Well, I now have the problem that I cant activate windows xp.

After screwing up a few files in the system32 dir...

I had to reinstall (or repair, recover, whatever it shall be called) windows xp. It went thru the whole entire installing xp shtick,

Computer started, and asks me to activate windows XP. Otherwise it will not let me on.

The CD I used to do this was a reinstallation CD for windows XP with sp2, that my stepfather had for his laptop (he recently bought a new laptop and left all the software and such here).

I cant activate it online, as it says no connection can be established. Even tho I have tried hooking it directly up to the cable modem.

I also try calling up microsofts automated register thing, and it tells me there are no records for the ID that I gave or that its invalid (it gives you this huge code to tell the microsoft person, and they give you a like 25 digit key thing to type in).


And, I am wondering if this is even considered "legal"? I used someone elses winxp cd to fix my computer, which already had a legal version of windows xp on it. If I call up microsoft and tell them whats happend, are they going to go pff well buddy go buy a legal copy of winxp, or will they actually help me?

It is very importiant that I get windows working soon, and am willing to use cracks, hacks, bypasses, whatever is nessesary to get this done.

Please, ANY information will be appreciated.


Ive used google, lots. So far the biggest thing seems to be copying the wpa.dbl from the sys32 directory to a floppy and putting it back after its reinstalled. Im guessing its a bit too late for that.


I woke up at like 3AM with this horrible charliehorse thing in my leg, one of the most painful things ive felt... then hey, just a few hours later, my other leg got one. Stress? Bad luck? I dono.

So, any help would be great. Thanks!



Oh, and I think I will start to use backups, as soon as I get this working again.

"cracks, hacks, bypasses" - these three words will not get you very far in the way of help from law-abiding forum sites. In any case, if your stepfather (or anyone else) is still using that laptop, it is illegal to install from it's CD to a different PC. Furthermore, if that laptop was bought with XP pre-installed, then Windows and the backup CD is 'tied' to that laptop for life - when the laptop 'dies' so does the CD - it can no longer be used or passed on to someone else.