virtualbox.org

When XP support ended a while back I installed Linux Mint on my laptop and installed a 90-day evaluation version of XP (which can be renewed/rearmed), which at the time was available for download as an ISO from the Microsoft website. That XP ISO is no longer available for download from the MS website.

Anyway, I imported the XP ISO into VirtualBox and installed all my important XP programs. I then exported the entire virtual machine as an OVA file.

My laptop died a few weeks back and I bought a second-hand one with Win 10.

I installed Linux Mint in a dual-boot set-up, then installed VirtualBox in Mint.

I tried to install the XP OVA file in VirtualBox in Mint, but I keep getting prompted to activate it. I've called Microsoft, but they said XP is now obsolete.
I gave them the Installation ID (9 groups of 6 numbers) and they said they didn't recognise the number.
So now I'm stuck.

Basically I've got an OVA file that is unusable.

Has anyone experienced this same problem and know any way to fix it?

Since this has nothing to do with vbox, why you ask here?
MS has shutdown the activation servers for xp, so you are on your own.

towo2099 wrote:MS has shutdown the activation servers for xp, so you are on your own.

Um... I'm pretty sure that has to be a myth - people confusing support with activation. It costs MS peanuts to keep one more virtual server going, I can't imagine why they'd ever shut it down.

It sounds like the OP has a trial version of XP intended to show something else, e.g. a demo of IE8. It is very possible that the associated trial has been withdrawn. I would not expect to be able to activate a trial version.

Legitimate licensed versions of XP are available cheaply on eBay. I have no doubt that those will activate.

I have no doubt that those will activate.

Have you tryed it? I have in our company and it's not possible to activate a XP over internet.
In Germany there is luck for activating with telephone (with many errors in the language from the computer voice), but this activation way is not available in all countries.
And btw, it's not that hard to deactivate the xp activation service, maybe that's why so many XP versions are sold on ebay.

I last activated XP around 18 months ago: shortly after moving to Win10 from XP I "p2v'd" my previous host. Of course the hardware had changed radically and reactivation was required - and went through without a problem. If people have problems activating it will not be because the servers no longer exist. It would be politically unwise of Microsoft to deny people the use of licenses they have paid for, whether or not the software is still supported, so I simply don't believe this story.

mpack wrote: Legitimate licensed versions of XP are available cheaply on eBay. I have no doubt that those will activate.

Look for hologrammed original packaging.

Moving to "Windows Guests" from "Linux Hosts".