Can't read HD, MS wants to activate first

  • Thread starter Thread starter PeterM
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PeterM

One of our managers asked me to take off his family pictures on a Gateway
computer, it is one of those machines that looks like it only a monitor and
nothings else. I booted up the machine, and found out that the monitor is
cracked. I can't tell from the outside, but the minute you see the Window
log-on you can see it. So I decided to put it in a Dell Dimension 2400,
which I have extra in the Garage. Much to my surprise, it asked me to
activate the OS first. I called MS and via a message, gave them that awful
long number, but they said it was not a valid number. I got disconnected at
that point. I had no problems logging on with the original setup, but
because of the broken screen, was not able to do what I had to do. Isn't
there a way to hook up a second monitor to see if I could do what I need to
do? Anyway, my question, how can I get around the activation, all I need is
the family pictures, and the thing can go to hell as far as I and my manager
is concerned. Any help is appreciated.........The model # is a Gateway GW
P/N 3501-401 Model Profile 4 with a date 01/2003 and serial # 0029530563 it
is running XP Home. It also seems to have a monitor plug on the back, but I
could not figure out what the keystrokes would be to view the computer with
an external monitor. Any help is appreciated.......Peter
 
PeterM said:
One of our managers asked me to take off his family pictures on a Gateway
computer, it is one of those machines that looks like it only a monitor
and nothings else. I booted up the machine, and found out that the monitor
is cracked. I can't tell from the outside, but the minute you see the
Window log-on you can see it. So I decided to put it in a Dell Dimension
2400, which I have extra in the Garage. Much to my surprise, it asked me
to activate the OS first. I called MS and via a message, gave them that
awful long number, but they said it was not a valid number. I got
disconnected at that point. I had no problems logging on with the original
setup, but because of the broken screen, was not able to do what I had to
do. Isn't there a way to hook up a second monitor to see if I could do
what I need to do? Anyway, my question, how can I get around the
activation, all I need is the family pictures, and the thing can go to
hell as far as I and my manager is concerned. Any help is
appreciated.........The model # is a Gateway GW P/N 3501-401 Model Profile
4 with a date 01/2003 and serial # 0029530563 it is running XP Home. It
also seems to have a monitor plug on the back, but I could not figure out
what the keystrokes would be to view the computer with an external
monitor. Any help is appreciated.......Peter
Click to expand...

If there's nothing on the keyboard that indicates what turns the external
monitor on and off, you could try the gateway website to see if there's an
online manual. Usually it's some key plus a function key or alt or something
similar, unless there's a specific button just for monitor control.

Or, since you've already removed the hard drive once, you could simply
install it as a secondary drive in whatever computer you have available that
can read the drive. You don't need to boot off of it to get the data, you
just have to have it installed. Or put it in a USB enclosure or use an
ide-usb cable adapter.

Chances are if you try to boot from it in another computer, not only are you
going to have to activate it, but you're going to need to do a repair
install of the OS, and that's just going to lead to more trouble. There's no
sense in doing it the hard way.
 
PeterM said:
One of our managers asked me to take off his family pictures on a Gateway
computer, it is one of those machines that looks like it only a monitor and
nothings else. I booted up the machine, and found out that the monitor is
cracked. I can't tell from the outside, but the minute you see the Window
log-on you can see it. So I decided to put it in a Dell Dimension 2400,
which I have extra in the Garage. Much to my surprise, it asked me to
activate the OS first. I called MS and via a message, gave them that awful
long number, but they said it was not a valid number. I got disconnected at
that point. I had no problems logging on with the original setup, but
because of the broken screen, was not able to do what I had to do. Isn't
there a way to hook up a second monitor to see if I could do what I need to
do? Anyway, my question, how can I get around the activation, all I need is
the family pictures, and the thing can go to hell as far as I and my manager
is concerned. Any help is appreciated.........The model # is a Gateway GW
P/N 3501-401 Model Profile 4 with a date 01/2003 and serial # 0029530563 it
is running XP Home. It also seems to have a monitor plug on the back, but I
could not figure out what the keystrokes would be to view the computer with
an external monitor. Any help is appreciated.......Peter
Click to expand...

Your Gateway machine would appear to have a BIOS locked OEM version of
Windows XP that is self-activating when used with a Gateway
motherboard but which requires normal activation when used with any
other motherboard/BIOS. Effective 1 March 2005 Microsoft will no
longer allow these versions to activate over the Internet and they
will also decline telephone activation requests.

Is the Gateway motherboard a standard ATX or Micro-ATX form factor? If
so then it might be possible to install that motherboard into a
standard PC case and use it that way. But if the motherboard is a
custom design (as these all-in-one systems often are) then this may
not be workable.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
Sorry for the long delay, I was not home. The method of using the HD as a
secondary one did the trick........You guys are the best here. Many thanks
to you D.Currie and Ron Martell.............Peter
 
Good! Glad it worked for you.

PeterM said:
Sorry for the long delay, I was not home. The method of using the HD as a
secondary one did the trick........You guys are the best here. Many thanks
to you D.Currie and Ron Martell.............Peter
Click to expand...
 
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