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Lost Product Key
I bought my computer about three years ago which came pre-installed with Windows XP, but included a Vista Home Premium Upgrade. When the Upgrade finally came, I successfully installed and activated Home Premium, and my computer remained for over two years like this - perfectly working. However, recently I had to reinstall the operating system, but I had since lost my Home Premium product key. So I skipped the activation, and was given thirty days until the copy I had installed would operate with reduced functionality. During this time, I tried to find my product key by running programs such as Keyfinder. I would then attempt to activate Vista by entering the key given to me by the program. This did not work, and I got the following for the error:
Code: 0xC004C003
Description: The activation server determined the specified product key is in use.
Now, the thirty days has passed, and a can only use my computer in reduced functionality mode, being limited completely to the internet. I believe that my product key was thrown out accidentally, so now I don't know at all what to do. It suggests that I buy another product key, but I've already purchased one. Any help is greatly appreciated.
ejn63
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April 5th, 2009 10:00
No way around it - you will need to purchase a new copy of Vista.
TheRealFireblad
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April 6th, 2009 09:00
Welcome to the forums :emotion-21:
The fact you've already paid for one is neither here nor there I'm afraid.
You've lost the licence key for the one you bought, so as EJN63 advises, you've no option now but to buy another copy of the OS.
Carelessness usually results in paying a price in one way or another, and yours is going to cost you $100 to replace the OS.
If you don't have the $100 required to buy an OEM version of Vista... you'll have to go back to using XP :emotion-55:
Assuming you haven't lost the licence key for it as well of course :emotion-3:
That would be harder to do though, because the XP licence key should be on a label stuck to the computer somewhere?
It's on the bottom of laptops, and usually either in the bottom of the case, or on the side of the PSU in desktop systems?