Z11 fails Windows 7 Validation

Hello!

Yesterday I tried to install Windows XP Mode onto my Vaio Z11. The installation required a Windows Validation, which requested to install a file called WindowsActivationUpdate.exe. I did that, but the installation failed with error code 0x8007054f ("Internal error"). I tried this several times, but it always failed (once with another error code, 0x80070bc9).

The result is that I cannot install Windows XP Mode, and validation results suggest that I might have a pirated Windows 7 version. I am using the factory-installed Windows 7, obviously.

Any ideas what I might try? Sony support has so far told me to do recovery back to factory settings, which is totally unacceptable because I have installed so much stuff on my Vaio already.

I get the following 3 message in Event Log:

When I search the net for KB971033, I find all kinds of piracy-related stuff telling how to circumvent this update etc. Obviously I don't want to use any of those work-arounds with my legal Windows license!

I have two requests to fellow Z owners:

1. Please click this link and see if the "Validate Windows" button works for you. On my Firefox, it asks to install WindowsActivationUpdate.exe, on IE8 it just says "Windows validation did not successfully complete".

2. Have you installed the WindowsActivationUpdate.exe update successfully?

Thank you!

 

I think there's something wrong with your install then. I would still recommend a fresh image (recovery discs). Cause mine works fine here and ends with the following message;

Windows validation was successful
Now you can take advantage of all the value genuine Windows provides, including extras

 

If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, you can't use XP mode. It's for Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate only.

 

Your problem is firefox. The validation activex control will only run through internet explorer. Try again through internet explorer and it will work

 

and make IE your default browser when doing this and make sure you are signed into an account with admin privileges.

 

No, Windows Validation works just fine with Firefox. It runs the validation as an external program, which calculates and reports a big number which you cut and paste into the validation. I do this on a regular basis.

 

I tried with IE8 earlier, and it wouldn't work. I get this from http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate:

Now I also tried making IE the default browser, and the result is the same. My user-account is an admin account (with UAC turned off).

Also, the update KB971033 doesn't show up in Control Panel, so I cannot uninstall it. This is also consistent with WindowsActivationUpdate.exe failing to install KB971033 (thus it is not installed on my computer).

I have Win 7 Pro.

 

Sony support just told me they are investigating this issue, and other customers have also encountered problems with KB971033. I have also sent a report about this to Microsoft.

 

I have Win 7 Pro and was able to install the upgrade, on the Z11 without any issue (I'm pretty sure i used firefox when I did that one)

Did you do the three steps: #1. Checks the computer, #2. Installs the required setup files, #3. Installs the XP mode Virtual PC.

Side note: Don't forget to turn on the virtual extensions (VT-X) in the BIOS. If you don't then when you run xp mode and close it (which simply hibernates the virtual pc), when you subsequently turn on VT-X, it won't run the hibernated file. You'll then have to: Go back to bios, turn off VT-X, boot, run the XP mode, close it down properly, back to bios, turn on vtx mode, boot, now you can run.

So save yourself the problem and turn it on now

 

Problem solved!

I went to install System Update Readiness Tool. It said "Validation Required" there, but that form of validation installed an ActiveX component that worked fine. After this, I was able to install WindowsActivationUpdate.exe successfully! And after this, Windows XP Mode validation worked fine too.

So it was either the validation ActiveX component or the System Update Readiness Tool that helped. I think it was the ActiveX component for the following reasons:

- C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log contained errors that led me to believe there was a problem with something called Microsoft-Windows-Security-WindowsActivationTechnologies-WebControls. This sounds like the ActiveX control.

- Other people have not had any problems with WindowsActivationUpdate.exe, so they may have performed the ActiveX validation before.

To summarize, the fix is probably as easy as going to System Update Readiness Tool, clicking the Validate button and letting IE install the validation ActiveX control. One can then skip the installation of the System Update Readiness Tool and continue with WindowsActivationUpdate.exe.