error 0x80246002 frickng BS.

I have had it up to <rude gesture> HERE with Microsoft products.

I have an OEM Win XP Home CD that I wiped off an old computer and am trying
to install on my brand new system I bought yesterday.

I can't run Microsoft UPdate or whatever the stupid
fifteenth-redundant-confusing update system is now, because Windows Genuine
WTF tells me my copy is not genuine.

I am staring at the %^& certificate of authenticity, in the flesh, as I type.

I managed to download some of the updates, but I can't get Service Pack 2
because now of error 0x80246002 and trying to figure out WTF this absolutely
unhelpful piece of %^&* really means is NOT WHAT I WANTED FROM MY "MICROSOFT
OUT OF THE BOX (TM) EXPERIENCE."

And this is after I just had to install XP three times before the third time
worked. brand new system.

I don't care if XYZ redistribution company or <X> or whatever is at fault
here. The bottom line is that I bought this stupid piece of software for a
lot of money and I CAN"T GET IT TO WORK.

I am even a fricking IT professional (but not a technician) so it isn't as
if I'm a luddite. I can't find any damned help anywhere even in these
forums-- which all have a different "suggestion" to try... I mean thanks, but
SHOULDN"T THIS THING FRICKING JUST WORK?

I am installing Red Hat Linux. FU MIcrosoft.

Annoyed <> wrote:

> I have an OEM Win XP Home CD that I wiped off an old computer and am
> trying to install on my brand new system I bought yesterday.
> I can't run Microsoft UPdate or whatever the stupid
> fifteenth-redundant-confusing update system is now, because Windows
> Genuine WTF tells me my copy is not genuine.

This might indeed be the case if the "OEM" version you took from another PC
was vendor-specific. Some pre-installed OEM versions are vendor-specific,
licensed only for the hardware that it was pre-installed on and/or purchased
with. If you install such a version on different hardware, the license is
invalidated, and the installation might be detected as non-genuine.

However, there might be other problem leading to WGA validation failures: if
you want help debugging WGA failures, then post again with more details.
Visit http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/ for assistance, and then click
"Validate Windows" to refresh the WGA software.

> I am staring at the %^& certificate of authenticity, in the flesh, as
> I type.

For the original PC, presumably? A CoA on the new PC would not be valid for
the installation of an OEM OS transferred from an older PC.

> I managed to download some of the updates, but I can't get Service
> Pack 2 because now of error 0x80246002

80246002 = "The file digest did not match the expected value"

In other words, a checksum error - the download was corrupt or truncated.
Any repeated download attempt is likely to fail in the same way because of
local file caching. Before trying the download again, you need to:
1. use control panel Internet Options to delete all Temporary Internet
Files;
2. delete the *contents* of the folder C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution

The XP SP2 update is very large and often subject to download errors. It is
sometimes better to download the "complete" version of the SP2 update, check
the digital signature, and burn it to CD or USB stick, rather than rely on
update-time downloads via Windows Update. This way you know the download is
good before you start the update.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DisplayLang=en
After installing a fresh copy of XP, you should apply XP SP2 before first
visiting Windows Update, or getting involved with WGA problems.

> The bottom line is that I bought this stupid piece of
> software for a lot of money and I CAN"T GET IT TO WORK.

You *bought* an OEM version?

--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]

"Robin Walker [MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:...
> You *bought* an OEM version?
>
> --
> Robin Walker [MVP Networking]
>
>

You can buy generic "system builder" OEM versions at just about any hardware
vendor - generally with a motherboard or hard drive to qualify it. Places
like Newegg sell them all by themselves.

At most, the OP might have to do a phone validation, since the new system is
likely a completely different hardware configuration. I would check for
validation problems causing a "non-genuine" error first.

Of course, if this is a *branded* OEM disk, it's likely not going to work.