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Anothe XP Activation problem
What happened is that my Vista machine (Dell Inspiron 530) began booting up to a black screen, albeit one with the mouse pointer, which did work. But other than that, just black. Cntrl/Alt/Delete did nothing, and while I could access safe mode through the F8 key, it, and all the other options on that screen only brought me to that same black screen. My girlfriend has misplaced the Vista disks that she say we did have at one time...a
I had backed everything of any importance, and since I was never in love with Vista anyway (it was already installed on the PC when I bought it, new, a few years ago), I simply got out an old Windows XP CD from an old Gateway that had long since bit the dust, and installed XP onto the Vista machine.
I had to labor mightily to get all the drivers, since the device manager was a mass of yellow question marks, but eventually I got them, and updated Internet Explorer to IE8, and installed Flash, etc, etc.
Never heard peep one about any product code when I installed XP. But the next day when I boot up, I see a message about 30 days left to activate Windows. I clicked on the icon in the notification area, and I get the message that Windows has already been activated. I give a mental shrug, and ignore it.
Next day, same thing. Same result. Next day, yesterday, when I click on the icon I get taken to an activation screen. With apparently extreme naiveté, I enter the product code on the MS sticker on my PC. Nada. I do it again. Nothing.
I hit the button to activate by phone, call the number and read off the 9, 5 or 6 digit groups of numbers that displayed on the screen to an actual human. She says to hold on a minute. I looked at my watch. 12 minutes and 35 seconds later I hung up without ever hearing her voice again.
Further phone calls to MS have informed me that my Vista code won't work to activate XP. And they can offer me no other assistance other than to suggest I go to ebay and buy yet another copy of XP so I can enter THAT product code from the box.
I explain to them that I've already purchased a de facto copy of Vista that came with the machine, and I hardly see why I should have to shell out anything more. It's not like I'm trying to go from Windows 98 to Vista - I'm simply trying to 'downgrade' (if you will) Vista (which had stopped working anyway) to XP.
The old Gateway XP CD does work, since I had a friend who had XP, and his PC would not boot without the blue screen of death. I re-installed XP on his PC, entered the product code from the sticker on the back of his Compaq, and he was good to go....
Can anybody suggest ANYTHING before the rest of my 30 days are up? I'm perfectly willing to read MS my Vista product code - it IS legitimate. Seems like they should simply be able to invalidate that key once they confirmed its legitimacy, and issue me a new XP code. Or just let the validation by telephone go through... maybe 12:35 wasn't long enough to wait?
ieee488
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March 22nd, 2010 13:00
You have been told by Microsoft the situation.
RoHe
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March 22nd, 2010 13:00
And if I may add, if that same CD and product code were used to install XP on the Gateway, it's not LEGAL to be installing it on your Dell. You're only allowed to install the OS on one machine.
If the XP CD came with the Gateway, it can only legally be installed on a Gateway. If it was a retail version of XP, it still can only be installed on one PC.
If you're in the US, you can request a replacement Vista disk from Dell. They may now be charging $10-$20 for S/H but in the past, you could get the disk entirely free one time only.
Ron
EDIT: JackShack typed faster than I did...again! :emotion-3:
jackshack
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March 22nd, 2010 13:00
By Microsoft rules, only Vista Business and Vista Ultimate have downgrade rights, and the only thing you are allowed to downgrade to is Windows XP Professional. Any other combination is not allowed under the terms of the End User License Agreement.
Your choices are to:
1) Reinstall Vista; if your computer is a Dell and was delivered with Vista you can contact Dell Tech Support for your region and request a replacement installation CD. If you live in the U.S., you can use this form to make the request: Dell Replacement CD. You can also search your archives to see if you can find the missing CDs.
2) Follow the suggestion of the Microsoft representative and purchase a copy of Windows XP, or whatever operating system you wish.
I'm afraid there just are no other choices.
ejn63
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March 22nd, 2010 16:00
You've been given the correct answer by Microsoft, and now by three forum users - it is not they who are wrong, but you. You simply do not understand the process of SLK (system locked keys). Each OEM is issued a system-locked copy of Windows that will not install without activation other than on its systems. You cannot use a Gateway disc in a Dell - or a Lenovo disc on a Sony.
And you agreed to the license when you first turned on the system.
If you need a copy of your Dell OEM Windows CD, you can order one. If you're looking for XP rather than what you bought with the system, buy it at retail.
ieee488
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March 22nd, 2010 16:00
He doesn't have a Dell OEM Windows CD. His PC came with Vista and obviously not a Vista version that allows for legal downgrade to XP, so his only option to get XP is to buy a retail copy of it.
boweasel
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March 22nd, 2010 16:00
Needless to say, I fail to understand Microsoft's pretzel logic...
I used a legitimate copy of a Windows XP CD that came with a legitimately purchased Gateway PC and used that CD to reinstall XP on a friend's legitimately purchased PC. My friend's PC did not come with a CD, but mine did. After installing XP on his machine I was prompted to enter the product code. I entered the product code from HIS PC - the one on the little sticker on the butt end of the tower.
What could possibly be wrong with that? Two valid and lawful PCs running Win XP with two separate and valid product codes before my friend's problem - the same two running with the original product codes after... I simply used my CD to 'repair' his operating system.
I think Bill Gates has some of you people so brainwashed to his avaricious methodologies that you've lost the ability to actually tell right from wrong.
ieee488
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March 22nd, 2010 16:00
First, we didn't say we have to agree with Microsoft. We are telling what is.
Second, you clearly are NOT understanding what we have written.
You don't have two valid Windows XP keys. You have one. The one on the Gateway PC. That is fine that you use that Windows key to re-install XP on the Gateway.
You don't have a valid Windows XP key for your Dell PC. Just because you have a PC with Vista does not give you the right to on your own decide to "downgrade" to Vista unless your Vista is Vista Business or Vista Ultimate.
ejn63
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March 22nd, 2010 17:00
You can order a Dell Vista DVD here
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form
boweasel
21 Posts
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March 22nd, 2010 17:00
So what exactly should I have done? I had no Vista disk, no way to acccess the recovery partition, and I needed to get the PC up and running ASAP. In my mind, since the old Gateway XP is enjoying its new life in a landfill, there seemed to be no reason way that the CD that came with it should not be used. I needed a computer. And my Vista had (actually, still has) a valid product key.
Two valid product keys that I paid for - Zero working computers. It bears repeating: " I think Bill Gates has some of you people so brainwashed to his avaricious methodologies that you've lost the ability to actually tell right from wrong".
Because this is wrong. And if you don't see that its wrong, I feel even more apprehensive about the future of America than I did even an hour ago.
ieee488
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March 22nd, 2010 18:00
The legality is that you only purchased a license to use Windows XP on your now dead Gateway. When the Gateway went bye bye. Your license went bye bye.
You seem to equate having a Windows CD with the right to do whatever you want with Windows XP. That is not so. Microsoft has seen to that.
theflash1932
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March 22nd, 2010 20:00
Your arguments are completely ridiculous and you are totally missing the point. You bought a computer that came with an OS - that OS was sold with the machine at a large discount (compared to buying a full retail copy). With your discounted OS came discounted rights - those discounted rights have been explained to you here already - several times - in enough variation that you have to understand by now. Brainwashed? No, we are just professionals that understand the rules. You asked the question ... don't belittle and get mad at us when you don't like the answer.