Repaired XP Wont Activate

I just did a repair on my aunts Dell with a Windows XP SP3 CD, she had Windows XP SP3 installed already. Well after the repair finished it wont accept the product key that is on the side of the Dell case. It wont even let me log in without attempting to activate. I tried doing the telephone activation and it wont work, it says that the cd key that was used is invalid, but I know for a fact that its not since this Dell has had the same XP installation since new. Any ideas? I don't really want to do a fresh install because my aunt and here kids all have their own accounts and settings.

 

You have used a different version than the OEM version that was installed. You should repair with the original CD or a Dell OEM version or reinstall Windows XP with SP3 completely.

 

The computer new came with XP SP2, but was updated through windows update to sp3, I used a OEM SP3 and the repair worked, it was not booting but it is now.. Why would it need a new key if it was only a repair.

It wont even let me get to the desktop, if I click on a user account at the log in screen it wont let me log in until activated.

 

If it does not give a "this version of windows is illegal" kind of message than you are trying to use a key for a different version.

 

Was the OEM SP3 disk you used from _Dell, or from another OEM?

 

It was an HP, but I figured that would work since it was not technically a installation, just a repair. Guess I was wrong.

 

That was probably it. Each OEM's version is, typically, locked to that OEM's hardware in order to prevent pirating the copy onto non-OEM hardware. When the repair was done, that must have replaced the _Dell-specific lock with the _HP-specific lock, which is why it will no longer accept the _Dell product key.

You might try ordering a recovery CD from _Dell if you don't have a _Dell OEM disk handy, and redoing the repair. You might also try calling Microsoft's activation phone line to see if they can help you get it straightened out, although I'm not holding out any great hopes on that one as you'd be dealing with that most toxic blend of (a) a customer service drone who (b) is going to be responding with pavlovian intensity to the (unfounded) belief that you're somehow a pirate. Still, if you have solomon-like patience, the ability to suck it up and be polite to dum-dums, and the willingness to try walking up the command chain from absolute bottom until you get to someone with the authority to help, it might be worth a shot.

 

Well I got a Dell OEM XP Sp3 cd and tried the repair again and everything worked fine, this time it didn't even ask me for a CD key.

 

I have dealt with them before, NEVER again.