefits. The OP is only going to gain a single observable benefit, the ability to store >4GB files. Does the list benefits include a higher charge from me to clean the bugs from his machine because NTFS makes cleaning substantially more difficult? I sure think so. I only use NTFS where it is necessary to do so, and storing >4GB files is one of those things where it is necessary.

Unlikely since it doesn't self remove. All that happens is that it won't come back if you remove it. It sounds to me like a ploy to improve their chances at winning the class action lawsuits. As far as I'm concerned, "We're not distributing WGA any more but the already distributed copies are still running" doesn't cut the mustard. It was surupticiously installed by Windows Update and it should also be removed by it without requiring user intervention.

Yes, and it will leave the installers in C:\WUTemp so you can capture them and use them again on another update. Even with high speed Internet it's 20+ minutes to download all the updates and 10+ minutes to apply them. It's the update tool that the imbeciles in Redmond should have made. After it runs you can run the IE windows update to get the few remaining ones.

>I have the files for Fujitsu Siemens-->http://rapidshare.de/files/37244969/FUJITSU.rar.html This is Fujitsu set 10045CFA. You need to decompress them before taking the CRC32. Renaming them to remove the underline does not decompress them. Nothing to download here, move along!

>My main concern is the pre-activation To get preactivation on a system that wasn't built for it is warez. To be legal the preinstalled windows must be matched with a manufacturer specific COA on the case and be running a qualified motherboard from that manufacturer. Mom-n-pop doesn't count. >Theretically wouldnt the OEMBIOS files still work for ... Read more, post less!

>but is it possible to uce the oembios files from a old hp xp home cd i have ?? The files from a Dell SP2 CD are compatible with more machines than the files from a SP0 or SP1. If you have a new machine the old files may not work. >or will the difference betven xp pro and xp home make this impossible. OEMBIOS files are independant of any particular Windows. >it didnt work. Randomly copying files will get you lucky sometimes. Learning how to build the CD will get you the right thing every time. Start here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=63258

I've found systems where all the advice I could find wouldn't restore secure connections to IE. Where a reinstall wasn't practical I just installed Firefox or Netscape. You can spend hours learning or seconds fixing the problem.

One way is to install them but then you get that pesky Language bar coming up all the time.

For $20 I can run twice as many unnecessary services as I am now with no performance hit.

>1. I thought I was in the correct place for posting about Windows XP There's a separate forum for unattended installs. Keep an eye on it since a mod may move this thread over. >Now using my modified WINNT.SIF Windows will install my drivers and such but will no longer preactivate http://www.driverpacks.net/ They modify WINNT.SIF and other files without damaging preactivation so check it out to see how it's done. You might find that their solution is sufficient for your needs.

How does this MS employee know what company the Office key belongs to? There must be a number somewhere large enough to encompass all of the companies that own VLK copies of Office and a lot of slack space to identify the fakes. http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPo...6&SiteID=25 000035, 200176 The first 6 digits of the 7 digit number are the company ID. The 7th digit is a check digit. The two famous keys that are blacklisted are blacklisted because they are formerly legit keys issued by Microsoft that would otherwise pass the legit check algorithm. All keygen'd keys are non legit keys so they don't need to be blacklisted because there's an algorithm that easily calculates that they are not legit. >so we can't be sure it's a devil's own or keygen'ed key We can't be sure because we don't have the algorithm. The last 5 digits are only a randomizer allowing ghosted installs to be detected if necessary. They are 23+Timestamp for all the legit and non legit VLK keys I've seen. Other key types do not use the last 5 digits in the same way. >the last 5 digits of the PID that are the important part of the PID >If your key has generated a PID where the last 5 digits are 23xxx (with xxx being any numerical values), it becomes suspect at least that the key used to install XP was not a valid Windows XP product key issued by Microsoft They are completely unimportant. All legit and non legit VLK keys I've seen end with 23xxx. Microsoft matches the 6 digits in the PID against a database of valid keys to identify possibly invalid keys or runs an algorithm against the original key to be certain. >I'd be at least skeptical Having never seen a legit VLK key end in anything other than 23xxx, I'm not at all skeptical and I won't be even if I do run across such a key. There's just too many legit keys that end in 23xxx. All the misinformation has encouraged the OP to tell Microsoft which company he works for or has stolen a key from. Don't make it so easy for them. Grab the 6 digits mentioned out of any legit VLK PID and put them into the 4 in 1 keygen. My example uses FCKGW: Product Family: ... VLK ... Product Range: From 640-000035 To 640-000035 ... and hit generate a few times. Every key shown will generate the same PID with the last 3 digits always being random but only the legit original will activate. Why does the keygen only ask for those 6 digits? Why are all the keys generated by my example blacklisted when only FCKGW was blacklisted? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCKGW

