[MMike]

My computer is one that I was given at my last job (I was part owner etc...you know the story). The other guy will NEVER do anything above board. So he ordered three computers from "a guy he knew". Got the machines pre-loaded with different software including XP. So then 6-8 months ago, Windows imposed their license validation thing and lo and behold it turns out that I don't have a legit copy of XP.

Sooooo....I've been ignoring it. But last night, like a moron, I shot myself in the foot. I somehat accidentally upgraded WMP from ver 10 to ver 11....now my media player doesn't work becaue it requires validation.

Now the other thing is that I do in fact own legit CD's for XP...they predate the service pack 2 upgrade of long ago. But they are genuine. Is there a way to reload XP with my own license (and then go through the upgrades from the Microsoft website) ?

 

[binary visions]

You can call Microsoft and they'll usually give you a new license.

They will hound you for the name of the guy who sold you the pirated versions, though. If you don't know the guy, though, they may just give you the new license and forget about it.

You can just re-install XP from your legit CD though, and that will work fine. All of your updates (service pack 2 etc.) will be available through Windows Update.

 

[MMike]

You can call Microsoft and they'll usually give you a new license.

They will hound you for the name of the guy who sold you the pirated versions, though. If you don't know the guy, though, they may just give you the new license and forget about it.

You can just re-install XP from your legit CD though, and that will work fine. All of your updates (service pack 2 etc.) will be available through Windows Update.

I wish I were smart like you.

I don't have to get rid of the existing XP? It won't wipe out my hard drive or anything? Just plunk in the CD's and let 'er rip?

 

[binary visions]

You may want to back up your favorites, anything on your Desktop, My Documents and take note of special settings you might have in Windows, because I can't remember what it does to your Windows installation (that is, it will probably overwrite a few things). Those three particular items are associated with your username (they aren't just randomly loose on your drive), which is why you should back them up.

It won't destroy any of your data, though, and should keep your registry mostly intact. It's very likely that you'll lose a couple of your drivers in the process, so you may boot up again with a low resolution or a piece of hardware not working right. Try to dig up any drivers CDs you have or just download drivers from the manufacturer's website.

When you install, you're going to choose "Leave Current File System Intact" and I think it prompts you to delete the current C:\WINDOWS directory - that's okay to do, just don't select any of the formatting options

I'd probably call Microsoft first, to be honest. You paid for a license, may as well have it. I think you get 3 activations before you need to call them anyway.

 

[MMike]

Thanks man.....you're the best!

 

[MMike]

when it says it won't recover my files, does that mean it will wipe out EVERYTHING??

 

[Transcend]

You can just use a utility to change the key to a valid one.

 

[MMike]

You can just use a utility to change the key to a valid one.

care to elaborate?

 

[Transcend]

http://www.petri.co.il/change_the_serial_in_windows_xp.htm

Method #1


i just googled, but there is quite a few of these out there. You dont need the keygen, as that'd be illegal, but you have every right to use an application to change to a valid key.

 

[MMike]

But I have SP2 installed.... That firt link you posted didn't do squat. I gave me a key and everything ,butit didn't change anything

 

[Transcend]

Use the link up now, the first one was the wrong one.

 

[MMike]

Even though it says "How can I change the volume licensing product key on a Windows XP SP1-Based Computer?"

SP1?

 

[binary visions]

when it says it won't recover my files, does that mean it will wipe out EVERYTHING??

You need to boot that installer CD, not try to install from Windows.

By "won't recover your files" it means your Windows directory is going to be zapped, maybe your user directories too (hence my suggestion to back up My Docs etc.)

Transcend has a good suggestion, though, but it will only work if the version of Windows you have a legit key to is exactly the same as the version on your business computer. You could still call Microsoft

 

[DRB]

Who sees this ending happily for MMike?

I sure hope it ends with his computer in flames.

 

[binary visions]

I sure hope it ends with his computer in flames.

I was hoping it would end with him being attacked by angry badgers.

 

[Ciaran]

i just googled, but there is quite a few of these out there. You dont need the keygen, as that'd be illegal, but you have every right to use an application to change to a valid key.

Not if his original copy of Windows is a pirated copy.

 

[Transcend]

Not if his original copy of Windows is a pirated copy.

Um, yes, he does. If he owns a legitimate key he can do whatever he wants with it. Whether the program was installed off of a burned copy or not, you own the KEY not the software. Hell, technically you lease the key. Read your EULA before you post nonsense.

 

[MMike]

Well....DRB was right.

On the bright side, I made it my wife's problem.....but after dinking with trying to get a new key and all of that, and figuring I didn't want to spend hours on the phone with microsoft, we decided to roll the dice and install my own copy (older) copy of XP. Well...long story short, my wife ended up spending all day on the phone with microsoft yesterday...while I went toboganning with Emily.... It did eventually get sorted out and it is now installed. HOWEVER, it seems to have lost the driver for my network card. Which woud not be a big deal if I could FIND the CD with the ddriver on it. I KNOW I have it. but I've not seen it since we moved into the house. I remember packing that stuff. (I had all the boxes for my graphics card, network card, motherboard etc.... But where the hell they are now.....who knows?

I can now either buy a new network card, or call my old boss and ask him if I can borrow his CD's.... but until then, I can't activate windows, because I can't get on-line!

Go ahead....laugh.

