activating windows xp

[fboofs]

whats up, i have this weird problem, i have windows 7, and im running the newest virtualbox that i use windows xp pro with.. i went 2 activate my windows xp and it keeps looping.. saying you must activate b4 using if you say ok, it will just say its already registerd and then log you off... u log back on it starts all over.... agian... help any1??? thanks!

[mpack]

Immutable or read-only drive in the VM is the most obvious cause that springs to mind. You can activate, but the activation status can't be permanently saved. "Already registered" message would be from the MS server, because although you have no ability to save, it doesn't have that problem.

Incidentally, I've not seen the message so I can' t be sure, but I would expect "already activated" rather than "already registered" in the server response. Unlike activation, registration of your Windows product is a different and entirely optional step.

[Sasquatch]

I have seen this message before at work on our servers. The message when activating stating "already registered" just means that the licence key is already activated according to the activation server. Because of that, the combination between key and activation identification (this can be hardware UUID, hard drive UUID, some hash formed from all components in the system, you name it) does not match with what you're trying. I think this only happens on OEM licenses, because those are bound by hardware and you can't transfer an OEM license to other hardware.

[Perryg]

I have had this as well. The solution is to go to the activation screen and tell Windows to use a different key. Put the original key back in the window and activate it. After that it may or may not need to be authenticated again.

[RCL]

This seems like exactly what I am encountering.

1. I installed Virtual Box a while back and initialized XP as the guest on a Win 7 64bit host. It has been a while but I thought I had it running.
2. When I launch the guest XP VM, I get a notice that the battery is low. I thought this might be a hint as to what is happening.
3. I get a notice "Windows Product Activation" This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log on. Do you want to activate Windows now?
4. Click YES.
5. Desktop background is shown with window "Activate Windows" -- "Windows Product Activation" -- Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
(there are no other options here, no way to tell windows to use a different key, etc.
6. Click OK
7. welcome screen with single user shown "User"
8. Click User to log in.
9. LOOP FROM #3.

I looked all over this forum and this is the closet thread, but it does not seem to answer or solve the problem. Ideas?
I looked and the virtual drive and it did not say read-only.
I could not find any way to reset the activation key.

Thanks in advance!

[mpack]

At least some retail versions of XP give you a grace period of 30 days before you must activate. "I thought I had it running..." "a while back", now "I get a notice"... This leads me to suspect that your grace period may have expired.

OTOH, you would only get a battery low warning if the XP image thinks it needs a battery, which suggests that this image was P2V'd from a laptop, not installed from scratch. That could explain the need to reactivate. It may also ensure that reactivation is not possible (some OEM editions are node locked, and also may not support the full spectrum of PC hardware setups, since it was never intended for a generic PC).

In any case these are issues that you really ought to take up on a Microsoft site: activation issues in a virtual PC are no different than in any other kind of PC.

[oakie]

I am responding to this old thread because it could still be relevant as it was to me today.
Thankfully there is a solution to the Windows XP loop problem which can also get stuck in the virtual machine, and that is important in case you have essential information locked away in a machine which becomes inaccessible.
You need to get the XP machine within virtualbox to boot into safe mode and select the command prompt option.
The Function key to access this at the start of the windows boot up process varies, it is often F8 so when that didn't work for me I thought the function keys weren't getting past the host to the guest but in my case it was F5 as I found to my great relief by trial and error.
Then follow the procedure to extend your free windows trial {deleted by moderator}. That gives you time at least to get at files and sort out a long term license solution.

[mpack]

I am responding to this old thread because it could still be relevant as it was to me today.
Thankfully there is a solution to the Windows XP loop problem which can also get stuck in the virtual machine, and that is important in case you have essential information locked away in a machine which becomes inaccessible.

That's easily worked around. Just attach the disk as a second drive to any other (working) VM that understands NTFS.

p.s. I have deleted the instructions you gave referring to outside instructions on how to circumvent XP trial periods. Please don't do that again. On this site we like to pretend that everyone is honest, observes copyright, and doesn't use trial software for more than the intended period.