Am I scr*w*d?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Warren Amole
  • Start date Start date
W

Warren Amole

I just upgraded my existing WinXP Pro with a new retail Home Premium Upgrade
pack. Everything went fine and it worked well, except for MCE performance,
which was awful. I looked around the newsgroups and at some support groups
to find a great deal of dubious explanations but reinstall seemed to be the
favorite.

So I did a clean reinstall, thinking the activation server would be looking
for my XP product key. But when the time came to activate, it rejected all
product codes including the current Vista upgrad as being installed on
"another" machine?

Is my only alternative to reinstall XP Pro and then upgrade again???

Thank you.
 
it should have provided alternate methods of activating.
using ms server or CALLING them.



(e-mail address removed)



I just upgraded my existing WinXP Pro with a new retail Home Premium Upgrade
pack. Everything went fine and it worked well, except for MCE performance,
which was awful. I looked around the newsgroups and at some support groups
to find a great deal of dubious explanations but reinstall seemed to be the
favorite.

So I did a clean reinstall, thinking the activation server would be looking
for my XP product key. But when the time came to activate, it rejected all
product codes including the current Vista upgrad as being installed on
"another" machine?

Is my only alternative to reinstall XP Pro and then upgrade again???

Thank you.
 
that's what I thought but it didn't - just the error message inidcating that the product key can only be used for upgrade, not clean installation and there aren't any other alternatives.

I never did get to a point where I was offered the chance to reformat the drive and prior to the Vista Welcome screen loaded, I'm offered the choise to select the previous version of Windows, Vista or the Recovery Center. Selected the first just mounts the recovery center.


it should have provided alternate methods of activating.
using ms server or CALLING them.



(e-mail address removed)



I just upgraded my existing WinXP Pro with a new retail Home Premium Upgrade
pack. Everything went fine and it worked well, except for MCE performance,
which was awful. I looked around the newsgroups and at some support groups
to find a great deal of dubious explanations but reinstall seemed to be the
favorite.

So I did a clean reinstall, thinking the activation server would be looking
for my XP product key. But when the time came to activate, it rejected all
product codes including the current Vista upgrad as being installed on
"another" machine?

Is my only alternative to reinstall XP Pro and then upgrade again???

Thank you.
 
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using the
upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how to do
this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without* entering the
product key, then running the upgrade in place thereafter. Essentially you
install Vista twice .. the first time without entering the product key - yes
you can do that - then upgrading that install. Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon


that's what I thought but it didn't - just the error message inidcating that
the product key can only be used for upgrade, not clean installation and
there aren't any other alternatives.

I never did get to a point where I was offered the chance to reformat the
drive and prior to the Vista Welcome screen loaded, I'm offered the choise
to select the previous version of Windows, Vista or the Recovery Center.
Selected the first just mounts the recovery center.


it should have provided alternate methods of activating.
using ms server or CALLING them.


(e-mail address removed)

I just upgraded my existing WinXP Pro with a new retail Home Premium Upgrade
pack. Everything went fine and it worked well, except for MCE performance,
which was awful. I looked around the newsgroups and at some support groups
to find a great deal of dubious explanations but reinstall seemed to be the
favorite.

So I did a clean reinstall, thinking the activation server would be looking
for my XP product key. But when the time came to activate, it rejected all
product codes including the current Vista upgrad as being installed on
"another" machine?

Is my only alternative to reinstall XP Pro and then upgrade again???

Thank you.
 
I reinstalled a 2nd time to clean the hard disk up.

Now it tells me my first key is already used and I need to buy another one.
I do NOT want to pay for another key. How can I convince them this is the
sole use computer for this Vista Premium.

Dan
Sudbury, Canada
 
Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again, and
upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does it?
Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)
 
When choosing the method of activation select the phone option 'Cause I
think you will have to get someone on the phone to fix this.

Saucy Lemon
 
It should work - it's a feature of the install routine.

When installing, one can skip entering the product key. Instead a choice of
SKUs are offered: Home Basic, Business etc. I would suggest one choose the
right one (if your upgrade is for Home Basic choose Home Basic). The install
will proceed. Once the clean install is completed run the Vista DVD again
and do an inplace upgrade .. only this time enter the product key etc. etc.
when prompted.

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon


Andrew said:
Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again, and
upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does
it? Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)


Saucy Lemon said:
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using the
upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how to do
this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without* entering the
product key, then running the upgrade in place thereafter. Essentially
you install Vista twice .. the first time without entering the product
key - yes you can do that - then upgrading that install. Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I had this happen to me with a vista home premium key that I purchased
online from microsoft thru the family discount plan. I tried the
alternate method for a clean install, installing Vista without a key and
then reinstalling vista again. This method had previously worked when
installing Ultimate on my desktop system. It did not work when
installing home premium upgrade. I had to reinstall xp and then vista
took the key. I did a custom install from within the installer and it
formatted the drive and did a clean install. it was a pain in the @$$
but it did work. Hope this helps.


Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again,
and upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does
it? Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)


Saucy Lemon said:
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using
the upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how
to do this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without*
entering the product key, then running the upgrade in place
thereafter. Essentially you install Vista twice .. the first time
without entering the product key - yes you can do that - then
upgrading that install. Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If it's a feature, how come it's not documented on microsoft.com?

And even if booting to install a temporary trial version works and *is* a
feature - it doesn't mean that upgrading from this trial install will
necessarily always work. ;)

Cheers


Saucy Lemon said:
It should work - it's a feature of the install routine.

When installing, one can skip entering the product key. Instead a choice
of SKUs are offered: Home Basic, Business etc. I would suggest one choose
the right one (if your upgrade is for Home Basic choose Home Basic). The
install will proceed. Once the clean install is completed run the Vista
DVD again and do an inplace upgrade .. only this time enter the product
key etc. etc. when prompted.

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon


Andrew said:
Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again,
and upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does
it? Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)


Saucy Lemon said:
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using
the upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how
to do this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without*
entering the product key, then running the upgrade in place thereafter.
Essentially you install Vista twice .. the first time without entering
the product key - yes you can do that - then upgrading that install.
Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That's what I have done. And now, activation is rejected because "The
Licensing Software Service determined that this specified product key can
only be used for upgrading, not for clean installations."
 
that's precisely what I just did.

Oh well......now to find the XP restore DVD's..........

Saucy Lemon said:
It should work - it's a feature of the install routine.

When installing, one can skip entering the product key. Instead a choice
of SKUs are offered: Home Basic, Business etc. I would suggest one choose
the right one (if your upgrade is for Home Basic choose Home Basic). The
install will proceed. Once the clean install is completed run the Vista
DVD again and do an inplace upgrade .. only this time enter the product
key etc. etc. when prompted.

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon


Andrew said:
Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again,
and upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does
it? Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)


Saucy Lemon said:
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using
the upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how
to do this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without*
entering the product key, then running the upgrade in place thereafter.
Essentially you install Vista twice .. the first time without entering
the product key - yes you can do that - then upgrading that install.
Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
thanks - I was hoping to avoid that but at this point, it seems the only
logical way.


Bill Thomas said:
I had this happen to me with a vista home premium key that I purchased
online from microsoft thru the family discount plan. I tried the alternate
method for a clean install, installing Vista without a key and then
reinstalling vista again. This method had previously worked when
installing Ultimate on my desktop system. It did not work when installing
home premium upgrade. I had to reinstall xp and then vista took the key.
I did a custom install from within the installer and it formatted the drive
and did a clean install. it was a pain in the @$$ but it did work. Hope
this helps.


Technically, the OP should install the original XP installation again,
and upgrade it again, right?

This install without a key and then upgrade - doesn't always work, does
it? Seems to me I've seen some indications that it might not work for
everyone..(?)


Saucy Lemon said:
OK. At this point it is not an activation issue. Rather you are using
the upgrade version to do a clean install. Paul Thurrott discusses how
to do this on his website. It will mean doing an install *without*
entering the product key, then running the upgrade in place thereafter.
Essentially you install Vista twice .. the first time without entering
the product key - yes you can do that - then upgrading that install.
Here's the link:

[How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media]
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Saucy Lemon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Daniel Côté said:
I reinstalled a 2nd time to clean the hard disk up.

Now it tells me my first key is already used and I need to buy another one.
I do NOT want to pay for another key. How can I convince them this is the
sole use computer for this Vista Premium.
Click to expand...

you might want to use a mac next time. apple users never have to enter
activation codes, so these sorts of problems never occur. apple's
canadian phone number is:

1-800-263-3394

or:

http://www.apple.com/ca/hardware/
 
And just to add insult to injury, I tried to email MS support but the
product ID was flagged with:

All no-charge requests have been used
All no-charge support requests available for this product have been used.
Please enter another Product ID or choose another support option below.

and wants me to pay $60!! For $80 I could just go buy the full pkg and
avoid all this..........
 
1. Go to Control Panel then switch it to Classic view

2. Start the Welcome Center

3. Hit "Show more details" in the upper right

4. Wait a moment or two then look near the bottom and click on "Activate
Windows now"

5. When you get to the Windows Activation page click on "Show me other ways
to activate" instead of "Activate Windows online now"

6. Click on "Use the automated phone system"

7. Pick a country

8. The phone number for the U.S. and Canada is 1-866-740-1256 .. might be
different if you picked other countries at #7.

9. Read the page and do it ..

... The phone system is automated, but it might get you a live person, if not
right away probably after you let it drop through or the activation fails.

I hope this helps.

Saucy Lemon
 
Seven said:
you might want to use a mac next time. apple users never have to enter
activation codes, so these sorts of problems never occur. apple's
canadian phone number is:

1-800-263-3394

or:

http://www.apple.com/ca/hardware/
Click to expand...

I would love to go Mac BUT. software, where is it. Hardware, where is it.
Go to any shop here and it is only PC. So saying go Mac is not an option
for a lot of people, even if they want one.
 
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