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XP online activation - what's the latest situation?



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 20th 18, 04:08 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Ian Jackson[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

As I haven't done it for some time, and I like to keep my hand in, I've
just tried a virgin XP Home (with SP1a) installation on an old clunker
PC (circa 2001), using an equally old cast-off 40GB HDD.

Needless to say, the path taken seemed to differ somewhat from any I've
ever done before, but after installing SP2 and SP3 from DVD - plus, for
good measure, the unofficial SP4, I was able to manually install IE8.

In the past, this has allowed me to access the online activation - but
it didn't. The only online updates I have been able to get were three
(when the 'updates available' 'golden shield' appeared immediately after
I upgraded to IE8).

I'm obviously able to access the internet (I've downloaded and installed
Avast and Firefox), but there's no sign of online activation waking up -
and although I've installed Windows Update Agent, plus the Windows
Update I was offered during the update procedure (but not ActiveX),
there's no sign of any of the usual basic updates happening.

So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?
--
Ian
Ads
  #2  
Old April 20th 18, 05:27 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

Ian Jackson wrote:
As I haven't done it for some time, and I like to keep my hand in, I've
just tried a virgin XP Home (with SP1a) installation on an old clunker
PC (circa 2001), using an equally old cast-off 40GB HDD.

Needless to say, the path taken seemed to differ somewhat from any I've
ever done before, but after installing SP2 and SP3 from DVD - plus, for
good measure, the unofficial SP4, I was able to manually install IE8.

In the past, this has allowed me to access the online activation - but
it didn't. The only online updates I have been able to get were three
(when the 'updates available' 'golden shield' appeared immediately after
I upgraded to IE8).

I'm obviously able to access the internet (I've downloaded and installed
Avast and Firefox), but there's no sign of online activation waking up -
and although I've installed Windows Update Agent, plus the Windows
Update I was offered during the update procedure (but not ActiveX),
there's no sign of any of the usual basic updates happening.

So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?


Click Start Run

C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

That's what a Google got me.

*******

Windows Update needs at least one "WGA" style update, before
updates will be offered. There are two WGA items. One installs
a nasty notification thing in the taskbar or similar. The
other has something to do with making Windows Update work
(that likely loads via an automated ActiveX method).

Windows Update didn't always need that, but presumably some
change along the way, includes a need for it. Sorta like
"extra handcuffs".

*******

There is a utility called "mgadiag" which can be
downloaded from Microsoft. That's also a keyword you can
try in a Google search, to locate the activation forum at
Microsoft. As mgadiag.exe would be a main tool they use,
for customers to present information about the install
on their C: drive.

http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/wind...diag-tool.html

Direct download of (some version of) mgadiag.exe .

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

You shouldn't need this quite yet.

*******

The last time I activated WinXP here (some time ago), I
used a copy of IE8, as the version of IE seemed to be
having trouble with whatever activation code was on
the C: installation and wasn't working properly. I
wouldn't have resorted to IE8 for that, except I wasn't
getting anywhere without it. I didn't try msoobe
at the time.

*******

There is one visitor here, who regularly installs WinXP,
and he'd be the guy for an actual "traffic report". He
could tell you whether something was busted. All his
previous reports have indicated it was working and
that it was "relaxed". The Activation server wasn't
as strict as it was when WinXP was still supported.

Paul
  #3  
Old April 20th 18, 08:16 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Ian Jackson[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

In message , Paul
writes




Windows Update needs at least one "WGA" style update, before
updates will be offered.


Thanks for all the info. I'm digesting, and will see what it gets me.

Interestingly, I think that WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) was one of
the three downloads that did happen, and it installed OK.


--
Ian
  #4  
Old April 21st 18, 08:24 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Robert Baer[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 126
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

Paul wrote:
Ian Jackson wrote:
As I haven't done it for some time, and I like to keep my hand in,
I've just tried a virgin XP Home (with SP1a) installation on an old
clunker PC (circa 2001), using an equally old cast-off 40GB HDD.

Needless to say, the path taken seemed to differ somewhat from any
I've ever done before, but after installing SP2 and SP3 from DVD -
plus, for good measure, the unofficial SP4, I was able to manually
install IE8.

In the past, this has allowed me to access the online activation - but
it didn't. The only online updates I have been able to get were three
(when the 'updates available' 'golden shield' appeared immediately
after I upgraded to IE8).

I'm obviously able to access the internet (I've downloaded and
installed Avast and Firefox), but there's no sign of online activation
waking up - and although I've installed Windows Update Agent, plus the
Windows Update I was offered during the update procedure (but not
ActiveX), there's no sign of any of the usual basic updates happening.

So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand,
is automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?


Click Start Run

C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a

That's what a Google got me.

*******

Windows Update needs at least one "WGA" style update, before
updates will be offered. There are two WGA items. One installs
a nasty notification thing in the taskbar or similar. The
other has something to do with making Windows Update work
(that likely loads via an automated ActiveX method).

