Exceeded maximum number of installs (WinXP)

[Melhisedek]

Well I got this error this morning when I tried to activate my copy of Win XP Home...
How could this be possible? Please don't tell me that I can't install bloody thing as many times as I wish ? This is madness.
Win XP Home Swedish
OEM version ( got it installed with my rig ) reformated perhaps 5-10 times max.

Thank you for your time!

[OSUmaxx]

If you are legit and it won't let you activate over the internet, call the telephone number and they'll help you out.

[Melhisedek]

Yeah I'm legit but I don't understand why you can't install x nr of times :/

[autoMATTic]

Microsoft would lose money that way. If you want to install Windows on more computers u can buy more copies of Windows or buy licenses. Thats how they are so rich. There not like games where u can install it on multiple computers. Or you can get corp....

[Ian Cody]

Same thing happened to me! I've only been installing it on one machine, too. Guess ill have to really read that agreement deal next time.

Just got WinXP Pro tho, also have Drive Image. Hoping i wont have to activate the image, havent tried that out yet.

[mbentley]

you can install windows xp an unlimited number of times as long as you only have it installed on one machine. i see tons of these threads where people think they have to buy a new copy of windows xp when that message comes up...

just like others said, call their support number and simply explain you are reinstalling. they will give you an activation key that will activate windows fully. no problem...

[Audioaficionado]

Corp is nice to have :)

But I like s2k3ws better.

[itizme]

Same sort of thing happened to me, took my pc in to have a vid card tested, the jerks reformatted after I told them not to touch anything software related and to just think of what they thought about my tearing problem.
The short of it is that when I went to register it came up with the microsoft number to call so I had no choice but to do it. The god honest truth was they were absolutely delighted to help me get a new number as I provided them with legitimate information.
They are smart but they also support the smarts with the correct service for legit users.

I am sure you will find dealing with them to be a positive thing.

[Smartiepants]

Yeah they have been very good, at first I was hesitant to call, but they gave it no problems. And were friendly as well.

[The_Jizzler]

its still a major pain to have to deal with AFTER youve shelled out a $100+ on the thing. corp is definately the way to go!

[amazon10x]

How much does corp cost?

[engjohn]

from MS's website....

How are businesses supposed to activate software on dozens or even hundreds of machines? This can't be done efficiently.

That is why Microsoft Corp. does NOT require customers who acquire their licenses through one of its volume licensing agreements, such as Open License and Select License, to activate most of their licenses. For example, a customer can acquire licenses through the Microsoft® Open License Agreement program with an initial purchase of just five licenses. Customers in these programs will be required to use a Volume License Product Key (VLK) when installing products with Product Activation. Using the VLK will bypass activation. Customers can use Microsoft's documented deployment tools such as Custom Installation Wizard (CIW) in Office XP or Office 2003 and unattended setup in the Windows® XP operating system to automate product key entry into network and custom CD install images so that end users are never prompted to enter a product key during product installation.

[autoMATTic]

Originally posted by amazon10x
How much does corp cost?

I've heard it can be as high as free.

[daemoslives]

If you want a windows XP install that you can use an unlimited number of times on a single PC, just install xp, and ghost the drive.

Then boom, you got a backup you can use 999999999999999 times, or until god knows what happens to that cd.

One of my friends modded his dvd drive with a clear cover, and a defective disc (we think it was) exploded due to the high rotational speed of the drive.
Quite a sight to see, watching that drowning pool cd go pow:eek:
Cleaning the tiny bits of cdrom out of the drive was not fun though, thank god for canned air

[mbentley]

as for the ghosting and restoring that image that you took, it will only work as long as the hardware remains pretty much the same. if you change around a good number of the devices and all of the sudden you ghost this image back to the hard drive and it sees 10 things different, it very well may ask you to confirm that you own this copy of windows (pull up the activation wizard). if you have ever pulled a hd that has winxp on it and put it into another computer to try to boot, you may know what i am talking about. it will lock you out until you get windows reactivated.

but yes, as long as you keep your hardware pretty much the same, there shouldn't be a problem with ghosting your hard drive and restoring it...

[Melhisedek]

If I understand correctly when you ghost your drive you just copy all the info of it right ?
If I want to reformat I just "regost" it back ?

How big are such ghost images and how do they work ? It's great not to need to install all the programs and drivers and updates.
What is the best program to do "ghosting" with ?

Thank you for your time!

[simpleman]

i have xp pro corp and i love it, i know i've used the same # 50 times

[stool]

Norton Ghost

[mbentley]

Originally posted by Melhisedek
If I understand correctly when you ghost your drive you just copy all the info of it right ?
If I want to reformat I just "regost" it back ?

How big are such ghost images and how do they work ? It's great not to need to install all the programs and drivers and updates.
What is the best program to do "ghosting" with ?

