??? on Validation.

Installed Windows XP Pro on an older machine in Aug of 2008.
Went online and got Windows updated at that time.
Passed Validation at that time and was activated.
Has not been online since,until now.
Trying to get current updates so I can give to a friend, but now being told that it doesn't pass Validation.
Windows is still running without a notice of activation or any other problems.
How can it pass one time and fail the next?

 

No good.
Says it was to a Volume License Key that had been blocked.
Disk was OEM version and used on only one machine. This one.

 

Best call Microsoft; they tend to be very helpful with validation problems.

 

That's my experience as well. When I switched motherboards the online activation failed me over and over and over... called the number on the screen and talked to a very polite girl somewhere in India who gave me a different code, and that one worked on the first try. Easy-peasy. NExt time I'll call rght away and not waste time on trying the online thing.

 

My experiences with VLKs has been that if there is "too much action" on a particular product key, it gets blocked. It doesn't seem to matter if the product key is 100% clean, legit, legal, whatever. One of my clients is a university professor and is issued VLK copies of Windows and Office. He's been a client for quite a few years, and I've had to perform clean installs of Windows on 3 separate occasions. With each clean Windows install comes a new Office install. Each time was with the same VLK number for Windows, and the same VLK number for Office (it was Office 2003 Professional IIRC, and XP Pro, and obviously XP and Office have completely different keys, but both were volume licenses). Each new OS install was apprx 12-18 months apart. The first two installs went fine, validation and updating weren't a problem. The 3rd Windows install was a nightmare. The OS would not validate. Calls to MS licensing were met with "the volume license has been blocked and is no longer valid; we are sorry for the inconvenience; is there anything else Microsoft can do for you today?". After many calls, I determined that either the key had been "leaked" and way too many people were using it to the point of ridiculousness and MS noticed, or a limited number of validations are allowed for VLKs. It goes without saying that I as the tech took the abuse from the client as it was 'somehow' my fault. I apologized, and informed the client to contact the people at the university responsible for distributing software to employees and professors, since there was nothing else I could do.

I know this doesn't help much (or at all), but I figured I'd describe another 'angle' on the whole VLK/validation issue.

 

One reason that a lot of XP keys may have become blocked was that an earlier version of Belarc Advisor (there may have been others too) listed the key in it's report, so if you uploaded a report to a forum asking for help with something, the key could be Googled and reused.

Here's one.

 

Never did that.
Will try calling MS Support and try to get straightened out.

 

Sent a question about this to MS Support, and now waiting for a reply.
Another question.
Just found out that there were NO Service Packs installed. Disk was supposed to have SP3 on it at installation so I assumed it was covered.
Am now installing SP2,which was the minimum needed to install SP3 package I downloaded from here.
Could the absence of the Service Packs have caused the problem?


Update. SP2 would not install. Said Product Key was invalid.
Well, guess I will wait until I hear from MS.

 

Did you use a genuine Windows CD from the same manufacturer as the PC when you installed XP Pro?

 

Disk was OEM and passed Validation in Aug,2008 when it was installed.

 

OEM keys are not the same as VLK keys.

OEM discs are System Builder, VLK is for the larger PC makers and places like educational establishments.

How to change VLK on XP SP1 and later.

VLK FAQ's.

 

Something to read later.
But still unable to figure out why it was blocked after only 1 use.
Disk was never used on any other machine.
How much "Volume" can 1 machine be?

 

The VLK you used may have been distributed on the internet to thousands of others without your knowledge.

 

Nothing to do with the machine, all to do with the key used. VLK's are to allow cloning and unattended installation without needing activation within large companys that have paid the required Royalties to allow them to do so.

There was a big rewrite of the activation that came into being August 26 2008 which, I think, blocked one of the stolen VLK keys, one which was 'leaked' from Microsoft Training, the so-called Student XP where the key started with V2C47.

 

Not this one, even though in the same month and year.
This one starts with FCKGW.

 

That's the devils 0wn key, it was leaked over a month before XP was released.

 

Mine, or the one you mentioned?

 

Yours, FCKGW.

 

Makes me want to take it back to the computer store I bought it from and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
Edgewise.
Very slowly.

But they couldn't have known, so why bother.
Windows is still working, just unable to update.
Friend is satisfied and they couldn't beat the price.(free)

Guess we can mark this one as done.