windowx xp media centre issue

[Big Jim]

Customers pc has media centre installed, activated but with issues so bad it needs reinstalling.

COA is torn in half on bottom of laptop and none of the code is left.
Use cool beans to extract COA and proceed with repair install, which will not accept the key, so I obtain a dodgy key to get it installed thinking I can put the original back in later.

However once into windows it informs me I have to activate windows and logs me out if I click "remind me later" I can play in safe mode however.

So I go through the process of trying to activate windows either over the net or over the phone none of which will work using either the dodgy key (no surprise) or the one I extracted.

I have at present resorted to reinstalling the image I took from the drive so I can at least present this back to the customer.

My options are at this time (unless you guys can help ofc) to ring the customer and tell her that she needs to either
a - provide me with recovery media and we are going to have to start a fresh install (she specifically requested not to do this)
b - provide us with the genuine COA (99% sure this won't happen)
c - We purchase a new copy of windows (or xp key) and repair instal using that.

Option c is a bit of a weird one for me, surely there must be a way we can purchase a "lower priced" genuine key from MS ? as this will probably be the favourite option should it be possible.

Thanks
James

 

[PCX]

Really, you only have one option, she needs to purchase the recovery disks.

What is the make and model of the laptop you are currently working on?

 

[Kitten Kong]

As mentioned Jim, the only thing you can do here, is backup all her data, software keys etc, order recovery media, and then start from scratch.

If the machine is a Dell (hopefully its not), and she is not the original owner, and you don't know the original owners details, then Dell won't do anything.

I found a way around this the other day, and mentioned that the pc I was dealing with, was purchased from a auction of bankrupt stock. Therefore there was no way of knowing the original details. Dell then said they would sell me the recovery software.

Just a heads up for you

 

[DCGPX]

Got to agree, your going to need recovery media, the key you extracted will more than likely be the royalty OEM which wont activate no matter what

This is where XP is cr*p compared to Vista, you can backup the activation files for Vista/7 easy. I've NEVER managed it with XP no matter what google says!

Clients going to have to reinstall with recovery media anyway regardless of not wanting to.

Tough luck for client.

 

[Big Jim]

This gets even better.

Acer no longer supply XP based recovery media.

I think this one has an underlying HW issue anyway so I am going to recomend the customer buys a new one and lets me transfer files accross for them.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Looks like it Jim. In this instance, even if you were a MS refurber, you would not be able to upgrade the laptop to 7, as you would need to use the valid coa details to input on the MS website, in order to generate the refurb key

Could you not diagnose what the HW issue is, and see if it worth them upgrading to 7?, or would the cost of everything be prohibitive to the client?