(I also got rear-ended in traffic this morning too. No damage. )

 

[Quo Fan]

Before I do anything to my computer that could effect any of my drivers, I always make sure I have them on hand before I start. That way, if anything goes wrong, and usually it does, I can reload the drivers and get working again.

 

[DRB]

Sometimes Monday can be a good day.

 

[MMike]

glad I could help

 

[binary visions]

I can now either buy a new network card, or call my old boss and ask him if I can borrow his CD's.... but until then, I can't activate windows, because I can't get on-line!

Go ahead....laugh.

Or you could, you know, download it now that you have internet access and bring it home on a USB drive, CD, DVD, whatever...

I did tell you that you should download drivers before reinstalling. Woe to those who discard technical advice from the Voice of Reason.

Glad you're at least most of the way there!

 

[MMike]

Or you could, you know, download it now that you have internet access and bring it home on a USB drive, CD, DVD, whatever...

I did tell you that you should download drivers before reinstalling. Woe to those who discard technical advice from the Voice of Reason.

Glad you're at least most of the way there!

I'm on a unix wrokstation here, and unable to do it from work.

NOt to mention I don't even know what brand the damend thing is. It's all integrated into the motherboard.

I guess I could do more research and down load it from my parents place or something.

and I told my wife to back things up. But she only did our documetns and settings. And I wasn't worried because I still have the CDs....I just don't know where they are.

 

[binary visions]

NOt to mention I don't even know what brand the damend thing is. It's all integrated into the motherboard.

Post up the make and model of your computer and we'll getcha hooked up.

 

[MMike]

Post up the make and model of your computer and we'll getcha hooked up.

No clue. It was a "custom build"....by my old boss's "computer guy". No identifying marks on it at all. All's I know is that it has an ASUS/Athlon motherboard/processor, and a Radeon 9500 graphics card...and it was built in 2004

 

[DRB]

Post up the make and model of your computer and we'll getcha hooked up.

hooked up = screwed for life

 

[binary visions]

No clue. It was a "custom build"....by my old boss's "computer guy". No identifying marks on it at all. All's I know is that it has an ASUS/Athlon motherboard/processor, and a Radeon 9500 graphics card...and it was built in 2004

Try this: http://halfdone.com/ukd/
(download this file if it doesn't find your NIC the first time around: http://members.datafast.net.au/dft0802/downloads/pcidevs.txt
...and drop it in the install directory, it'll provide all the latest hardware identifiers)

or one of these if that doesn't work:
http://majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_Edition_d4181.html
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

...one of those should be able to identify your NIC. The first one is compact and should be sufficient.

 

[binary visions]

By the way, the bill for my services will be arriving in a few days

 

[MMike]

My wife seems to think it's an american magatrend.....(FWIW).

And as a token of appreciation, your shiny new donkey should be arriving any day now.

 

[binary visions]

American Megatrends is the company that wrote your BIOS, they didn't manufacture anything in your computer. They actually do make a little hardware, but very little, and none of it for AMD.

AMI writes the BIOS for a huge chunk of the motherboard market.

 

[MMike]

Yeah I was just looking at the AMI site and it didn't look right. I'm pretty sure I have an ASUS motherboard.....would it be their network adapter then?

 

[binary visions]

Nah, it's probably either 3Com, Broadcom, Realtek or Intel... They're the widest spread chipset manufactuers for consumer network cards.

 

[MMike]

P35-153-11Z9.....does this mean anything to anyone?

My wife is looking at it now. The logo is circular, and the says "tech" after the logo. Apart from that she can't make out any other markings....of course she's half blind....

 

[Secret Squirrel]

P35-153-11Z9.....does this mean anything to anyone?

My wife is looking at it now. The logo is circular, and the says "tech" after the logo. Apart from that she can't make out any other markings....of course she's half blind....

Say that number 5 times then your name backwards 4 times. That should get the card working.

 

[Da Peach]

P35-153-11Z9.....does this mean anything to anyone?

My wife is looking at it now. The logo is circular, and the says "tech" after the logo. Apart from that she can't make out any other markings....of course she's half blind....

On behalf of MMike and his debilitated computer....:

Motherboard is an ASUS
Network adapter is an S-Tech.

Put that in your pipe.

PS: Barbados was awesome.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

On behalf of MMike and his debilitated computer....:

Motherboard is an ASUS
Network adapter is an S-Tech.

Put that in your pipe.

PS: Barbados was awesome.

You're being much to nice to be MMike's brother....I'd say you're a stalker with better eyesight than his wife....

 

[binary visions]

I have no idea what an S-Tech network adapter is, and can't find any information about one. I call B.S.

 

[MMike]

Awright.....well after work I'm stopping at Best Buy and getting a new network adapter.

Any recommendations? D-Link?

Is think good enough?http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10066781&catid=21101

The most expensive one is $30 but it says it's for workstations. Is that ok? It's still a PCI interface.

But the choices are:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/subclass.asp?catid=21101&logon=&langid=EN

or

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/subclass.asp?logon=&langid=EN&catid=10493

Both stores are on my way home. what should I get?

 

[binary visions]

Get this one:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS93888163&catid=21101

Only because I know the chipsets that D-link uses are decent and widely supported. No reason to spend a ton on a NIC, the $30 isn't going to perform that much better.

 

[MMike]

SOunds good to me.

As a token of my gratitude, you can have my younger brother.