RE: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

[gman127]

RE: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

> Change your Product Key without a Reinstall to match your
> genuine Product Key or COA:
>
> First, please verify if your COA sticker or product key: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/coa.mspx
> matches your Product Key being used on your system. You can
> view your product key with the Genuine Advantage diagnostics tool
> (at least the last 15 digits) located here:
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012
>
> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall! http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows - Shell/User
> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
>
>
>

Mr Frisch,

I have a unique question/problem. I have 7 home-built pc's all running
different hardware with Win XP Home (OEM) installed. The kids are always
messing something up, so fresh installs are common here. During a reinstall
on 1 pc, I inadvertantly used the wrong product key (COA), yet it was
activated over the net without a problem. I discovered the mistake after
reinstalling XP using the same product key on the correct pc. I have not
attempted to activate it on the correct pc. Now I have 2 pc's with fresh
installs using the same product key and one product key without a home. It
takes about two days per machine to install and setup all the software and
drivers. I can't believe I did that!

Is there a way to change the product keys on both machines to ensure the
right keys are again associated with the correct pc's, without doing new
installs? Given that the product key was activated on the wrong pc, will it
even work on the correct pc now?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Re: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

Re: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

<snipped>

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Change your Product Key without a Reinstall to match your
> genuine Product Key or COA:
>
> First, please verify if your COA sticker or product key:
> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/coa.mspx
> matches your Product Key being used on your system. You can
> view your product key with the Genuine Advantage diagnostics tool
> (at least the last 15 digits) located here:
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012
>
> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> reinstall!
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

Cynthia wrote:
> I had tried to used the following mentioned website to change my
> Product Key but it keep showing 'Internet Explorer cannot display
> the webpage. Pls advise what happen?

gman127 wrote:
> I have a unique question/problem. I have 7 home-built pc's all
> running different hardware with Win XP Home (OEM) installed. The
> kids are always messing something up, so fresh installs are common
> here. During a reinstall on 1 pc, I inadvertantly used the wrong
> product key (COA), yet it was activated over the net without a
> problem. I discovered the mistake after reinstalling XP using the
> same product key on the correct pc. I have not attempted to
> activate it on the correct pc. Now I have 2 pc's with fresh
> installs using the same product key and one product key without a
> home. It takes about two days per machine to install and setup all
> the software and drivers. I can't believe I did that!
>
> Is there a way to change the product keys on both machines to
> ensure the right keys are again associated with the correct pc's,
> without doing new installs? Given that the product key was
> activated on the wrong pc, will it even work on the correct pc now?


First - a suggestion: Invest in a large (1TB?) external hard disk drive and
some imaging software. When you do a clean install on a machine - make an
image of that clean install so that if you have to rebuild it - it will take
minutes to get it back to that state. Then you merely have to update
changes (like new patches, etc) instead of a clean rebuild every time.

And the answer to your query was in the article you replied to... (well, a
couple of posts back.)

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key.
All without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

[Harry Johnston [MVP]]

Re: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

Re: Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

gman127 wrote:

> Is there a way to change the product keys on both machines to ensure the
> right keys are again associated with the correct pc's, without doing new
> installs? Given that the product key was activated on the wrong pc, will it
> even work on the correct pc now?

I suggest you activate the yet-to-be-activated PC with the unused product key.
The fact that the product keys have been exchanged shouldn't have any real
impact. Note that the activation wizard allows you to change the product key
while the machine remains unactivated, so you don't need to reinstall to do this.

Harry.