I'm really annoyed

[14k]

I have checked and retyped it numerous times, but it keeps coming up with "The Product Id you entered is not valid"

What am I supposed to do now. It cost me over £100!!

 

[DaveSimmons]

Call Microsoft.

 

[jbritt1234]

Wow! Is this a boxed copy? OEM? Burned Copy?

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Call Microsoft.

Its painless as well.

Call them.

 

[theMan]

not really hard to get a key...

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: theman
not really hard to get a key...

that is if you want to deal w/ the whole windowsupdate certification stuff...


I myself would much rather have a real copy.

Anyways, just clal microsoft

 

[Looney]

You're either entering the key incorrectly, or you're using a key on the wrong version of XP.

 

[14k]

OEM version of Windows XP Pro SP2 on a self build computer.

They key was on a label on the packet which I peeled off and stuck on the side of the computer.

Just called microsoft and they say they can't provide support on an OEM version as it is supposed to be pre-installed by the manufacturer. I have to contact the seller of my Windows XP OEM (ebuyer) (to say what!!?) or go out and buy the retail version (for £285!!)

:disgust::frown:

Am I installing it wrong? All I did was put the PC together from parts also bought from ebuyer, boot to CD, CD loads, Windows installs, asks for product key, enter product key.."The Product Id you entered is not valid"

:thumbsdown:

 

[Fingolfin269]

You need to contact whoever you bought the CD from like Dell said. Get a new one or report them to whoever you report fraudulent sales to in your country.

 

[14k]

Ok, I have made a minor breakthrough? There is a piece of paper in the box which says "Don't use volume license media to install the initial operating system license on your new PC" Does this mean there is some sort of other product key I need to enter at the installation stage - then the product key on the actual label is used elsewhere to validate?

Also on this piece of paper it says "Do build new PCs preinstalled with genuine OEM Operating System Software" This is what I'm trying to do! I am trying to 'preinstall' my new PC with windows!.. but it's not working.

Why do Microsoft make it so difficult!?

I guess I'm going to have to return this (I might not even be allowed to). If anyone can shed any light on this before tomorrow that would be much appreciated as after that I think for sure they won't let me return.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
You need to contact whoever you bought the CD from like Dell said. Get a new one or report them to whoever you report fraudulent sales to in your country.

:thumbsup:

Common media and key types (you can't use one type of media with a different type of key):

1) Volume - These are intended for businesses. They often don't require activation. Use of a Volume License by a non-licensee is not kosher. This is an "Upgrade-only" license, not a full license. You must already own a license for a qualifying upgradeable OS on the same system.
2) OEM - Intended for system builders to build new PCs with. System-specific OEM software (i.e. Dell or HP) is not to be installed on other brands of hardware. Can't be moved from the original system to a new system.
3) Retail - Boxed software. Can be freel moved from one system to another.

 

[thescreensavers]

You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

 

[Looney]

Are you using the same OEM CD that came with that key? Or did you pick up another OEM CD? If you did, then that's the problem.

 

[14k]

Originally posted by: Looney
Are you using the same OEM CD that came with that key? Or did you pick up another OEM CD? If you did, then that's the problem.

OEM CD straight out of the packet. Product key from the packet.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

at least the people who never learned how to use a phone :roll:

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

wow. just wow. people download them because they are pirates and too cheap to purchase the software. thieves. period. if you buy the correct version of windows and have a clue you won't have a problem installing it. justifying stealing because microsoft has released various versions of windows (not intended for you to use) is pretty weak imho.

 

[erikistired]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=27&threadid=1843291&enterthread=y

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

wow. just wow. people download them because they are pirates and too cheap to purchase the software. thieves. period. if you buy the correct version of windows and have a clue you won't have a problem installing it. justifying stealing because microsoft has released various versions of windows (not intended for you to use) is pretty weak imho.

Maybe, but I definitely see his point. I've got 4 PC's running various versions of XP (2 Home and 2 Pro - all legit copies) at my house, and every little adjustment to any of the systems - even so much as adding a stick of RAM - seems to invalidate my activation code, such that I've got to re-activate. If that weren't bad enough, over-the-net activation seems to be down half the time, and I'm left having to call in to India or wherever their activation center is located to read some stupid code to some CSR and wait for another huge code to make XP work again. I've done this at least 5+ times. It's definitely driven me to madness on occasion, and though I never pirate, I can certainly see the temptation if they're going to treat legit users like this.

