Windows Product Activation Error

[Siberkil]

Fixing Computers is so fun, let me tell you... espcially Windows Machines!

At any rate, My dad's computer decided to one day throw Windows Product Activation Errors at start up, preventing any access to Windows (save Safe mode without networking). I've tried everything I could find on Microsoft's Website, and everything was pretty useless. The exact error message was


=============================================
Windows Product Activation


A problem is preventing Windows from Accurately checking the Licnese for this computer. Error Code: 0x8007007e
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Now, I've found the error code on their website, and the error message, but not together, which is driving me nuts. I've read some of the other suggestions from other threads, but I can't reinstall the OS because Dell so happily forgot to include the OS recovery CD when they shipped my father's computer. The specs:

Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2
2.4Ghz P4
120 Gig hard drive
256 MB ram
some other stuff which I deem unimportant

Can the gurus help me in this situation? You're all powerful wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Write an email to Microsoft directly for an answer.
Sounds to me like you either drastically changed your hardware, messed around in the registry, or something else.

If you don't have the CD's, and they aren't on a recovery partition on the drive, yer pretty much toast. Call Dell and have them give you some. Reinstall, be done.

 

[Siberkil]

Hmm... I guess I will have to. Somebody said that it might be a problem with spyware, which I keep telling my dad to get software for, but is it possible that Microsoft's Anti Spyware Beta crap could be the problem? I know I have been having some crash issues with that software in the past couple of weeks, keeps making copies of itself when it tries to download updates from the internet.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Uh...if a peice of BETA software isn't working right...the last person who should be surprised...is YOU.

It's beta, dude. If it worked right, it wouldn't be beta. Duh.

Anyway, yer gonna have to reactivate that sucker, or wipe it and start over. Unless MS tells you something different when you call them.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Yea i learned that the beta OS can be a ***** when trying to detect modems and my USB devices... BETAS = PAIN IN THE ASS... Just get spybot search and destroy

 

[uzi9mm]

I would just throw the HD in another computer as slave and crack the activation process. I can't stand microsoft and they can burn in hell. I bought my legit copy and now I have to call them everytime i want to activate it.Because I activated more than 10 times! Bullshit! I own the software and I can activate it 1,000,000 times if I want. But the thing is over the phone activation is a pain in the ass, they make you talk to a computer and read off like 40 digits, just for the computer to tell you that you need to talk to a represenitive. Then they ask you a bunch of questions, you need to read the numbers off again. Then after that you need to write some numbers down. But the service rep on the phone speaks really really bad english, he is hard to understand.

So like 3 weeks ago when I formatted and reinstalled XP I just cracked the activation, it took all of 10 seconds. Compared to the 35 minutes of frustration.

 

[Soundmaster2.0]

Yes..microsoft is the means through which satan will eventually take over the world.

I have XP pro corprate edition. So I don't need to register every time I have to install their buggy, bloated software. I knew a guy who ran a linux system for a year and a half without it crashing. I can't even run windows for 30 days without reinstalling.

 

[Siberkil]

Well, the OS is NOT Beta. Microcrap's Anti Spyware Software is beta, and it has been acting funny ever since I installed it for the old man.

I also found the reinstallation for XP, so I'm going to reinstall the sucka if the wonderful tech gurus over at Dell can't help.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Yes..microsoft is the means through which satan will eventually take over the world.

Calm down...take a deep breath...it's okay...there are pills for you...there are psychiatrists who can figure out what's wrong.

I have XP pro corprate edition. So I don't need to register every time I have to install their buggy, bloated software. I knew a guy who ran a linux system for a year and a half without it crashing. I can't even run windows for 30 days without reinstalling.

Uh...that's user fault, buddy. I've got 8 machines at home that I have NEVER had to reinstall because of Windows. Not to mention the tons of machines at work that only get reinstalled when there's a new version to upgrade to, or the box moves to a new person.

Cleaning up a machine after a year is commonplace for ANY OS. Having a machine fail every 30 days is just error on your part.

 

[SHAWN]

Can you boot into safe mode? If you can, the crack needs to be done there anyway. If not i would just reinstall the operating system.