Problem with Product ID/Activation

I just finished a successful repair install of a guys PC using his SP1 XP Upgrade disc after replacing the motherboard (something I've done dozens of times with all different versions of XP). Windows is prompting me to activate before I can login and get to the desktop; no big deal. It won't activate via the internet probably because the drivers aren't loaded so I went to use the telephone option. Here's where things get weird. When you choose the phone option, you're given a product ID: normally it is 54 digits made up of 9 groups of 6 digits. However, on this PC it produces 9 groups, 8 have 6 digits as they should, and the last group is only 2 digits!!! Just to see if it would make any difference, I clicked "change product key" and re-entered his product key; same result. I rebooted; same result. I even tried a different upgrade key just to see if would make a difference; it didn't. I'm researching this now at the MSKB and TechNet, but, in the meantime, if anyone else has ever heard of such madness and knows how to deal with it, or has any ideas, I'd really appreciate hearing 'em, no matter how strange they may be.

THANKS!!!

(BTW- I have the dude's original factory Microsoft Windows XP Upgrade disc with the green & orange folder, with the product key on the yellow sticker and it's all legit.... very strange situation here :confused)

 

Hey: I know this isn't the same, but since u asked: I too have changed mobos and had to reregister...and I didn't even have the disk...just the key, and when I got the numbers, they wouldn't punch in, for some reason, but I eventually got a woman on the phone who kind of straightened it out...actually, she just seem to get tired of me, and all of a sudden I got the magic "pass" saying that it was legal/successful, something like that, and since then it's been running fine...so my only weak suggestion, is to try again, to get somebody *live* and they can pretty much make this thing happen, if they want...I made it real clear I was using the same computer, just different motherboard, of course...

Best wishes tho...this stuff'll drive you to linux quicker'en anything...main reason I keep windows around is just so I can remember how to fight malware....

 

:celebrate PROBLEM SOLVED!!! :dancer

Since I found no info anywhere, and was kind of saving calling a MS human as a last resort, I ended up creating a service pack 2 install disc by slipstreaming it into the dude's SP1 disc. I then did another repair install using the SP2 disc, and this time it didn't even prompt for activation. It went straight to the desktop and it's giving me the standard 30 days to re-activate!!!!
:cloud9