Access Windows XP Activation Expired PC

[JonnyAlpha]

OK Heres the problem - At Christmas I gave my old PC to on of my kids, after first reformatting the HDD and re-installing Windows XP Home and SP 3 (That's not all she got if anyones thinking Im a Scrooge).
Anyway I thought I had set everything up OK and to avoid re-activating a copy of XP that's been activated many times before I installed a WPA workaround for SP3.

Anyway while I've been back at my home my kids have phoned saying the the PC now won't boot saying that it needs activating, I'm guessing something has failed with the WPA workaround??!?!?

I need to help them out over the phone but I'm not sure how to fix the problem for them, the other problem is that the Window XP CD is with me in my CD wallet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Ta

[JonnyAlpha]

Anyone reading this I sussed it out.

Found a couple of links giving information on how to access a PC when Windows Activation had expired:

When the Windows activation has expired click YES and then click the Windows Key and U together, this will bring up the narrator, the narrator window has a link to access the Microsoft Web Site - hey presto this will open up Internet Explorer and give you Internet access.
But it gets even better than that from the address bar you can access all drives even removable ones, just simply type C:/ or D:/ or whatever the drive letter is and hit return and you can now navigate through your PC.

All the best.

[pretygirl]

Thanks for the suggestion, I wish it had worked.:thumb:
[/URL][URL="http://sonneriegratuite.org/"] (http://sonneriegratuite.org/)

[CandyKid]

Or you can just email microsoft and explain the situation. There's a couple little things you have to send them and they will re-issue a license, re-activate for you, or tell you off. Either way, at least you tried. I've always had good luck.

[mikeiver]

IF the copy is legal then just install it as you normally would. It will for sure bonk on the key being over used. Call MS on the number they give. Talk with the "dot head" and tell them when they ask why the key has been used so many times that it is a windows machine and runs just about every virus, worm, and any other crap the Aholes can think up and that you need to use your machine. In order to do this one needs to rebuild the machine now and then, mostly now with XP. I have run into this many times in the past and they are good about reactivating the key or just generating a new one for you.

Mike