Thank you for your time!

if you are going to go the ghosting route (an excelent idea if you have a tendency to need to start fresh with your os), i would definitely go with stool's suggestion of norton ghost. check out their website (easy to find with a quick google search) and it will give you some good info about the program. i've seen it used at my mom's elementary school and it makes the admin's job a cakewalk when restoring ~100 computers :)

one thing i left out before from my post above is that even if windows does pop up the activation wizard if your hardware did change quite a bit since you last ghosted, you still don't have to reinstall every program, so ghosting is a very good solution, i just wanted to make that clear. :)

[caddyg1]

I have had to call Microsoft so many times due to hardware changes (Overclocking) I have them Speed Dialed into my phone! It is a major pain in the A$$ . it's like I need permission to make changes to my Machine; However they always are prompt and friendly even at all hours of the night. I have made 2 formal complaints....I understand they need to protect their precious software, but the only ppl they are affecting are the legitimate users. I might as well own a legit copy and run Corp. instead.

[Th0r]

Well you think this is bad, wait until Longhorn... one slight mistake could cost you an arm and a leg...

[deathman20]

Well if you get a reactivate message sometimes it deals with hardware. That you've changed the configuration of it too much and require a reactivation. Had that happen a couple times, its a real pain when you can't find the XP disk.

[dreamtfk]

Could someone be kind enough to give me the telephone number? When I click on activate windows in system tools I get an invalid link error.

[TazExtreme3]

1-888-571-2048

[caddyg1]

Yep that's the # stored in my phone.. :-) Oh and having the XP disk doesn't help with Reactivation..........

[amazon10x]

I just use win2k, solves all the reactivation crap, and, from what I hear and know, XP is essentially the same as 2k, it just has makeup on.

[mbentley]

Originally posted by amazon10x
I just use win2k, solves all the reactivation crap, and, from what I hear and know, XP is essentially the same as 2k, it just has makeup on.

very true. basically windows xp pro is win2k pro but with some more wizards and the added color. there is no major differences from winxp pro to win2k. if you can run one, you can run the other. for a good part, win2k can use all the winxp drivers as well, but that is only most of the time from what i have found. there are times when you need special winxp drivers, but i find that most drivers will work for both win2k and winxp as long as they are designed for one or the other.

[aftermath]

ntfs changed with xp otherwise xp = nt 5.01

i get stuck with serches on xp theres a wizard and a talking effort in my way and to use xp i have to first get a decent start bar then get rid of telly tubby land of the desttop. Why do profesonals need telly tubbies?

[mbentley]

Originally posted by aftermath
ntfs changed with xp otherwise xp = nt 5.01

i get stuck with serches on xp theres a wizard and a talking effort in my way and to use xp i have to first get a decent start bar then get rid of telly tubby land of the desttop. Why do profesonals need telly tubbies?

to keep up with the operating systems that apple puts out in terms to being a "fisher price" os as i like to call it :D

[Yamiyanazz]

Yeah...my DVD drive came unplugged, and Microsoft was like "yo, dude. Your computer has changed. Give me money and re-activate with your CD key that can no longer be used, yo." It bothered me. I may have to call into M$ sometime and talk to them about it...I get scared to install any more hardware or change any settings!

[Band-aid]

in all the times i have called MS to reactivate XP pro, they have never once asked me anything about it. one particular time i had to re activate several times in one day, no problem.
that makes the whole activation thing pointless. if they don't care how many times MY copy get activated by me then anyone can use it.
but then i have not had to call them in a while, so long as i don't change too much hardware i can reuse my wpa.dbl.

[autoMATTic]

Originally posted by Yamiyanazz
Yeah...my DVD drive came unplugged, and Microsoft was like "yo, dude. Your computer has changed. Give me money and re-activate with your CD key that can no longer be used, yo." It bothered me. I may have to call into M$ sometime and talk to them about it...I get scared to install any more hardware or change any settings!

Yeah one time my copy of windows tried to get smart with me after I kept pushing my system trying to overclock it. I had it overclocked like 200 mhz then I tried to push it more than my board reset the bios by itself so when I booted up it said I had a different cpu and that some file was corrupted, like C:\windows\system32 or something. I knew it was all bologna so I just reset and everything was all gravy.

[UPCguy21]

Some was mentioning longhorn, bah. I will be glad when linux gets better. If they get linux to where it can run all my windows stuff, forget microsoft. But like now, I don't think linux can do all the games and what not that windows can. But when they get to that level, forget about windows. Just my humble opinion.

[deRusett]

Originally posted by UPCguy21
Some was mentioning longhorn, bah. I will be glad when linux gets better. If they get linux to where it can run all my windows stuff, forget microsoft. But like now, I don't think linux can do all the games and what not that windows can. But when they get to that level, forget about windows. Just my humble opinion.

Linux has a LONG LONG LONG way to go before it will be "better" then windows, for lack of a better word

I have the newest Mandrake 9.2 and its not nearly as user Friendly as my XP Pro, nor is it nearly as easy to install plug ins, or Customize the look and feel of the OS,



As For Activation, I have only had to call MS once, and it took maybe 15 minutes of my time and I was off to the Races.