La Musique Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 If you have a less-than-legit copy of Windows XP, you WILL be locked out of your computer if you install SP2 This only applies to Windows XP Pro with a Volume License Product Key (VLK). XP Home is not affected. At all. If you got XP Pro with your computer (OEM) or purchased it (Retail), you're legit and therefore OK. If you have a pirated copy of XP you will find after applying SP2 you will not be able to log on. Here's why: If you go into the system control panel, you'll see a number of the format 11111-222-3333333-44444. This is your Product ID, generated from your CD Key. The three-digit group identifies what product this ID is for. On XP Pro Corp the three digit group will be 64x, where x might be number. Legit copies will be 640. In the Gold release of XP anything from 640-649 is valid. When MS found out XP Pro Corp was being pirated, they blocked the two most commonly used product keys from being able to install Service Pack 1. With SP1, only the two known leaked keys were blocked. They both generated 640, and crackers assumed ALL 640 keys were blocked. Key generators making corporate keys will always generate codes of 641-649. These keys worked... until now. M1cr0s0ft has never used 641-649 in any keys so they disabled them. Service Pack 2 RC1 (current Technical Preview) is unaffected, but all builds after v.2111, including the soon-to-come RC2 and the final public release, will not let you log on if your product ID contains 641-649. To reiterate, and hopefully spare people some grief: If you are using a pirated or keygen-made CD-Key, you will be locked out of your computer after installing SP2! You will be presented with the windows activation dialog. XP Pro Corp does not have activation, but if you click "Activate" you will be told your key is invalid and be prompted for a new one. After entering a valid key you can log on. In case you're wondering, it doesn't try to phone home. You can change your key and proceed even with no connection to the Internet. If this fails, you can use the old "Telephone" > "Change Product Key" trick. M1CR0S0FT WAY BUT I WOULD JUST GET A KEY CHANGER " magic jellybean"hxxp://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml` Use the Activation WizardIf you have only a few volume licensing product keys to change, you can use the Activation Wizard. NOTE: M1cr0s0ft recommends that you run System Restore to create a new restore point before you complete the following steps. For information about how to create a restore point by using System Restore, see the "To Create a Restore Point" help topic in Help and Support. WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. M1cr0s0ft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. Click Start, and then click Run.In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.In the left pane, locate and then click the following registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\M1cr0s0ft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.Click Start, and then click Run.In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.Click Change Product key.Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update. If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.Repeat steps 6 and 7 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message: Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit. Click OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutchy Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Cheers for the info Muzik, Im still scared about installing SP1 LOL Glad its partly your forum mind, or you would have been well flamed for this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Good thing I have a legit key Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutchy Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 To be honest I couldnt give a shit about either service pack, am I right in saying they only fix security problems? Im behind a firewall anyway so theres no point me getting myself chewed over installing them.Unless SP1/SP2 makes WinXP magically makes XP more stable or improves it in anyway?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Musique Posted June 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Cheers for the info Muzik, Im still scared about installing SP1 LOL Glad its partly your forum mind, or you would have been well flamed for this hey hey hey, im not encouraging piracy, far from it, i have myself a legic corp edition (*cough*) its all about internet security. if anyone does have a dodgy copy of XP they wont be safe from security holes which in turn could set themselves up for a virus etc... The above is a way to make yourself secure... yeah, secure.... cough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Musique Posted June 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Unless SP1/SP2 makes WinXP magically makes XP more stable or improves it in anyway??SP2 is worth it. theres anti popup, better spy ware and firewall thingys in there and all the loop hole sealed up... sp1 was poo, fucked up half the machines it went on, sp2 should hopefully work a treat. hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutchy Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 SP2 is worth it. theres anti popup, better spy ware and firewall thingys in there and all the loop hole sealed up... sp1 was poo, fucked up half the machines it went on, sp2 should hopefully work a treat. hopefullyMaybe worth the effort then...cheers matey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johny Favourite Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Good thing I have a legit key ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 GAY!! so this means i finally have to get up off my arse and go to my department to get a legit key? great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Musique Posted June 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 GAY!! so this means i finally have to get up off my arse and go to my department to get a legit key? great.can i have a copy to? for research of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhodsey Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 I bought it, didn't fancy the idea of a dodgy OS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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