Quick Question: Activating Refurb license

[Krynn72]

A customer dropped off a computer with a Windows XP Pro refurbished COA. It replaced another Windows XP Pro COA. He wants a N&P, and so we did it, but the refurb license is invalid when trying to activate it. I can still read the old COA (has the X'd out stamp on it) and windows will activate with that key, but fail the Genuine test.

How do I fully activate this system? I tried googling and searching this forum, but with all the other refurbishing license questions I'm having trouble finding topics relevant to this kind of issue.

 

[Moltuae]

I don't understand. Why was the original Windows XP Pro licence replaced with another Windows XP Pro licence during refurbishment?

Anyway, don't you get the option to do a telephone activation when online activation fails? Telephone activation usually fixes the stubborn ones for me.

 

[nlinecomputers]

As I understand Refrurbs the old license is canceled when you do the refurb. So you can only do the new key and that is only one the paper you print out and place with the machine. I had a client buy a batch of win 7 refrub units and I taped the paperwork in an envelope inside the chassis.

 

[Martyn]

Not sure what you mean by a replacement XP? The refurbisher is allowed to upgrade specific os licences to a new upgrade licence. During the process the old licence is disabled. I don't think you can go xp to xp, why would you? You cannot refurbish a non readable coa as it is needed to generate your new licence.

 

[Krynn72]

Couldn't tell you why, but it's got the usual green and blue windows xp pro coa with a big black x through it, and right next to it is a tan xp pro coa that says "refurbished" on it.

Guess i Will try it again and just call ms. Do they actually still provide xp activation support?

 

[Moltuae]

Guess i Will try it again and just call ms. Do they actually still provide xp activation support?

If you get the 'activate by phone option' (with an installation ID), then telephone activation is an automated process .... so yes, it should still work.

 

[Kitten Kong]

It's possible that the original drive was balked.

Refurber simply did what according to Ms we should do, and cancel the old coa, and use a xp refurb COA.

I had a batch of xp coa's on a roll, which I I threw away earlier in the year, as they were obselete.

Maybe w7 was not an option for the refurber.

@op, re the install, the green coa is now null and void. You must use the tan one. If that does not have the coa printed, then it would be in the refurbers portal, and a print out given to your client.

The other scenario is that the refurber was a major outfit, who can supply refurb coa's whereby it's not needed to enter the details on their portal per se. Either way if it won't activate a call to Ms is needed.

 

[AndyM]

I don't understand. Why was the original Windows XP Pro licence replaced with another Windows XP Pro licence during refurbishment?

If memory serves me correctly, when XP was installed on an OEM machine, say HP Lenovo Acer 'Joe's Computer Store' etc, then if you refurbed the machine, you had to buy a refurb license, as under the XP licensing, you were not allowed to sell on the license that originally belonged to another manufacturer, and said manufacturer would then relinquish any responsibility of warranty etc.

Andy

 

[Krynn72]

So I'm still having trouble. Phone activation failed, the automated system says it doesn't recognize the product as valid. I can't talk to anyone at MS because it just hangs up on me (assuming its because it knows its XP)

Is it possible that the refurbisher never activated the refurb license, while voiding the original? I googled the name on the refurb COA and its a huge refurbisher apparently, so it seems doubtful that they wouldn't have done it right.

 

[nlinecomputers]

OK we seem to have a failure to communicate. You have to have a new, second product key. If you don't have that key then your wasting your time.

 

[Kitten Kong]

+1 to nlines reply. With out the actual refurb Coa then forget it.

 

[Krynn72]

OK we seem to have a failure to communicate. You have to have a new, second product key. If you don't have that key then your wasting your time.

Ok, I'm not making myself clear I guess, so I'll make it simple. I just took a pic of the side of the case (IBM Thinkcentre)

I blocked out the code on the refurb coa just to be safe. The refurbished COA will not activate the computer, neither via internet activation nor phone.

If I use the old COA, it will activate, but fail the Genuine Validation test required before getting all the XP Updates.

 

[Kitten Kong]

When your installing windows on this machine.. Are you using your usual XP install cd, or the refurb install cd?

I have noticed that if you use your usual install media, it can fail to work.. (W7 systems).

You cannot use the old COA as that is now null and void.

 

[Krynn72]

I'm using our usual disk. I just called the customer to see if he was provided with the install media and he said he had no such disks. I'm thinking he's out of luck since I can't call Microsoft to explain.

 

[anti]

The refurbished XP discs are Retail not OEM.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I'm using our usual disk. I just called the customer to see if he was provided with the install media and he said he had no such disks. I'm thinking he's out of luck since I can't call Microsoft to explain.

If the refurbisher has completed their job properly, then a recovery partition should be on the drive and allow the reload.

It HAS to be there, or the client given their own media. If it isn't, then the refurber has broken their tos with Ms. One or the other should occur.

There is a division within Ms which deals in the refurb processes. Have you tried emailing or contacting them, rather than the gen Ms number?

 

[frase]

A customer dropped off a computer with a Windows XP Pro refurbished COA. It replaced another Windows XP Pro COA. He wants a N&P, and so we did it, but the refurb license is invalid when trying to activate it. I can still read the old COA (has the X'd out stamp on it) and windows will activate with that key, but fail the Genuine test.

How do I fully activate this system? I tried googling and searching this forum, but with all the other refurbishing license questions I'm having trouble finding topics relevant to this kind of issue.

Time for a new OS, or system.

 

[nlinecomputers]

The refurbished XP discs are Retail not OEM.

Ding Ding Ding.

Xp uses several different media sets and if you've got the wrong one it will reject the key as invalid.

 

[anti]

I only really knew that by chance; had a copy of Refurb XP and checked the PID. Otherwise you should really be activating all that stuff with the factory key/cert and not even wasting time typing in keys.