Windows XP reinstall blocked - please help

tech_lover · 04-02-2007, 10:55 AM

Hi,

I format my PC every one or two months as i use a lot of trial software, write my own code etc.

I have genuine win XP OEM. This time when i wanted to activate it it said

According to our records the number of times you can activate windows with this product key has been exceeded. Please enter a different product key and click retry.

Now where will i get a new product key?

i called their helpline and keyed in the numbers...still the response was "cannot be activated"

now what do i do?

borg · 04-02-2007, 11:06 AM

Call the helpline again & tell them about it.

tech_lover · 04-02-2007, 11:15 AM

thx borg...will do that...can talk to them only mo-fri 9am to 6pm IST. hope i dont have to buy one more copy now.

anandk · 04-02-2007, 11:47 AM

You can legally install a retail copy of Windows XP on one computer, remove it, and install the same copy using the same product key on a second computer. In theory, you can repeat this process as often as you want, although you probably won’t be able to activate those new copies over the Internet. As long as the hardware is substantially unchanged, you should be able to activate Windows XP over the Internet after any number of reinstallations. http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=90

but yes, activation is known to fail when one has activated "too many times" !
its best u talk to ms only as suggested above...or else then...

some addl info here
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-200

tech_lover · 04-02-2007, 12:30 PM

thx anand,

the hardware is not changed...it is the same pc on which i have formatted and reinstalled.

will talk to ms

rahull · 04-02-2007, 01:58 PM

Check u r PM

What happened was "your friend or relative "Have published Key on net and too many ppls activated with same key lol!!

It's good idea to call tech support Anytime re!