XP Pro License Key different from sticker

  • Thread starter Thread starter icccapital
  • Start date Start date
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icccapital

Guest
Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there a

way to change it back without harming the system?



He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.
 
Ignore the one in the system, use the one on the sticker.



"icccapital" wrote in message

news:7610291D-7E51-47F5-97B3-42CDCD067552@microsoft.com...

: Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

: advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

: with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there

a

: way to change it back without harming the system?

:

: He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.
 
That's cause the one you retrieved is for the factory image. Either use

the sticker one or restore to factory fresh.



icccapital wrote:



> Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

> with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there a

> way to change it back without harming the system?

>

> He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.
 
1. Download this diagnostic tool, saving it to your desktop:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062



=> WinXP: Double-click on the executable to run the tool.



=> Vista & Win7: Right-click on the executable and select Run as

Administrator to run the tool.



2. After running the tool, click on the Windows tab and then click on Copy

(to clipboard).



NB: You may want to open a new Notepad file, paste the contents of your

clipboard into it & save for future reference.



3. Begin a new thread in the following Microsoft Genuine Advantage forum and

paste the results from the WGA Diagnostic Data tool in a detailed post:



http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/threads



4. A troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an

appropriate solution.

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002





icccapital wrote:

> Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

> with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there

> a

> way to change it back without harming the system?

>

> He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.
 
I am actually not planning on wiping it and reinstalling if that is what you

are implying. I want to change the product key in the system so that it is

the one on the sticker so that windows genuine advantage stops giving us

problems and we can get the updates.



"Bickford Shmeckler" wrote:



> Ignore the one in the system, use the one on the sticker.

>

> "icccapital" wrote in message

> news:7610291D-7E51-47F5-97B3-42CDCD067552@microsoft.com...

> : Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> : advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

> : with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there

> a

> : way to change it back without harming the system?

> :

> : He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.

>

>

> .

>
 
Repost:



1. Download this diagnostic tool, saving it to your desktop:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062



=> WinXP: Double-click on the executable to run the tool.



=> Vista & Win7: Right-click on the executable and select Run as

Administrator to run the tool.



2. After running the tool, click on the Windows tab and then click on Copy

(to clipboard).



NB: You may want to open a new Notepad file, paste the contents of your

clipboard into it & save for future reference.



3. Begin a new thread in the following Microsoft Genuine Advantage forum and

paste the results from the WGA Diagnostic Data tool in a detailed post:



http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/genuinewindowsxp/threads



4. A troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an

appropriate solution.

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002



icccapital wrote:

> I am actually not planning on wiping it and reinstalling if that is what

> you

> are implying. I want to change the product key in the system so that it

> is

> the one on the sticker so that windows genuine advantage stops giving us

> problems and we can get the updates.

>

> "Bickford Shmeckler" wrote:

>

>> Ignore the one in the system, use the one on the sticker.

>>

>> "icccapital" wrote in message

>> news:7610291D-7E51-47F5-97B3-42CDCD067552@microsoft.com...

>>> Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows

>>> genuine

>>> advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product

>>> key

>>> with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is

>>> there

>>> a way to change it back without harming the system?

>>>

>>> He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.
 
icccapital wrote:

> Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

> with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there a

> way to change it back without harming the system?

>

> He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.





If you have a factory-installed OEM license, and haven't since

reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is probably of the drive

image used at the factory and not the specific Product Key for that

computer's license; therefore, it probably cannot be -- and definitely

should not be -- used for a re-installation.





--



Bruce Chambers



Help us help you:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin



Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell



The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

killed a great many philosophers.

~ Denis Diderot
 
All,



Thank you for the replies. I did not realize that the product keys from the

factory might not match the one on the sticker. I do realize that the

message is probably "not fake", however it seems it is not necessarily

accurate either because the user does have a valid license key on the

computer that he purchased from the store that has not been adjusted. So he

is not actually in violation of his own accord as the warning would imply.



I will run the diagnostic and repost as suggested by PA Bear.



Thank you all again.



"Bruce Chambers" wrote:



> icccapital wrote:

> > Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> > advantage says it can't validate the computer. I checked the product key

> > with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. Is there a

> > way to change it back without harming the system?

> >

> > He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.

>

>

> If you have a factory-installed OEM license, and haven't since

> reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is probably of the drive

> image used at the factory and not the specific Product Key for that

> computer's license; therefore, it probably cannot be -- and definitely

> should not be -- used for a re-installation.

>

>

> --

>

> Bruce Chambers

>

> Help us help you:

> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>

> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

>

> They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

> safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

>

> Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

>

> The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

> killed a great many philosophers.

> ~ Denis Diderot

> .

>
 
On Jun 22, 2:32?pm, icccapital

wrote:

> All,

>

> Thank you for the replies. ?I did not realize that the product keys from the

> factory might not match the one on the sticker. ?I do realize that the

> message is probably "not fake", however it seems it is not necessarily

> accurate either because the user does have a valid license key on the

> computer that he purchased from the store that has not been adjusted. ?So he

> is not actually in violation of his own accord as the warning would imply..

>

> I will run the diagnostic and repost as suggested by PA Bear.

>

> Thank you all again.

>

> "Bruce Chambers" wrote:

> > icccapital wrote:

> > > Recently one of our users toshiba laptops got a virus and windows genuine

> > > advantage says it can't validate the computer. ?I checked the product key

> > > with keyfinder and it is different from what is on the sticker. ?Isthere a

> > > way to change it back without harming the system? ?

>

> > > He is only on xp SP2, once I get this fixed I will update to sp3.

>

> > If you have a factory-installed OEM license, and haven't since

> > reinstalled the OS, the revealed Product Key is probably of the drive

> > image used at the factory and not the specific Product Key for that

> > computer's license; therefore, it probably cannot be -- and definitely

> > should not be -- ?used for a re-installation.

>

> > --

>

> > Bruce Chambers

>

> > Help us help you:

> >http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

>

> >http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

>

> > They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary

> > safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

>

> > Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

>

> > The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has

> > killed a great many philosophers.

> > ~ Denis Diderot

> > .



FYI: Factory installed Windows have a specialized CD Key in order to

facilitate the setup of "hundreds" of the PCs.The CD Ky sticker is to

be used for a user reinstall of the matching version of Windows, with

the bundled recovery system / install medias.
 
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