Windows Activation process closed after execution

[shirker]

Hey all !!

This thread is about msoobe.exe process, started with this /A commandline switch:

D:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\OOBE\msoobe.exe /A

1. This started occuring soon after installing fresh Windows XP Pro SP1, and that's about it. First few boots, I got that blue window, reminding me to activate the copy of Windows, but then it just stoped poping-up, so I first thought, it is because I do not use Explorer as Windows shell (but Blackbox for Windows), but then I discovered that it's the same with Explorer running as OS's shell.

I also then reverted all security hacks, Policy settings, IE and Explorer's restrictions, set "possibly" related services to Automatic startup-type, etc., that might cause this, but none actually helped, and also the wpabaln.exe process (i.e., Windows WPA Balloon Reminder) is not the cause, because it doesn't matter it it's running or not, the Activate

See few related links here:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation.mspx

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=23259&clcid=0x409

Windows Eventviewer's Event Info - Activation

2. Here are the two examples of setuplog.txt in my D:\WINDOWS\ directory:

Time,File,Line,Tag,Message

12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1127,,SetupOobeInitDebugLog
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\main.cpp,601,,OOBE run with the following parameters: "D:\WINDOWS\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe" /A
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1246,,OpenSCManager succeeded
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1250,,OpenService succeeded
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1382,,CObMain::Init() succeeded.
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,7835,,IsScriptingEnabled: ProcessUrlAction on D:\WINDOWS\System32\OOBE\msobshel.htm returned hr=0x0
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1144,,SetupOobeInitPreServices
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1956,,iWindowHeight:530
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1957,,iWindowWidth:640
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:05:47,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,2068,,ERROR - Unable to create license agent.
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\main.cpp,184,,Starting IE because HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard\Completed = 1
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1217,,SetupOobeCleanup
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:05:48,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\main.cpp,921,,OOBE has finished.

Time,File,Line,Tag,Message

12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1127,,SetupOobeInitDebugLog
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\main.cpp,601,,OOBE run with the following parameters: "D:\WINDOWS\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe" /A
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1246,,OpenSCManager succeeded
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1250,,OpenService succeeded
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1382,,CObMain::Init() succeeded.
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,7835,,IsScriptingEnabled: ProcessUrlAction on D:\WINDOWS\System32\OOBE\msobshel.htm returned hr=0x0
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1144,,SetupOobeInitPreServices
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1956,,iWindowHeight:530
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,1957,,iWindowWidth:640
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,32,,CUnknown: Using nondelegating IUnknown.
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\msobmain.cpp,2068,,ERROR - Unable to create license agent.
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\syssetup\oobe.c,1217,,SetupOobeCleanup
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpclient\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\common\cunknown.cpp,60,,FinalRelease
12/21/2004 23:09:43,d:\xpsp1\base\ntsetup\oobe\msobmain\main.cpp,921,,OOBE has finished.

Thanks for any explanation why is this happening, and how to solve it.

[shirker]

Oh well, finally I've discovered what was wrong !!

See the screenshot here:

As you can see it was that option I checked in the xp-Antispy program (the screenshot above), which is somehow related to licdll.dll and disabling WPA. I also did that previously (previous Windows XP installations), but there were no WPA method/procedure bundled into previous Windows XP package.

Luckily the 30-day period is still pending.

shirker