Windows Update didn't always need that, but presumably some
change along the way, includes a need for it. Sorta like
"extra handcuffs".

*******

There is a utility called "mgadiag" which can be
downloaded from Microsoft. That's also a keyword you can
try in a Google search, to locate the activation forum at
Microsoft. As mgadiag.exe would be a main tool they use,
for customers to present information about the install
on their C: drive.

http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/wind...diag-tool.html


Direct download of (some version of) mgadiag.exe .

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

You shouldn't need this quite yet.

*******

The last time I activated WinXP here (some time ago), I
used a copy of IE8, as the version of IE seemed to be
having trouble with whatever activation code was on
the C: installation and wasn't working properly. I
wouldn't have resorted to IE8 for that, except I wasn't
getting anywhere without it. I didn't try msoobe
at the time.

*******

There is one visitor here, who regularly installs WinXP,
and he'd be the guy for an actual "traffic report". He
could tell you whether something was busted. All his
previous reports have indicated it was working and
that it was "relaxed". The Activation server wasn't
as strict as it was when WinXP was still supported.

Paul

Strange; I recently installed XPSP3 and after a few update/reboot
passed wound up seeing maybe a dozen updates total and no noise WRT
activation.

  #5  
Old April 21st 18, 08:29 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Robert Baer[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 126
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Paul
writes




Windows Update needs at least one "WGA" style update, before
updates will be offered.


Thanks for all the info. I'm digesting, and will see what it gets me.

Interestingly, I think that WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) was one of
the three downloads that did happen, and it installed OK.


Yes, that and the Active-X were some of the updates offered; did not
allow them.
Sure loves to complain about that,but Avast claims there are zero issues.

  #6  
Old April 21st 18, 12:39 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
No_Name
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 326
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

SNIP
So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make an y
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?


Hi Ian,

I recently activated, by telephone, WinXP on one of my old PC's after I
replaced the HD. Note: I have many old PCs

I have always used the telephone method. First, I write on paper the
list of number groups that I will have to present when I make the telephone
call (automated). I also write down the number groups I am suppose
to enter into the slots. I keep this paper(s) for future reference and it
has saved me from making the telephone activation call on some PCs.

John

  #7  
Old April 21st 18, 04:13 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Ian Jackson[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

In message ,
writes
SNIP
So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make an y
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?


Hi Ian,

I recently activated, by telephone, WinXP on one of my old PC's after I
replaced the HD. Note: I have many old PCs

I have always used the telephone method.


As I said, I've never had to do it before. Online has always worked -
albeit sometimes is it needed a bit of 'persuasion'. However, I'm sure
that the last time I did it, it worked without a murmur.

First, I write on paper the
list of number groups that I will have to present when I make the telephone
call (automated). I also write down the number groups I am suppose
to enter into the slots. I keep this paper(s) for future reference and it
has saved me from making the telephone activation call on some PCs.

Thanks for the reassurance! I'd already done some Googling on phone
activation, and I did note that the activation numbers stay the same
each time you do it - it's a good idea to make a permanent note of them.

Just in case MS decide to totally pull the plug on new XP installations,
in case a hard drive fails, I keep a collection of cloned C-drive
backups for all of my XP PCs.


--
Ian
  #8  
Old April 22nd 18, 10:54 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

In message , Ian Jackson
writes:
In message ,
writes
SNIP
So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make an y
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?


Hi Ian,

I recently activated, by telephone, WinXP on one of my old PC's after I
replaced the HD. Note: I have many old PCs

I have always used the telephone method.

[]
First, I write on paper the
list of number groups that I will have to present when I make the telephone
call (automated). I also write down the number groups I am suppose
to enter into the slots. I keep this paper(s) for future reference and it
has saved me from making the telephone activation call on some PCs.


That's interesting: so, the code from the 'phone is not time-limited.
Useful to know.

Thanks for the reassurance! I'd already done some Googling on phone
activation, and I did note that the activation numbers stay the same
each time you do it - it's a good idea to make a permanent note of them.

Just in case MS decide to totally pull the plug on new XP
installations, in case a hard drive fails, I keep a collection of


(I continue to be amazed they haven't; people usually talk about some
fear of lawsuits or something like that, but I don't quite get that.
Anyone care to explain again what the claim would be? Even if they
didn't put a time-limit on when they released XP, surely any reasonable
jury ... if I bought a model T Ford, even if it was in original sealed
shipping container, and it didn't go, I wouldn't expect Ford to make it
go for free [though in the case of the model T, they probably would
still be able to, and might well for the publicity bonus].)

cloned C-drive backups for all of my XP PCs.

Do you mean clone (drive)s, or images?

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"If even one person" arguments allow the perfect to become the enemy of the
good, and thus they tend to cause more harm than good.
- Jimmy Akins quoted by Scott Adams, 2015-5-5
  #9  
Old April 24th 18, 05:35 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Robert Baer[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 126
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

Ian Jackson wrote:
As I haven't done it for some time, and I like to keep my hand in, I've
just tried a virgin XP Home (with SP1a) installation on an old clunker
PC (circa 2001), using an equally old cast-off 40GB HDD.

