Windows XP Needs Re-Activation

[HarrisonS]

? Doesn't make sense!!!

Hate to ask this but can you open the case (take the cover off - screws usually in back) CAREFULLY with a non-magnetic phillips screwdriver (unless the tower has "thumbscrews", so just unscrew them). Does the MoBo look like this?

There's absolutely no reason that the F1 or F2 keys don't work UNLESS you have a USB Keyboard connected AND the BIOS does NOT have "Enable Legacy USB Support", in which case NO keys will work at all! Do ANY keys work at any time? Answer this first before cracking open the case!

The MoBo does not look exactly the same. In simplest terms, its layout is a mirror image of that in your illustration. (For what it's worth, the cabinet also opens differently. It has two sliding spring latches, and the entire side panel comes off, so no tools are needed.)

The keyboard is not a USB type. The keys all seem to be working, since it accepts my pssword logon at the Windows prompt, and the two Message Boxes respond normally to all of the usual key clicks.

Edited April 25, 2011 by HarrisonS

[submix8c]

<------- (this guy is a glutton for punishment)

Found this. It may be a bear finding documentation on it. Provide the Serial Number on the back - I might be able to find something.

AHA! Maybe this (based on someone else' serial#). Please confirm. (and it states Jabil Athlon MoBo - mirror image? looking at it upside down?)

One of these (several Oxnard).

F2 should work. Otherwise, ??? Maybe find the "Clear CMOS" jumper and try that? I am totally baffled. Only other thing I could imagine is that the battery (a quarter-coin-shaped item on the MoBo) is dead and the clock reset back to... 2000? Not sure if that would have boogered the install and not really sure if that would prevent entering the BIOS (shouldn't have).

(nearly at a loss...) Surely your friend didn't booger the BIOS with an incorrect BIOS update.

And you also indicate an "upgrade from Win ME to XP" so if Norton Goback wasn't uninstalled first then you already have a problem with the install - it conflicts with System Restore (and causes deadly thrashing!).

Here is a picture of the whole MoBo. Are we there yet?

Edited April 26, 2011 by submix8c

[HarrisonS]

<------- (this guy is a glutton for punishment)

Found this. It may be a bear finding documentation on it. Provide the Serial Number on the back - I might be able to find something.

AHA! Maybe this (based on someone else' serial#). Please confirm. (and it states Jabil Athlon MoBo - mirror image? looking at it upside down?)

One of these (several Oxnard).

F2 should work. Otherwise, ??? Maybe find the "Clear CMOS" jumper and try that? I am totally baffled. Only other thing I could imagine is that the battery (a quarter-coin-shaped item on the MoBo) is dead and the clock reset back to... 2000? Not sure if that would have boogered the install and not really sure if that would prevent entering the BIOS (shouldn't have).

(nearly at a loss...) Surely your friend didn't booger the BIOS with an incorrect BIOS update.

And you also indicate an "upgrade from Win ME to XP" so if Norton Goback wasn't uninstalled first then you already have a problem with the install - it conflicts with System Restore (and causes deadly thrashing!).

Here is a picture of the whole MoBo. Are we there yet?

Yes, the MoBo picture in your very last link, identified as "Gateway Oxnard MSI 6330 Socket A Athlon Board", is identical in every detail to the one here.

There should be nothing wrong with the XP installation. It was done, I believe, in 2005, and the computer worked without any significant issues until 2010 when the trouble started.

I am quite certain that my friend didn't do anything at all to the BIOS, but it is very possible that the malicious neighbors did.

[submix8c]

Maybe find the "Clear CMOS" jumper and try that? <snip> Only other thing I could imagine is that the battery (a quarter-coin-shaped item on the MoBo) is dead <snip>

Read the links given in reference to "how to Clear CMOS" and change the battery. The info is there so follow those instructions then report back. Again, a failed battery will RESET the System Clock (possibly causing activation issues) and MAYBE prevent access to the BIOS... AND if in the BIOS it's defaulted to "USB", the keys MAY NOT WORK until OS BOOT (IT will find, but NOT the BIOS BOOT) so TRY a USB keyboard (just for kicks).

Again, no access to the BIOS is near an impossible scenario. PLEASE try everything I have suggested then SAY if you did or not. Otherwise, I can no longer help (we'll be running in circles).

