XP Home Activation Loop

[Atodini]

Came across a really weird one today, anyone else seen this? XP Home machine - Switch on and it went to a screen telling me that Windows needs to be activated and do I want to activate it? Whichever button selected (yes or no), it goes to the activate Windows page which tells me that it is already activated! click on OK and it goes straight back to the Windows is not activated screen - and so on!!!

When I got it back here and on the bench I found that it booted fine in safe mode which told me all I needed to know concerning the version etc. It was a Dell image, no service packs or patches, corporate Norton and as it definitely is NOT a Dell computer was more than a bit suspect.

Called the customer who informed me that the Admin at his work had upgraded it for him (was Win 98) and he didn't have a copy of the original XP CD (No surprise there!) He also admitted that his Office (2000) & Nero (7) discs were pirates so he was told that he could install them himself but that I recommended he didn't!!

Why oh why do they do this??

After the lecture from me he backed down a bit so I agreed to supply & install a fresh copy of XP Home SP2, plus Norton Internet Security and having done this the computer is now running sweet again. At least he now has some legal discs in his library plus a COA.....

Due to the fact that he needed it back (like yesterday!!) I never had the time to play with the original fault to find out what caused it so if anybody out there has any input???

John

[street1]

You will have to call MS to get a new activation key-code.

"the Admin at his work had upgraded it"

Maybe the Admin tried to activate with an existing activation code in
Microsofts archives and they didn't bite.So he just gave it to the guy
tipped his hat and said"Have a good one."

Probably same xp disk has been used more than a cathouse on payday.

Then again, I'm a basketcase.