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December 3, 2011

The joys of product activation (, )

by fluffy at 4:37 PM

I had to reinstall Windows XP on my netbook, and of course it's asking for the product key, which I am supposed to enter from the 'certificate of authenticity' that is attached to the bottom of the laptop. Attached specifically to where the computer gets REALLY HOT, and the label has a thermal 'feature' that makes it turn black if it's heated up.

Time to just use TinyXP instead.

Comments

#14580 12/10/2011 10:10 pm
I've run into a few of those... This is why I keep a database of product keys tucked away in an online spreadsheet- if all of my computers and my phone all die at once, then I really can't get access to my keys.
#14581 12/11/2011 05:23 pm
Time to FCKGW.
#14585 12/12/2011 11:19 am
Unfortunately, the volume keys don't work, because this computer was pre-installed with the "refurbished PC" edition of XP, which doesn't accept volume keys (or even the standard OEM key that is still attached to the laptop and perfectly readable). I could just install XP Home or whatever but that's beyond what I care about doing.

TinyXP under Virtualbox works fine for my needs anyway.