Windows XP forum: OEM XP disc has a mind of its own

Answer Best answer as chosen by user JimT.

When it's activated the first time . . .

by Coryphaeus - 5/7/12 6:31 AM

In Reply to: OEM XP disc has a mind of its own by JimT.

it goes on line and sends MS the disk information and the PC information. When you activated it the second time, it went to MS, found the previous installation, and it was the same. When you activated it on the new PC, the activation found the same disk on a different PC and it fails.

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by Jimmy Greystone - 5/7/12 6:59 AM

In Reply to: When it's activated the first time . . . by Coryphaeus

Close, but really all it does is generate a hash code from key bits of hardware. If the hardware stays the same, the hash code would match, when the hash code doesn't match, the activation doesn't go through.

While you're definitely on the right path, and I could probably go as far as saying your answer is good enough for government work, it'd just be far too inefficient to do it as you described, not to mention the obvious privacy concerns. All that is sent is the product key and that hash code, which are then linked in a database somewhere. And the product key identifies the install as being OEM. Despite all the knocks Microsoft gets, and sometimes deservedly so, they have some pretty talented developers working for them.

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Answer Best answer as chosen by user JimT.

Clarification

by JimT. - 5/7/12 1:22 PM

In Reply to: OEM XP disc has a mind of its own by JimT.

I guess I should make it clearer: this has nothing to do with activation. The new machine is in the installation stage, where the product key is entered (and is being rejected). The OS isn't yet installed, so it's not online. Microsoft doesn't know that I'm installing the OS on a new machine, unless they know what I'm doing in my bedroom.

So all that's involved is the installation disc and the hard drive. The product key is the correct one for the disc, and is being entered correctly. Windows says its not valid, but it's worked twice before with the same disc.

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Ahh. That issue.

by R. Proffitt - 5/7/12 1:26 PM

In Reply to: Clarification by JimT.

You can replicate this by having some OS already on the HDD. It's another one of the protection mechanisms built into OEM versions.

Sorry that we can't guess the exact steps you took or the state of everything but the OEM version is a minefield of issues.
Bob

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May not be much help but I've had some key codes where some

by Steven Haninger - 5/7/12 4:00 PM

In Reply to: Clarification by JimT.

characters were not easily distinguishable from those of similar shape. The letter O from the number 0, a V from a U, B from an 8 and even D from O or 0. This would drive me nuts at times. Usually I would scan and enlarge the MS PID code on the label that's supposed to be attached to the PC. If the code was valid, eventually I'd get it working. If by any chance you still have the old XP machine around, you can pull out the code using the "Magic Jelly Bean keyfinder" utility just to check your work and make sure you've got the right code. Good luck.

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