Computer Woes and how to get around certain *ahem* restrictions

[porkypine]

So, my computer went kablooie on the weekend.  Long story short, my CD drive stopped reading as a valid drive and kept getting corrupted somehow (the computer store guy said something about the CD burner software).

Anyway, I reinstalled Windows XP Pro and reformatted my computer and now everything is working fine.  I couldn't find all of my recovery disks and so I used my mom's Dell XP Pro installation CD.  Problem is, the activation required doesn't work with my comp because it's already recognized on hers.  How do I get around this activation?  Is it going to make my OS stop working?  Or will the only repercussion be that I can't download certain Microsoft programs (like Anti-Spyware as a I already discovered)?

Ouch!  If it was just the software and driver for your CD, you didn't need to reinstall your OS - just the drivers/cd software. If your computer is still in warranty, you should be able to go to your vendor and get replacement disks.


Activation - Your mom's computer has a single user license that's registered in her name. Sure you physically could install it on your computer but you'll have problems whenever you want to add hardware, get updates, etc.  Microsoft has a validation process that checks to see if you paid for your copy and a single user license will only work for the original user/computer.

Another question, about partitioning.  When I was reformatting, I saw I had 2 partitions (my OS came already installed, so this is the first I've seen of it), and I have no idea how to make partitions bigger, smaller, delete them, use them, etc.  The smaller of the two was about 4gigs, and then the main was the rest.

What is it for?  What's the best config to make it all run smoothly?  Someone at work mentioned installing the OS on the smaller one, and then keeping all your main stuff on the big one, so if you have to reinstall, you don't lose all your stuff (seeing as, you know, my CD drive was corrupt).

Thanks in advance for reading this rambling post that may not make any sense at all! 

I recommend that you don't mess around with your partitions.  You could make your computer non functional.  You need certain kinds of software and drivers to create a computer configuration from scratch.  If you have some friends who experienced in computer builds, consult with them.

I don't recommend that you practice on your primary computer until you get the hang of computer builds.  However, if you have a victim computer to practice on, go head on. Learn what you can.  :-)  You could probably find someone's old computer to practice on.  LOL - building computers is FUN!  and when the hardware gets outdated, you can recycle them and make those old 32MB RLL drives (6"x4"x10") into conversational piece doorstops!   Yea... one of these days I'll get rid of them... but I'm rather fond of my dinosaurs...   

[miramis]

I still think the activation code is just plain wrong.  I paid a whole chunk of cash for my XP Home a few years back, and was disgusted when I realised that I would have to phone Microsoft everytime I had a major hardware upgrade.  With home you have 30 days to activate or it goes 'splodie.  I still get mad every time I have to call them, which means they have to endure my griping about how disgusting it is, every single time.  Well hell, if I have to phone them they can bloody well listen to my bitching!

[Simlover]

Yeah my mum has the same problem miramis, thats why I won't use home version

[RainbowTigress]

You need to get the Corporate version.

[BlueSoup]

Well, I haven't paid much attention to my computer lately, since it's been working fine.  However, I got a popup that reminded me I need to take some sort of action soon.

Thirteen days...

[RainbowTigress]

That means in 13 days, you will no longer be able to log onto your PC.  So you definitely need to do something soon.

[BlueSoup]

I guess now that I'm done with Inge's stuff (for now, seeing as a few people have burned me out from trying to help for the moment  ), I can work on that.

[miramis]

Corporate Version? It looks like you just buy extra licences, or am I missing something?

Blue, if you're desperate you could phone for a new code and say that your old pc died so you've installed the OS on this 'new' one.  It could be problematic if your mother needs to reinstall hers though since the various hardware components get tied to the code, which is how they identify you.

[BlueSoup]

I did call them.  I think I got busted.   They said to call Dell, and of course I don't have Dell.

I may need to actually find my disks and reinstall, once again.  When I installed my mom's disk, it didn't ask me for a license key or anything. 

[miramis]

I think that's probably what you'll have to do.  Shame the phonecall couldn't solve things for you.

[phoenix_risin]

Can't you just turn off the genuine validation in add-ons?
That should stop it from validating for those who wish to update.

[RainbowTigress]

WinXP Home gives you 30 days to activate the software, at which point it will not let you log on.  There are ways around this if you want to use "hacks" on your OS that will disable the warning and resets the 30 day countdown every time you start your PC.  A Corporate version does not require activation, because it is intended to be used in a corporate environment where admins do not have time to call Microsoft and activate every single PC in the company.  They would still have to buy license keys for each PC.  So if you were to somehow acquire this version, you could plug in the CD key and not be bothered with activation.  Of course, Windows Genuine Advantage would still complain that your key was not valid.  But there are other ways to acquire updates, and critical patches are always free.  Of course I only know this from talking to people and reading about it on the Internet.  I would never try to cheat Microsoft.   

[SockMonkey]

You really need the OS key on the original dics for your system.  Either you or your Mom will get called out, depending on who has most recently used the Microsoft site.  It will try and verify your OS in order to give you updates and sign device drivers.

You may want to go to the Windows site on another computer and check out this info:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/getstarted/troubleshoot.mspx

Also specifically about partitions - they can explain it much better than I and probably in less words:
How to Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348

Good Luck!

[BlueSoup]

Update:

I found all my recovery disks and so set about reinstalling Windows with the recovery disks, since I had a legal copy I wanted to use it.  However, the powers that be didn't agree with me.  I installed those disks about 8 times, and all eight seemed to install just fine until the part where it tells you that you need to remove all disks and restart the computer.  I did so, only to get shut down with a back screen playing music for about ten minutes, then just a back screen. 

So then I installed my mom's disk again, this time on the smaller partition (so I had two OS's) and that one worked totally fine but the other one still didn't.

Finally, I gave up.  Reinstalled Pro on my main hard drive, and "activated" it and "registered" it so I could download programs.  Hopefully, saga over.