Activation and SP3

Hi guys,

Hope you can help.
A friend purchased a 2nd user laptop (a Toshiba I think) with XPHome SP2 installed. I believe it had been reinstalled to wipe the previous users settings and files etc.
It has worked without a problem and installed all updates, that is until he installed SP3. Since then, it keeps saying it needs to be activated, counting down the 30 days grace before it expires.
He has tried to activate it over the internet without success. The laptop has a genuine Toshiba XP Product Key sticker on the underside, and that is the key installed in Windows as he has checked it with Belarc.

Anyone have any ideas as to why? The only reason I can think of is that the install wasn't done with Toshiba CD's., but that still doesn't explain why it won't activate ...... and it worked fine before he installed SP3!

Any help / pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kagey35 :(

I think our official word should be to call Microsoft for activation. Although your reasons sound legit, we're right on the edge of hacking/cracking Windows Activation.

Toshibas are preactivated from the factory, so reinstalling with a non-Toshiba OEM disc could be an issue. If could also be a problem if you used an XP retail disc.

Hi Midknyte

Thanks for your reply.
I wondered if in was the install problem, but surely it has a legit Product Key?
How symapthetic are Microsoft likely to be if he phones and explains the problem tho?
I can't see him wanting to fork out £70 for another copy when he already has one!
It's no wonder more people are turning to LInux :t

If you have any other ideas please email me on ;) ** Email removed by site staff so you don't get spammed to death. **

Thanks for your help,
Kagey35

It's a free call, so try it. There have been reports of OEM installs having problems with SP3.

Just give them the details on the sticker and they should usually either activate it on there end, or give you a completly knew serial.

Sometimes with OEM installs after a few clean installs ms doesn't like the key. And of course this whole thing comes into play.

Be polite and don't beat around the bush to the ms people and they should look after you. ;)

The odds of calling and then having to talk to a real person are somewhere between slim and none.

Phone activation is almost always done by a computer with an automated voice response. It should take 5 minutes or less to activate.

Worst comes to fruition and you can't activate try Toshiba support. They sent me the XP pro disk to re-install on a Toshiba laptop for $45 american. That was a few year ago, but they were easy about it.