Needless to say, the path taken seemed to differ somewhat from any I've
ever done before, but after installing SP2 and SP3 from DVD - plus, for
good measure, the unofficial SP4, I was able to manually install IE8.

In the past, this has allowed me to access the online activation - but
it didn't. The only online updates I have been able to get were three
(when the 'updates available' 'golden shield' appeared immediately after
I upgraded to IE8).

I'm obviously able to access the internet (I've downloaded and installed
Avast and Firefox), but there's no sign of online activation waking up -
and although I've installed Windows Update Agent, plus the Windows
Update I was offered during the update procedure (but not ActiveX),
there's no sign of any of the usual basic updates happening.

So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?

So far, i have never seen a peep about "activation" during or after
an install of XP.

  #10  
Old April 24th 18, 08:28 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Ian Jackson[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

In message , Robert Baer
writes




So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?

So far, i have never seen a peep about "activation" during or after
an install of XP.

Please explain! Don't all XP installations need to be activated?
--
Ian
  #11  
Old April 24th 18, 12:45 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Shadow
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,638
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:28:54 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , Robert Baer
writes




So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?

So far, i have never seen a peep about "activation" during or after
an install of XP.

Please explain! Don't all XP installations need to be activated?


If you purchased it, you can activate it with a freeware
called xpy. It changes a registry flag. Morally correct. I doubt M$
will try to sue you for activating something that BELONGS to you.

XP is not a "service", if you bought it, it's yours.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/xpy/files/xpy%20Redistributable/
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012
  #12  
Old April 24th 18, 03:56 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
No_Name
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 627
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:45:05 -0300, Shadow wrote:

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:28:54 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , Robert Baer
writes




So far, I've not attempted to activate by phone (which, I understand, is
automated) - but at this stage in the game, would it make any
difference? Or have MS finally totally screwed up any possibility of
installing XP?
So far, i have never seen a peep about "activation" during or after
an install of XP.

Please explain! Don't all XP installations need to be activated?


If you purchased it, you can activate it with a freeware
called xpy. It changes a registry flag. Morally correct. I doubt M$
will try to sue you for activating something that BELONGS to you.

XP is not a "service", if you bought it, it's yours.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/xpy/files/xpy%20Redistributable/
[]'s


More importantly XP is an abandoned product. If microsoft thought it
was of value they would support it. I never saw an expiration date on
any microsoft product I bought when I bought it. Them killing it at
some arbitrary date in the future is fraud. I can understand not
supporting it but if they refuse to activate it for a paid up
customer, they are the ones in the wrong and a hack is just justice.
  #14  
Old April 24th 18, 05:08 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
No_Name
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 627
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:10:27 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message ,
writes:
[]
More importantly XP is an abandoned product. If microsoft thought it
was of value they would support it. I never saw an expiration date on
any microsoft product I bought when I bought it. Them killing it at


Have they started putting them on any _current_ products?

some arbitrary date in the future is fraud. I can understand not
supporting it but if they refuse to activate it for a paid up
customer, they are the ones in the wrong and a hack is just justice.


Only _if_ the customer bought it from them, perhaps?


Or if the customer bought a used computer with a valid COA sticker on
it. That is probably where most reloads come from. I know when I get a
used PC, the first thing I do is wipe the hard drive and reload it
before I will even plug it into my network.
To the poster who said the only real answer is to get a new W/10
machine, I guess he does not know w/7 is still supported fully, as is
8. Ten only makes sense if you think you want a big tablet.
  #15  
Old April 24th 18, 09:52 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default XP online activation - what's the latest situation?

In message ,
writes:
On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:10:27 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message ,
writes:
[]
More importantly XP is an abandoned product. If microsoft thought it
was of value they would support it. I never saw an expiration date on
any microsoft product I bought when I bought it. Them killing it at


Have they started putting them on any _current_ products?

some arbitrary date in the future is fraud. I can understand not
supporting it but if they refuse to activate it for a paid up
customer, they are the ones in the wrong and a hack is just justice.


Only _if_ the customer bought it from them, perhaps?


Or if the customer bought a used computer with a valid COA sticker on


Microsoft would, I presume, claim your gripe if any is with the person
you bought it from, not with Microsoft.

it. That is probably where most reloads come from. I know when I get a
used PC, the first thing I do is wipe the hard drive and reload it
before I will even plug it into my network.


I might try to rescue drivers, if it has unusual hardware. Obviously I'd
scan any such for malware and the like.

To the poster who said the only real answer is to get a new W/10
machine, I guess he does not know w/7 is still supported fully, as is
8. Ten only makes sense if you think you want a big tablet.


I too have little time for the "ditch anything but the latest" brigade.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur". ("Anything is more impressive if
you say it in Latin")
 




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