Disabled Keyboard Keys

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Guest

Can anyone point me to the list of keys that will not work during the
entering of the product ID key for Windows ME thru Windows XP.

We just had a situation where a customer was entering the wrong set of
numbers for the product ID key and he realized that not all keys he was
pressing would work, so he assumed he had bad equiptment. I would just like
to find the page from Microsoft (if one exist) that tells the list of keys
and a list of disabled keys during the product ID key installation.
 
Q. "Can anyone point me to the list of keys that will not work during the
entering of the product ID key for Windows ME thru Windows XP?"

A.. There is no such list...see the following:

Troubleshooting invalid CD key error message during Windows XP setup
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310637

Windows XP Setup Reverts to the Welcome Screen When You Enter the Product Key
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812204

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Can anyone point me to the list of keys that will not work during the
| entering of the product ID key for Windows ME thru Windows XP.
|
| We just had a situation where a customer was entering the wrong set of
| numbers for the product ID key and he realized that not all keys he was
| pressing would work, so he assumed he had bad equiptment. I would just like
| to find the page from Microsoft (if one exist) that tells the list of keys
| and a list of disabled keys during the product ID key installation.
 
I appreciate the responce. I understand what you posted.

What happened was we had a customer who purchased 500 notebooks, when they
got to the point of entering the product ID key they looked at the wrong set
of numbers on the sticker (don't ask me how). While they were trying to enter
the wrong set of numbers they noticed that not all the keys they were
pressing would work. They returned all 500 units stating that the keyboards
were defective. If they had looked at the right set of 25 digit numbers all
this could have been avoided. Even after explaining what they did wrong they
still feel there is a problem when there really isn't. I know during the
product ID key installation Microsoft only uses a certain set of keys for
their algorithm and disables the rest. That is the info I am looking for so I
can show to customer and say; "here now do you understand"?

That list was available at one time but I can't seem to find it now.

Thanks again
John
MCSE
 
Perhaps they had their CAPS LOCK on. When entering
the Product Key, one enters the 25 digit alphanumeric
found on the COA sicker affixed to the manufacturer's
PC. It is not a "Product ID" number. The Product ID
number is generated after Windows XP is installed.

The Product Key is a 25 character alphanumeric
code shown in five groups of five characters each
(for example, BCDFG-12345-HJKLM-67890-NPQRS).
This Product Key forms the basis for your ability to
install and use Windows XP.
The Product Key also forms the basis for the Product ID that is created
when Windows XP is installed. Each licensed instance of Windows XP
has a unique Product ID. The Product ID has 20 characters arranged
like this: 12345-123-1234567-12345. It is listed in the properties for
My Computer.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I appreciate the responce. I understand what you posted.
|
| What happened was we had a customer who purchased 500 notebooks, when they
| got to the point of entering the product ID key they looked at the wrong set
| of numbers on the sticker (don't ask me how). While they were trying to enter
| the wrong set of numbers they noticed that not all the keys they were
| pressing would work. They returned all 500 units stating that the keyboards
| were defective. If they had looked at the right set of 25 digit numbers all
| this could have been avoided. Even after explaining what they did wrong they
| still feel there is a problem when there really isn't. I know during the
| product ID key installation Microsoft only uses a certain set of keys for
| their algorithm and disables the rest. That is the info I am looking for so I
| can show to customer and say; "here now do you understand"?
|
| That list was available at one time but I can't seem to find it now.
|
| Thanks again
| John
| MCSE
 
If these were laptops/notebooks, then the keyboard has a special key that
enables part of the keyboard to function as a number pad - usually
activated/deactivated by the laptop/notebook number lock key - I myself have
been bitten a few times when trying to use the built-in keyboard after using
the laptop/notebook with a docking station and leaving the num-lock on.
To answer your question, most all of the standard keys for character, number
and navigation (backspace, enter, delete, left, right arrows, etc) work -
exceptions are the new fangled keys and special characters, but again, if
the caps-lock, num-lock or both were on, there is no telling which keys
did/didn't work.

--
Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service!
"Google is your Friend!"
www.google.com

***********************************************
 
Nope--I have seen the issue John is talking about.

When entering the product key, if you press a character which is not used in
ANY product key, the character will not appear on the screen and it will
seem the keyboard is malfunctioning.

Unfortunately there is no list of characters which are not used by the
algorithms which generate the product keys.


--
Larry Samuels MS-MVP (Windows-Shell/User)
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm
 
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