[HarrisonS]

Maybe find the "Clear CMOS" jumper and try that? <snip> Only other thing I could imagine is that the battery (a quarter-coin-shaped item on the MoBo) is dead <snip>

Read the links given in reference to "how to Clear CMOS" and change the battery. The info is there so follow those instructions then report back. Again, a failed battery will RESET the System Clock (possibly causing activation issues) and MAYBE prevent access to the BIOS... AND if in the BIOS it's defaulted to "USB", the keys MAY NOT WORK until OS BOOT (IT will find, but NOT the BIOS BOOT) so TRY a USB keyboard (just for kicks).

Again, no access to the BIOS is near an impossible scenario. PLEASE try everything I have suggested then SAY if you did or not. Otherwise, I can no longer help (we'll be running in circles).

I replaced the battery and finally was successful in accessing the BIOS Setup Utility screens by using F1, not F2. Evidently I was not pressing the key either at exactly the right time or early enough.

I set the date and time, and most of the settings seem to be correct, as far as I can tell. The BIOS Version is given as 0AAVWP05. Now it no longer complains about the Date/Time, but still needs activating, which is still unsuccessful. So we are still at an impasse.

[submix8c]

Um, no we're not "at an impasse". Now change the Boot Order in the BIOS, setting CD-ROM to the "top of the list" (first) and boot from the CD, following the instructions given here. No point in repeating the procedure in this post. This method will NOT "destroy" any other software installed after the initial (first time) XP install.

BOOM! Done! Just "Activate by phone" when the option comes up (and it will). Actually, I believe you SHOULD be "reset" to the 30-day grace(?). BTW, I believe the "via internet" does NOT work with an OEM version of the XP - just use "by phone" in any case. You'll know if it's an OEM by opening the SETUPP.INI file inside the I386 folder of the CD (it will have OEM string inside it).

[allen2]

When i had the case (with an oem xp which had a motherboard change) the repair install did not work (i repaired with a different version and service pack CD). I got the same problem after.

Edited April 27, 2011 by allen2

[submix8c]

OK - Big Edit, allen2! (also, lest you forget about SLP+WPA which would cause failure for OEM versions on different MoBo's)

OP must have either Full or Upgrade since the original OS was Windows ME, so not an OEM. Also, there's a warning about using the same version/SP-level, so the OP may also have to "slip" SP3 into the CD to make a successful "Over-the top Repair Re-Install".

@ HarrisonS - Please don't ask how to do this. The information is both here and all over the web. Easy way is just to use nLite and ONLY slipstream the SP3 and do nothing else (it will do the same thing as if you did everything by hand) except Create Bootable ISO which will need to be "burned" (ImgBurn will do that for you). Search these items and act accordingly - it's all there and I've indicate two basic tools that will do this for you.

(@ HarrisonS - OP means "Original Poster", i.e. You)

Edited April 27, 2011 by submix8c

[HarrisonS]

Um, no we're not "at an impasse". Now change the Boot Order in the BIOS, setting CD-ROM to the "top of the list" (first) and boot from the CD, following the instructions given here. No point in repeating the procedure in this post. This method will NOT "destroy" any other software installed after the initial (first time) XP install.

BOOM! Done! Just "Activate by phone" when the option comes up (and it will). Actually, I believe you SHOULD be "reset" to the 30-day grace(?). BTW, I believe the "via internet" does NOT work with an OEM version of the XP - just use "by phone" in any case. You'll know if it's an OEM by opening the SETUPP.INI file inside the I386 folder of the CD (it will have OEM string inside it).

The BIOS seems to be resistant to changes in the boot sequence, and it resets itself to the old settings (HD first). However a message does briefly flash on the screen saying, "To boot from the CD, press any key..." When I do this, it doesn't just boot; rather it goes directly into Windows Setup, rather than just booting. The options on the menu are to install XP, make a repair, or quit. It would be nice to juat boot Windows,however, since a fresh install would replace the system files with older versions.

The system files on the HD are newer, and are probably OK. All that we need to do (hopefully) is to activate the installation. Is this possible, or should I go ahead and repair the installation?

[submix8c]

READ THAT LINK I GAVE to "reinstall" CAREFULLY to avoid any mistakes! You booted to the CD (pressed "any key")!!! This is a SPECIAL way of reinstalling without losing what's already on the HDD. Also REREAD what I said about "integrating/slipstreaming" Service Pack 3. IF you're CD has SP2 AND the HDD had SP3 installed (via e.g. Windows Update), THEN you will HAVE to "integrate to CD" for it to work (procedure as indicated above)!

Sorry for "YELLING", getting frustrated! Read carefully, think about what you read, follow instructions to-the-letter, and you are good to go. I've (and many other "experts") have been through this scenario a number of times without failures.

