i get the feeling your not telling the whole truth here.
you dont just lose a windows activation because if you had a legitimate version of windows it would be activiated already and even if you had lost your product key (which would have been stuck onto the side of your computer) you could have got another one by phoning the company you purchased the computer from and stating the serial number of your pc.
even if you had built it yourself and had purchased your own copy of windows you would have had to activate windows at some point before and microsoft would likely have your details so you could phone them and request your product key.
Studio Comp: AMD Athlon XP 3200+ OC ~ 2.35GHz runs at 40 celcius idle and 48 under stress (aerocool GT1000 really works!), Asrock K7VT4A , 1024MB Dual Channel DDR 400, MSI Nvidia FX5200 128MB OC ~ 600MHz mem 350MHz core,80GB SATA + 200GB SATA + 120GB IDE, 7.1 Channel Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum EX sound and midi interface. 19" Sony SDM-HS95 TFT monitor - sweeet
Comp2: AMD Sempron 2400+ OC ~ 2.0GHz (Stable), Asrock K7S41GX, 512MB DDR 333, Onboard Graphics, 40GB Maxtor IDE
set of monitors on the way soon :P
Google is your friend... WorkComp: LAPTOP, intel celeron D 2.4GHz, 256MB DDR, 20GB hd. NO SCREEN IT WAS SAWN OFF :S (bag of crap)
actually, i am telling the truth. i just bought a new compaq laptop and all the cds that came with it were in the little white paper slips. so i put them in my cd case. i cut out tha microsoft money key but not the windows key. and i threw all the garbage out. i used some program to find my key, but when i eneter tha key, it keeps saying "unauthorized id"
like i said earlier if you purchased the laptop from a company get in touch with them and they will supply you with your product key.
if the product key you have found is invalid then that would mean that compaq have installed an illegal version of windows on your laptop which i find highly unlikely.
also they should have stuck your product key onto the laptop. there should definately be a sticker with your product key on the laptop unless you purchased it without an operating system
Studio Comp: AMD Athlon XP 3200+ OC ~ 2.35GHz runs at 40 celcius idle and 48 under stress (aerocool GT1000 really works!), Asrock K7VT4A , 1024MB Dual Channel DDR 400, MSI Nvidia FX5200 128MB OC ~ 600MHz mem 350MHz core,80GB SATA + 200GB SATA + 120GB IDE, 7.1 Channel Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum EX sound and midi interface. 19" Sony SDM-HS95 TFT monitor - sweeet
Comp2: AMD Sempron 2400+ OC ~ 2.0GHz (Stable), Asrock K7S41GX, 512MB DDR 333, Onboard Graphics, 40GB Maxtor IDE
set of monitors on the way soon :P
Google is your friend... WorkComp: LAPTOP, intel celeron D 2.4GHz, 256MB DDR, 20GB hd. NO SCREEN IT WAS SAWN OFF :S (bag of crap)
Go into internet explorer, manage add ons, you will find there is the Windows genuine advantage box, disable, exit Internet explorer, then re-enter.
This will overcome the key validation problem!
Ok so I replied after reading this a few times... But after replying I realized I missed a couple critical words... So I deleted what I was gonna say cause it wouldn't have made to much sense lol.
But all I gotta ask is. Is contacting M$ about troubleshooting as bad as contacting Dell? Cause if so trying to resolve it through otehr sources would prolly be alot faster, easier and less painful(ugh the headaches one gets from TRYING to deal with Dell "Support" lol)