>I cant seem to find a straight answer to the problem Im having and I know alot of others are having it too The crooked answers come from Microsoft. At MSFN we have the straight ones. One straight answer is that you need to edit the key out. Microsoft is hostile against boards that post keys even if they are generic keys that are available to anyone with a Dell. >But as soon as I start editing the WINNT.SIF file things go wrong. After installation check the CRC32 of your hidden OEMBIOS.CAT file (see thread) and the the key via any keyfinder. The key should be the one you printed and the CRC32 should be 63875D1F or B6F0EEFD. If it is 2B9D18CF then you have changed something you shouldn't. >it says that it is just a sample It was a sample until Dell added the key and made it the Real Thing . >when I replace it with a working file then Windows wont activate unless I call Sounds to me like you took the key out. You must use that key to preactivate. >I went to this site as someone sugguested but it doesnt give a key for XP Home The keys at Microsoft are generic replacements for the one you already have. The one you have is the best one to use. >I assume that the key that is is shown is fake. The key isn't fake. It's the bulk license key issued to Royalty vendors Dell & Averatec that they use to preinstall all XP Home systems. You must use it too if you want to preactivate. Once you know how to build the disk your addons will not interfere with preactivation and you can install as often as you like. >I have tried using it as well and it says key invalid. It will be accepted by an XP Home OEM Single User License install. A system with that key can't be activated in any fashion without some more stuff. >I know I can call M$ and get them to activate Windows for me but I dont want to have to do that. Im hoping there is a way to preserve the Activation info and still use a winnt.sif file. That's an easy request. Start here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=63258

>the version of XP you purchased with that machine is very highly likely a PC-vendor-OEM version of XP A Windows XP CD or recovery disk prepared by a Royalty OEM PC vendor never asks for the key even if it is used on the wrong hardware where it will simply never activate. If a key was requested during install then he didn't use the original media. An XP OEM Single User License asks for a key and will accept a side-of-case key. A call to Microsoft will usually get an activation code. >all versions of Windows XP that are sold or bundled with PCs from OEM PC vendors to end-users are affected No, the side-of-case keys are all affected because people who knew that they wern't needed for the install were peeling them off and hawking them on eBay as legit licenses for XP OEM Single User. The purchasers of new hardware are slighted because their flashy new computer who's sticker has been stolen is no longer a legit license through no fault of their own. The Royalty CD installs still preactivate correctly and run without issue with the correct hardware. >there isn't anything that you can do to get out of this activation loop short of actually purchasing a retail or "retail" OEM version of XP Use the restore disks or the XP install that came with the system and it will install without a key or activation. >a frequent reinstaller Frequent reinstallers benefit from Royalty installs. You can change anything but the motherboard without triggering activation. Changing the motherboard triggers activation permanently for the Royalty CD. Install with a XP Single User License and the side-of-case key if you can beg for an activation or buy another one at the office store. >Reinstallation and reactivation will be a pain for anyone with a PC-vendor-OEM product key from now on. It's a pain for those who don't use the Royalty prepared media. If an XP install wasn't supplied with the system you can make your own in the thread referenced in the second post.

>I have a quite new system,now i replaced some parts and now it wants to validate windows If you removed the Dell motherboard and put in a non Dell motherboard your system will not preactivate with the Dell media. If you install from an OEM Single User License media with the side-of-case key you should be able to beg an activation code from Microsoft if your story is good enough. >XXXXXX-640-#######-XXXXX By printing the 7 digit number you've told everyone at Microsoft which company you got the key from. I recommend editing it out. You've X'd out the unimportant numbers. The first number is the media type and the last number for a VLK key is 23+Timestamp. >XXXXX-Oem-XXXXXXX-XXXXX If it currently says XXXXX-OEM-0011903-XXXXX then you need to reinstall from VLK media with your legitimate corporate key. I don't think there's any keychangers that will switch from an OEM to a VLK license.

>I'm not prepared to waste more time then it's worth It sounds like reading long threads and building a CD is a waste of time for you which suggests that there's little reason to continue. >Acer Veriton 5600G Google searching shows that this system ships with Windows XP Pro preinstalled. Acer's XP Pro key starts with BW2VG. Since it's not an Acer TravelMate decended from the old TI line the most likely OEMBIOS set is 717B6EF3. Thread 71016 has instructions for using DEBUG to improve certainty that 717B6EF3 is the correct set. http://rapidshare.de/users/LWN7M8 The above is for curiosity. The following requires some file handling and CD creation skills similar to slipstreaming. Copy an XP Pro OEM Single User License CD to the hard disk. Run the script to generate a WINNT.SIF and sub in the key above since your current system probably has the side of case key which won't preactivate. Copy the script into the I386 folder. Overwrite the 4 OEMBIOS files in the I386 folder with the ones from Rapidshare. Write a new CD with the XP boot image. If you have to ask... let's just agree that calling Microsoft is easier.

>I'm curious though how did you find out what PID belonged to what royaly oem? The pattern is easy as you'll see when you get more keys. You can view the PID on any system by hitting Window-PauseBreak. >Also can I say use the key from an HP one to preactivate a Dell one provided they both are for the same OS? While possibly not legal it does work. >Or does the key check that the required royalty oem name is in the bios before it will preactivate? Microsoft may choose to do that someday. Best not do it very often and egg them on. >Also, while I was googling I found a whitepaper at the Microsoft site that was posted in 2005 giving me a key for preactivation. Does that one still work? Those keys also work. I prefer the original Royalty keys where possible to minimize the differences between my install and the original install.