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Windows XP Activation Problem PS I DON'T KNOW HOW APOSTROPHES WORK

mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
edited August 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
I have a Dell laptop with Windows XP on it. Legit version of windows.

When I try to log in it says "this copy of windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log on. Do you want to activate windows now?"

If I click yes, it reboots, if I click no, it reboots.

I can't activate in safe mode either.

Am I fucked? I'm extremely pissed off.

This doesn't make any sense to me

edit: trying this at the moment

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312295/en-us

there's no RESET key in my registry though...not sure why

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    CrashtardCrashtard Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    It sounds like your problem is similar to this. Did you reinstall XP recently?

    Crashtard on
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    HamareHamare Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    If you don't have any important personal files you can always reinstall XP from scratch.

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    mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    The disk drive in this dell is broken, so reinstalling is going to be a pain. In addition to that I have a lot of important files on here.

    Whatever I do, I won't be able to use a CD drive.

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    KlorgnumKlorgnum Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I don't have any suggestions for fixing Windows, but you could create a bootable linux thumb drive and use it to save your files.

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    mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Looks like that is my only option. XP won't reinstall because the version on the computer is newer than the disk, windows 7 won't install because it's in safe mode.

    How do I go about going the linux option?

    Seriously contemplating never using windows again, this shit is unbelievable

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    HamareHamare Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    What do you mean windows 7 wont install? Do a clean format by booting from the disk and it won't even load up the safe-mode-XP. I reinstall windows on both my desktop and laptop every 3-4 months to keep them in tip top shape, and i have to say it's quite painless with 7.

    Hamare on
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    mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    I don't want to do a clean format because I need to keep my files. It won't let me "upgrade" in safemode. If I reboot with the disk in, it tells me to start the installer from the desktop (or something to that effect)

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    Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2010
    Do you have a desktop with a working CD drive, and a USB drive large enough to hold the contents of your XP disc?

    Then follow this, copy the XP disc over to the drive, then change your boot order so it boots from the thumb drive first, and you should be fine.

    Bionic Monkey on
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    theclamtheclam Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    You can't upgrade from XP to 7 anyway. It forces you to do a clean install, you can only upgrade from Vista.

    Make a bootable flash drive copy of the XP disc and then do a repair install.

    theclam on
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    KlorgnumKlorgnum Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    mooshoepork wrote: »
    Looks like that is my only option. XP won't reinstall because the version on the computer is newer than the disk, windows 7 won't install because it's in safe mode.

    How do I go about going the linux option?

    http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/

    Keep in mind, I haven't actually done this. I don't see why it wouldn't work though.

    Klorgnum on
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