Activating Windows problem.

I have a PC that has Windows XP installed. It was having some problems when I was trying to do different things like opening IE or other programs. So I ran the repair option from the install CD. Now it comes up with the following Message : This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log on. Do you want to activate Windows now?". At this point I hit the YES option. I then see the desktop with no icons and that's it. Has any one seen this before? Do I need to reinstall the OS and lose all that I have installed?

Thanks.

 

What make and model of PC?

What sort of repair did you do?

I'm not certain but I think I have seen that error when you try to boot from a recovery partition rather than the Windows partition.

 

(assuming you're on an XP machine)

If you can get into safe mode, try and install IE 8.download it here if this was on the machine previously and then you try and reactivate windows, it'll geek out like what you're mentioning.

 

De sided to pull data off HD and reload OS.

Thanks anyway.