Just Released! Windows Product Key Update Tool!

Change your Product Key without a Reinstall to match your
genuine Product Key or COA:

First, please verify if your COA sticker or product key: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/h...ll/en/coa.mspx
matches your Product Key being used on your system. You can
view your product key with the Genuine Advantage diagnostics tool
(at least the last 15 digits) located here:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall! http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

How can I change my product key with XP media center?

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

> Change your Product Key without a Reinstall to match your
> genuine Product Key or COA:
>
> First, please verify if your COA sticker or product key: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/h...ll/en/coa.mspx
> matches your Product Key being used on your system. You can
> view your product key with the Genuine Advantage diagnostics tool
> (at least the last 15 digits) located here:
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012
>
> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall! http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows - Shell/User
> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
>
>
>

Carey wrote:
> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> reinstall!
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> How can I change my product key with XP media center?

Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get an invalid
product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
It's pretty much OEM only.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I think my
son may have downloaded a newer release of media center than the one that
came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc. I have tried sevral key
changer tools but so far none work for xp media center.

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> Carey wrote:
> > The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> > users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> > to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> > reinstall!
> > http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409
>
> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> > How can I change my product key with XP media center?
>
> Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
> Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get an invalid
> product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
> It's pretty much OEM only.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
>

Carey wrote:
> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> reinstall!
> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> How can I change my product key with XP media center?

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
> Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get
> an invalid product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
> It's pretty much OEM only.

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I
> think my son may have downloaded a newer release of media center
> than the one that came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc.
> I have tried sevral key changer tools but so far none work for xp
> media center.

You think your son may have 'downloaded' a newer version of Windows XP Media
Center Edition than the one that came with your Sony Vaio? What exactly
does that mean? Your system surely came with a way of restoring it to the
'shipped' state. Hopefully it came with the actual Windows XP Media Center
Edition installation CD? If so - use it to perform a Repair Installation.
This should leave everything intact, but allow you to change your product
key to that stuck on your computer.

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Have your son fix the problem, then.
--
~PA Bear

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I think
> my
> son may have downloaded a newer release of media center than the one that
> came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc. I have tried sevral key
> changer tools but so far none work for xp media center.
>
> "Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>
>> Carey wrote:
>>> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
>>> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
>>> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
>>> reinstall!
>>> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409
>>
>> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
>>> How can I change my product key with XP media center?
>>
>> Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
>> Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get an
>> invalid product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
>> It's pretty much OEM only.
>>
>> --
>> Shenan Stanley
>> MS-MVP
>> --
>> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I
> think my son may have downloaded a newer release of media center
> than the one that came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc.
> I have tried sevral key changer tools but so far none work for xp
> media center.

As an alternative to my other response...
MVP Carey Frisch has this set of instructions:

1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool -
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic Data
in a detailed post -
http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/...aspx?SiteID=25

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an
appropriate solution.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

thanks for nothing PA.

"PA Bear" wrote:

> Have your son fix the problem, then.
> --
> ~PA Bear
>
> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> > yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I think
> > my
> > son may have downloaded a newer release of media center than the one that
> > came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc. I have tried sevral key
> > changer tools but so far none work for xp media center.
> >
> > "Shenan Stanley" wrote:
> >
> >> Carey wrote:
> >>> The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> >>> users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> >>> to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> >>> reinstall!
> >>> http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409
> >>
> >> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> >>> How can I change my product key with XP media center?
> >>
> >> Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
> >> Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get an
> >> invalid product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
> >> It's pretty much OEM only.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Shenan Stanley
> >> MS-MVP
> >> --
> >> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> >> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>

I belive he upgraded to xp MC 2005 from 2004 and used a bogus key to
activate. the only way I know to restore is from a partition on the hard
drive. I don't know if there is a repair option. How would I go back to the
previous version without a total restore?
Thanks

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> Carey wrote:
> > The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
> > users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
> > to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
> > reinstall!
> > http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...46&clcid=0x409
>
> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> > How can I change my product key with XP media center?
>
> Shenan Stanley wrote:
> > Did you try the tool you quoted in your response/post?
> > Although - to be honest - I am unsure how one would manage to get
> > an invalid product key for Windows XP Media Center Edition...
> > It's pretty much OEM only.
>
> Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> > yes I tried it and it said my product wasn't valid for the tool. I
> > think my son may have downloaded a newer release of media center
> > than the one that came with my Sony Vaio. I can't get updates etc.
> > I have tried sevral key changer tools but so far none work for xp
> > media center.
>
> You think your son may have 'downloaded' a newer version of Windows XP Media
> Center Edition than the one that came with your Sony Vaio? What exactly
> does that mean? Your system surely came with a way of restoring it to the
> 'shipped' state. Hopefully it came with the actual Windows XP Media Center
> Edition installation CD? If so - use it to perform a Repair Installation.
> This should leave everything intact, but allow you to change your product
> key to that stuck on your computer.
>
> How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
>
> How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
>

Jim Hargreaves wrote:
> I belive he upgraded to xp MC 2005 from 2004 and used a bogus key
> to activate. the only way I know to restore is from a partition on
> the hard drive. I don't know if there is a repair option. How would
> I go back to the previous version without a total restore?

There is no going back without a total format, unfortunately.
This type of upgrade doesn't have a roll-back.

The restore from the partition may/may not be destructive - I do not know
the particulars in your case.
It is always a raw deal when the only way to restore is a partition on the
same hard drive as the working system... Think about the problems you might
have if the hard disk drive actually dies...

:-(

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html