SERIAL NUMBER TURNED OFF BY MICROSOFT

[moveit]

For 6 years I have used a serial number that came with an authorised XP Professional for a single user. Just gone to download updates and now been told it is a corporate number. I know this copy is genuine.

Is there a way to check this serial number as my computer man has told me Microsoft are turning off other users who also have single user SN?

 

[papadba]

Microsoft would probably be the best place to ask. . .

 

[DrB0b]

Did you try calling the Microsoft number on the Active Wizard? Should be able to get it reactivated that way.

"Silence is golden, duct tape is silver...

 

[goombawaho]

Let's get our terminology straight. It's not a serial number, it's a Certificate of Authenticity and on that sticker there is a Key Code. Yes, it functions as a serial number would.

How do you KNOW the copy is genuine?? Is there a C.O.A. sticker on the side of your PC and is this the key code that you put in when installing XP??

What happened before the warning - any change of hardware?? First time you ran Automatic Updates???

Most likely, it WAS a corporate license version for multiple PCs within a company and somebody gave it to you/sold it to you and Microsoft has since found out that people have been bootlegging it and put that C.O.A. on the banned list.

Somehow, the blame seems to point to your computer man who "has heard that other people are experiencing the same problem". Wonder if he serviced them too and provided licenses for them???

 

[moveit]

I know it is a C.O.A but most people I talk to call it a serial number. There is a C.O.A sticker on the computer. The sodftware has been working for around 6 years and I have had no trouble with updates from Microsoft until I tried to update to Media player 11. It then downloaded the verivication software and told me my software was a volume one. As I had no warning in the past this does not make sense. The computer man I use only uses genuine single user OS. I have never used pirated copies of XP.

The computer man has heared from various sources that peoples OS are being turned off after many years of use with no warning. Microsoft are just telling people to undate to Windows 7. It appears they are pushing people into 7.

I know there used to be a site that you could check your C.O.A to make sure it was genuine but it seems to have disapeared.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

I always refer to it as a licence key - but hey, thats just me ;-)

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[Sympology]

Have you confirmed that the COA key on the pc matches the one installed on the OS?

Try this.

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

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[Sympology]

Also check this:

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/is/genuinewindowsxp/threads

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[goombawaho]

Yeah - that was my next comment: the one by Sympology. We won't go into key code finders too much, but you need to check what key is in the system vs. what is on the side of your computer to decide whether your C.O.A. key had been scuttled by Microsoft or another one that was used to load your PC.

If you get the key, it will also tell you the type of product (product ID). Something like this. Look up the ID.
==================================================
Product Name : Microsoft Windows XP
Product ID : 55274-640-1216551-23501
Product Key : 66666-66666-66666-66666-66666
Installation Folder : C:\WINDOWS
Service Pack : Service Pack 3
Computer Name : MY_COMPUTER
==================================================


You can use this tool as well to get a second opinion:
MGADiag tool download and save to desktop -

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012

I highly doubt this has anything to do with Microsoft trying to kill off XP and get you to buy 7 - though surely they DO want you to do that before 2020.

 

[DrB0b]

Personally working in the home/corporate PC repair for a long time, I have heard of people with that issue, although not many. As these guys state above, if the key doesnt match the one shown by the software, then it is a corp key.
If you do have a valid COA Key, I dont see the real advantage of your computer guy using a corp key, unless he has a base image set up for quickness......

"Silence is golden, duct tape is silver...

 

[goombawaho]

DrB0B has probably nailed it: XP loaded via an image using a corporate key for quickness. Just like cooking, O.S. loads are better from scratch in a non-corporate environment.

The OP never stated who loaded the PC with XP initially - them or someone else.

 

[moveit]

Downloaded Jelly Bean and got the following: I have replaced the actual ID & CD Key numbers with x's and cleard my name from Owner.


Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3
Product Part No.: A22-00001
Installed from 'Full Packaged Product' media.
Product ID: xxxxx-xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxx match to CD Key data
CD Key: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Computer Name: MIDI
Registered Owner:
Registered Organization:

The COA on the computer and disk match. It seems funny that all this happened when I tried to update to Media 11. Before that everything was okay. I have had to reformat the drive a few times over the 6 years and I used the disk without any problems. My computer man is very strict with OS's. He will not format or make computers using customer's own OS if it is pirated or other.

 

[goombawaho]

You didn't need to mask the Product ID, it doesn't reveal anything important to others. If you google your product ID, does it come back as RETAIL or OEM vs. Corporate??

I believe it would say VOLUME if a Corporate key.

If it really is a RETAIL or OEM C.O.A., you'll have to chew on Microsoft and get ready to provide them the results of this test that I mentioned.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012

 

[moveit]

Tried google but no found search. Product ID is 76487-640-9311511-23453

 

[goombawaho]

Just search for this much of it: product id 76487-640 Good page to look at:

http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Product_IDs

So, it's XP Media Center Edition 2005 and it's (now) a blocked VLK (volume licensing key). Microsoft probably discovered that 10,000 of these codes were in use in China or wherever and killed that code in their database.

OR

The license agreement expired with whichever company it was given to in the first place and was removed from their database. Regardless, when it's removed from their database, any WGA test will fail and not allow any updates to proceed.

Solutions:
1. Change your key code using one of the friendly programs to match what's on the side of your computer. Re-activate with Microsoft.

2. Call Microsoft and get a good deal on an upgrade to W7

3. Reinstall XP or repair install using the code on the side of your PC. Re-activate with Microsoft.

 

[strongm]

Actually, I think 76487-640 shows it just to be XP Pro volume license. And a volume licence is for an organisation, not an individual.

So let's get back to this:

>There is a C.O.A sticker on the computer

Does it match the product ID indentified by Jelly Bean (it shouldn't ...)?

 

[strongm]

(when I say 'shouldn't' I mean because of what you have told us so far; i na completely legit setup they should of course match)

 

[moveit]

The CD Key or COA, both the same, are the same number on the sticker of the Jelly Bean report. All other numbers on the sticker do not appear on the report.

 

[strongm]

Just to confirm, you are definitely saying that the product key on the holographic COA sticker on your PC matches the product ID reported by Jelly Bean?

What does the COA sticker say your OS is?

 

[goombawaho]

People - let's watch spelling and grammar to aid understanding

So, you have a problem because that sticker seemingly matches what's in the registry of the computer (so there's nothing to correct or fix) but it's a VLK license and is now invalid.

I think your only option is to go to one of those Microsoft links like "pirated copy, what do I do now?" Bottom line, they aren't going to let you re-activate with that key code.

You'll have to get creative and find another key code or move toward Windows 7.

Tell us if the O.S. is XP Pro or Media Center Edition - just curious as to what the COA states.