I can't get my Product ID, so I can't get MSFT support

[David Taylor]

Problem 1: My new XP Pro install hangs with "33 minutes
remaining" ...which leads to...

Problem 2: I can't get into free MSFT product support,
because I can't get my Product ID from XP (because I can't
boot...)

Can someone please tell me how to get my XP product ID?
(of the format "12345-XXX-7654321-98765") OR, how to get
free support from MSFT without a Product ID? I have a
product key, but no "product ID". Thanks.

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Have you made sure that your PC's hardware components are capable
of supporting WinXP? This information will be found at the PC's
manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility
List: (http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp)

You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
there are WinXP device drivers available for all of the machine's
components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
Win98/Me. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for and sold with
Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent hardware
quality requirements. This is particularly true of many models in
Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's consumer-class
Pavilion product line. WinXP is quite sensitive to borderline
defective hardware (particularly motherboards, RAM and hard drives)
that will still support Win9x.

Additionally, run Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you
have any incompatible hardware components or applications.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"David Taylor" > wrote in message
...
> Problem 1: My new XP Pro install hangs with "33 minutes
> remaining" ...which leads to...
>
> Problem 2: I can't get into free MSFT product support,
> because I can't get my Product ID from XP (because I can't
> boot...)
>
> Can someone please tell me how to get my XP product ID?
> (of the format "12345-XXX-7654321-98765") OR, how to get
> free support from MSFT without a Product ID? I have a
> product key, but no "product ID". Thanks.

[xp slave]

Intersting that Microsoft never advertises the fact that Win9x/ME is more
fault tolerant of hardware than XP is.


"Bruce Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings --
>
> Have you made sure that your PC's hardware components are capable
> of supporting WinXP? This information will be found at the PC's
> manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility
> List: (http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp)
>
> You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
> there are WinXP device drivers available for all of the machine's
> components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
> Win98/Me. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for and sold with
> Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent hardware
> quality requirements. This is particularly true of many models in
> Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's consumer-class
> Pavilion product line. WinXP is quite sensitive to borderline
> defective hardware (particularly motherboards, RAM and hard drives)
> that will still support Win9x.
>
> Additionally, run Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you
> have any incompatible hardware components or applications.
>
>
> Bruce Chambers
>
> Help us help you:
> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> ----
> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
> having both at once. -- RAH
>
>
> "David Taylor" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Problem 1: My new XP Pro install hangs with "33 minutes
> > remaining" ...which leads to...
> >
> > Problem 2: I can't get into free MSFT product support,
> > because I can't get my Product ID from XP (because I can't
> > boot...)
> >
> > Can someone please tell me how to get my XP product ID?
> > (of the format "12345-XXX-7654321-98765") OR, how to get
> > free support from MSFT without a Product ID? I have a
> > product key, but no "product ID". Thanks.
>
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

It's not a matter of "fault tolerance," but rather one of
marketing: Win9x/Me's hardware promiscuity allows the OSs to be
installed on much cheaper systems, thus better appealing to the
masses. The Win9x/Me OS family may well be more promiscuous in
accepting defective or poor quality hardware, but it's certainly no
where near as stable or reliable as the WinNT/2K/XP family products.
And this hardware promiscuity is the primary reason for Win9x/Me's
legendary instability.

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"xp slave" > wrote in message
...
> Intersting that Microsoft never advertises the fact that Win9x/ME is
more
> fault tolerant of hardware than XP is.
>
>