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invalid/unauth product key

C

Chuck

Flightless Bird
I recently purchased a tablet PC on ebay. In the item description, it stated
that "I just installed Windows TabletXP, but it needs to be activated." Fine
and dandy, valid COA on the back per auction images. Well. Upon attempting
activation, I was informed that I had an "invalid product key". I downloaded
and ran Magical Jellybean to get the PK from within the system itself, and it
gave me a completely *DIFFERENT* PK than the COA (and said it was running
Windows XP Pro). When I tried to activate with that, I was told that I had an
"unauthorized" PK. Tried the "activate via phone" option, and after reading
the eight-zillion-number string off to Friendly Computer Lady, I was told it
was invalid, and given the steps to change the PK, which, of course,
basically just takes you back the the beginning again. I have read that
somewhere in the depths of that call, I can get to a real person, and they
should be able to activate for me. Is this true, or is there some other
option, or do I need to sic Paypal on this guy's keister?
 
T

Tom Willett

Flightless Bird
EBay, buyer beware when purchasing software. Time to get your money back.

"Chuck" <Chuck@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:94DCCF9D-2A30-444C-9144-2D1A2E85F881@microsoft.com...
:I recently purchased a tablet PC on ebay. In the item description, it
stated
: that "I just installed Windows TabletXP, but it needs to be activated."
Fine
: and dandy, valid COA on the back per auction images. Well. Upon attempting
: activation, I was informed that I had an "invalid product key". I
downloaded
: and ran Magical Jellybean to get the PK from within the system itself, and
it
: gave me a completely *DIFFERENT* PK than the COA (and said it was running
: Windows XP Pro). When I tried to activate with that, I was told that I had
an
: "unauthorized" PK. Tried the "activate via phone" option, and after
reading
: the eight-zillion-number string off to Friendly Computer Lady, I was told
it
: was invalid, and given the steps to change the PK, which, of course,
: basically just takes you back the the beginning again. I have read that
: somewhere in the depths of that call, I can get to a real person, and they
: should be able to activate for me. Is this true, or is there some other
: option, or do I need to sic Paypal on this guy's keister?
 
P

Patrick Keenan

Flightless Bird
"Chuck" <Chuck@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:94DCCF9D-2A30-444C-9144-2D1A2E85F881@microsoft.com...
>I recently purchased a tablet PC on ebay. In the item description, it
>stated
> that "I just installed Windows TabletXP, but it needs to be activated."
> Fine
> and dandy, valid COA on the back per auction images. Well. Upon attempting
> activation, I was informed that I had an "invalid product key". I
> downloaded
> and ran Magical Jellybean to get the PK from within the system itself, and
> it
> gave me a completely *DIFFERENT* PK than the COA (and said it was running
> Windows XP Pro). When I tried to activate with that, I was told that I had
> an
> "unauthorized" PK. Tried the "activate via phone" option, and after
> reading
> the eight-zillion-number string off to Friendly Computer Lady, I was told
> it
> was invalid, and given the steps to change the PK, which, of course,
> basically just takes you back the the beginning again. I have read that
> somewhere in the depths of that call, I can get to a real person, and they
> should be able to activate for me. Is this true, or is there some other
> option, or do I need to sic Paypal on this guy's keister?


IIRC, it's not that unusual for a detected key to differ from the COA key in
OEM installs. The COA key is specific to your license, and the OEM key
allows the manufacturer to make one base image for a production line.

But if the installed version does not match the version listed on the COA,
the COA key won't work with the install and will be rejected by the
activation servers since it won't match the OS type. So I'll suggest that
the OS install is from inappropriate media (and maybe the wrong version),
such as VLA media rather than OEM.

You may need to do a clean re-install of the OS with the proper media to get
the COA key to be accepted by the install and by the activation servers.

If you didn't get an OS install CD with the system, get one. Manufacturers
can often provide re-install media though it isn't free; for this system, I
had to pay about $30, and it's worth it.

Contact the seller, since you have a very legitimate complaint (and they can
be in significant legal trouble); also, contact the manufacturer and see if
you can even get the correct restore disks.

Otherwise, you'll have to buy a new XP Tablet license and media from
somewhere, unless you can find another person with the media that the
manufacturer would have provided, and which matches your COA key. It's the
COA key that represents the license, not the CD itself.

HTH
-pk
 
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