COA Question

I bought a laptop and it has the COA serial number on the under side, the problem is it is loaded with a copy that has a different serial. I can't install Win media player 11 and some other MS software. it gives me the (you are a victim of pirated software message). How do I activate the original serial?

 

You don't have to do that!

The laptop MUST be sold with its OEM license (assuming it is such), so bowrabob can legally re-install a copy of THAT software. He has the license to do it.

Have you tried activating the software? If it gives you an invalid product key message, it will also give you the opportunity to change the product key.

 

Yeah well perhaps. I have this all the time with XP. I have a system with a COA, and pre-installed XP. I have the original CD disk. Right so I want to reinstall the OS, and i reinstall it and then bang, get hit with the you have to call MS to register your licence. I do, and they refuse to register the licence saying the COA is on the computer not on the CD case and that therefore MS are not responsible for registering the software, and it must be done by the computer builder. So where is the MS legal responsibility there?

 

How do you activate the software?

 

well by opening the Windows Product Activation Wizard by clicking Start, then Run, and then typing "oobe/msoobe /a". But to be frank it will already tell you that you have activated windows. What you need is to switch the licence.

 

Say WHAT?

Register your license? What do you mean? I thought registration was optional?

Do you mean activate the software? If so, I run into this situation ALL THE TIME, and MS has never been a problem.

I can even recall the questions they ask:

1. Why are you activating this software? (I usually say I'm rebuilding the machine)
2. Did this software come pre-installed, or is it a retail copy? (Most times its OEM, so I say pre-installed)
3. How many machines is this software installed on? (I say one - I use the CD on MANY machines, but only 1 license per machine)

And that's the WORST difficulty I've ever had. I'd be outraged if they denied me!

 

Yeah sorry activate is what I meant. yeah this used to be how it was. I have done it this way a lot too. but a few months ago it changed to the situaiton i said above. Unless its changed back again since, I doubt it has, prepared to be outraged.

 

Use Rock XP http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4138.html to change the product key. You should then be able to go through Windows activation process normally, unless you have a XP home COA and the XP Pro OS is installed. In that case, you will need to get a disc with the proper OS and then your product key will work.

 

I tried the windows activation thing and it said it is already activated, I will give Microsoft a call and see what they will do.

 

You had bad luck. The process is word for word how Mada said it is.

 

Well like I say did not work the last few times for the reasons outlined. I am based in the UK, contacted MS and the conversation always [I have attempted this often] goes as follows:

1) Why are you activating this software? I say I am reinstalling it.
2) Did this software come pre-installed, or is it a retail copy? pre-installed
3) We are unable to activate the OS. you must contact your vendor.

JUSTIFICATION - If the COA sticker is on the CD then MS has the responsibility to activate the OS. If the COA is on the computer then it is the hardware supplier who is responsible.

If you have truly got this to work any other way from the UK in the last 4 months then please let me know otherwise I will continue to think MS are screwing me over because - see previous and that it is no longer possible to activate XP as you outline.

I should point out that I have used the process as Mada outlined many times [I break a lot of O/S's], and it worked up to a few months ago when - see previous.