 

[Runes911]

Originally posted by: Mursilis

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

wow. just wow. people download them because they are pirates and too cheap to purchase the software. thieves. period. if you buy the correct version of windows and have a clue you won't have a problem installing it. justifying stealing because microsoft has released various versions of windows (not intended for you to use) is pretty weak imho.

Maybe, but I definitely see his point. I've got 4 PC's running various versions of XP (2 Home and 2 Pro - all legit copies) at my house, and every little adjustment to any of the systems - even so much as adding a stick of RAM - seems to invalidate my activation code, such that I've got to re-activate. If that weren't bad enough, over-the-net activation seems to be down half the time, and I'm left having to call in to India or wherever their activation center is located to read some stupid code to some CSR and wait for another huge code to make XP work again. I've done this at least 5+ times. It's definitely driven me to madness on occasion, and though I never pirate, I can certainly see the temptation if they're going to treat legit users like this.

Exactly. I got sick of doing it myself. I have a legal copy of XP for every computer I own, guess how many are actually installed.

 

[erikistired]

full copies or OEM?

being a legit user doesn't entitle you to OEM software to save a few bucks. if you want to pay less you have to deal with the hassles invovled. period. it's not like it's a secret, when you buy an OEM license it's tied to one machine and is not meant to be moved from machine to machine. microsoft has decided that motherboard == machine. period.

the only time i've ever had to call in with my OEM copy of xp is when i've changed the motherboard or reinstalled more than a few times in a week span. for the money i saved buying OEM it's worth the hassle to me. my copy of xp pro is full retail (well upgrade, but still retail) and i've never had to call in. i'm sorry but i'm going to call BS on having to reactivate due to adding ram. i've changed ram completely, changed video cards and never had the problem.

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR MATEY.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: fisher
full copies or OEM?

My copies of XP include 1 OEM full copy of XP Pro, 1 retail full copy of XP Pro, and 2 retail upgrade copies of XP Home.

i'm sorry but i'm going to call BS on having to reactivate due to adding ram. i've changed ram completely, changed video cards and never had the problem.

<shrug> Whatever. It's not like I care whether you believe me or not, but it's a true story. I've also added RAM without having to reactivate, so I'm not saying adding RAM always results in reactivation, but it has happened. I've swapped out all sorts of parts in my various machines, and can't find any real pattern as to what causes XP to need reactivation. I've stopped trying to figure out what causes activation codes to go 'bad'. I just know I think the process is a huge pain in the rear.

 

[erikistired]

according to them it's the motherboard. sorry, it's not that i don't want to believe you, it's just something i've never seen before and i've had to install/reinstall xp on numbers of system for various reasons. it ~shouldn't~ happen, but perhaps xp saw the ram as a motherboard change for some reason. according to what i've seen the key is tied to your motherboard, because that's what MS considers your "system" when you buy a pc with OEM software installed on it.

i have yet to have to call in for an auth code on my retail copy of xp, but i haven't really had to reinstall it much. my home version is OEM and it doesn't like new motherboards or being installed too many times in a week (unfortunately my ADD and OCD makes me reinstall sometimes when i probably don't need to, like when i've upgrade my chipset or video drivers too many times and become convinced they aren't stable).

sorry you've had so many problems, but i still don't think it condones pirating the operating system.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Similar story here: last time I did a full format/reinstall, my key stopped being accepted. Now I have three legit copies of win xp pro I got from UCLA during my undergrad days, and while I've had to call in a couple of times for major/minor component upgrades for those copies, this was the first time any one of my keys just stopped working. It's as if the key wasn't valid anymore. Confused as hell, I called the MS authentication phone number they have, and a couple of mins later, they verified my key anyways - no explanation. Just gave me the code to type in, and the verification crap went away. Weird. But it happens I guess. So if you have a legit key, but it stops working, just call it in. The ****** is finicky.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
You see this is why PPL start Downlaoding OS's B/C its so hard to get it working for ppl or Microsoft dont give 2 $hits about them....

Or perhaps they need to use such drastic security measures because people download them. So which came first, the chicken or the egg?