(p.s. the BIOS also has a "Save and Exit" setting to LOCK your "Boot Sequence" change - if you don't "save", it will revert back just like not saving a TXT file before exiting.)

(AND - only boot from CD first time, not after the Re-Install boot, i.e. second, third, n-th auto-reboot)

The BLUE-UNDERSCORED stuff (everywhere) are LINKS - click on them! They are NOT just 'Highlited" text.

Edited April 27, 2011 by submix8c

[HarrisonS]

Disaster! I performed the repair install, carefully following the procedure "How to Perform a Windows XP Install link" link. Everything seemed to go smoothly, until near the end, after the reboot. Then I got a lagrge Message Box which read:

"An error has been encountered that prevents Setup from continuing.

Setup failed to install the product catalogs. This is a fatal error. The setup log files should contain more information.

Press OK to view the Setup log file."

After looking at the log file, it was clear that the complaint was about the Computer Name, which contained an underscore. In essence it read:

"… the DNS name may not be added to the DNS database because the Computer Name contains the underscore character…

… please verify that the DNS server allows host DNS names to contain the underscore character, or change the Computer Name …

The signature for Windows XP Upgrade is invalid. The error code is 426."

Unfortunately, I can't change the computer name because there is no way to get to the Control Panel to change it, and it cannot be accessed from the BIOS Setup Utility. I don't understand why this is important anyway, since the computer was not connected to any network.

Now whenever I turn on the computer, it goes straight into Setup, which is forever doomed to failure, with the same message popping up each time! At least I can get to the BIOS utility, but that is all. Any suggestions?

[submix8c]

Setup failed to install the product catalogs

(sigh!) Did you slipstream SP3 into your CD as recommended? Probably not...

Plan on losing everything on the HDD from here on in (All software, etc. Hope you have the original CD's and Keys).

1 - Boot to CD and enter Recovery Console (if possible - it's listed at boot)

2 - Enter this at the Command Prompt - "chkdsk c: /r" (without the quotes) and press ENTER

--- If there's nothing wrong with the HDD you're good for next step

--- If there are Sector Errors, you may have a Physical HDD problem (BAD!!!)

3 - Reboot to the CD and select the Install

4 - When come to the screen where it FINDS the preexisting Windows DELETE the Partition

--- At this point, everything is GONE!

5 - Reboot to the CD and install as if you JUST PUT A NEW HDD in (Clean Install)

--- IOW, "follow the yellow brick road"

Note: Be aware that undoubtedly some (if not all) non-critical Drivers will be missing. This is a different issue and relatively easy to resolve (later!).

WARNING! This had BETTER be a Full XP Home CD so BEFORE doing the above...

a - Post the contents of the CD's SETUPP.INI (found in the I386 folder of the CD)

--- Opens with Notepad so Copy what's inside Notepad to your next post

b - Provide the Date of any File or Folder that's on the CD. They should all be the exact same Date/Time

--- If they're not you have a bogus CD (you said it was Hologrammed but that may mean nothing)

== "a" is to confirm whether Retail (or not) Upgrade-Only or Full

== (if Upgrade-Only, you have another problem!)

== "b" is to determine what level Service Pack

== (also determined by filename SPn.CAT in the I386 folder, where "n" is 1, 2, or 3 IF IT EXISTS!)

Edited April 28, 2011 by submix8c

[dencorso]

c. Post the volume label of the CD (ref. Product IDs at Lunarsoft Wiki).

d. Wait until any of us replies whether it's OK or not to proceed, before going on.

[HarrisonS]

c. Post the volume label of the CD (ref. Product IDs at Lunarsoft Wiki).

d. Wait until any of us replies whether it's OK or not to proceed, before going on.

On the CD itself is the number 0304 Part No. X10-52221

On the jacket the CD came in:

On tht product key label I found the number X10-56478

and

Below the bar code (Probably the SKU number) X10-70275 and nearby 0804 Part No. X10-70275

None of these seems to match anything in the link, but still the CD does seem to be an authentic Microsoft issue, with holographic label and a holographic Microsoft logo.

[HarrisonS]

Here is what is in the SETUPP.INI in the I386 folder:

[Pid]

ExtraData=70656C7063627770737A9EA8ADEC29

Pid=76475000

The date/Time stamps of all files (there are hundreds, if not thousands) all appear to be identical: 8/4/2004 at 5:00 AM. The label indicates that it includes Service Pack 2.

Edited April 29, 2011 by HarrisonS