Question on WinXP Pro for Refurbished PC Activation

Moonraven · Aug 7, 2013

Hi,
Built a PC for my husband. He bought WinXP Pro at the Computer show ( I would not have bought this, as I have never used this type in a system build before. ) This was completely sealed, is genuine, has a Product Key on the tan label, which states Windows XP Pro for Refurbished PC.'
There are some other numbers beside ( to the right of ), and beneath the barcode which is below the Product Key. The numbers beneath are in 4 groups: first group has six digits, 2, 3, 4 all have 3 digits.
This Product Key was not accepted when I entered it at setup. I continued setup and called to activate with the generated ID code. I got the message that it could not be verified that this was a valid number. This is a genuine Microsoft product, was never opened.

Should I have entered the series of 4 groups beneath the barcode, at setup? Or should there have been another code which I don't have??

Thanks,
Moonraven

I asked 2 Vendors/Builders ( who say that it is authentic ) and they told me that it should be able to be activated if it was never used in another computer ( has not been, as it is new ).

mbreslin1954 · Aug 7, 2013

A Windows XP Pro Product Key (I'm looking at one of my old ones now) has five groups of five characters, each of the five groups separated by a dash. It should say "Product Key:" either right above the number or to the left of it. That's 25 characters in total. That's the number you should be entering, not a set of numbers in four groups with varying number of digits.

You can't be sure of anything you bought at a computer show. There are a lot of counterfeit copies of Windows floating about.

USAFRet · Aug 7, 2013

The numbers beneath are in 4 groups: first group has six digits, 2, 3, 4 all have 3 digits.

That's not the activation key. That should be 5 groups of 5 characters each.

Moonraven · Aug 7, 2013

mbreslin1954 :

Yes, there are sometimes fake software products at Computer Shows; but I definitely would not say that you can't trust anything you buy at a show. I have been buying hardware and software, cases, monitors, etc. for years, from reputable vendors I know.

Yes, I know all about the usual product key, I have been building/repairing systems for many years; it is just that I have never used one of these 'Windows for Refurbished PC' products, I either use OEM or regular versions, which I include with any system I build. As I said, my husband bought this version of XP. I would not have bought it, simply because I was not familiar with this version and had never used it before; not because I believe it to be pirated. I, and 2 other people ( system builders ) who have examined it, believe that it is genuine. Unfortunately, neither of them have ever used this version of Windows either. This CD has the holographic imprinted background, and genuine Microsoft label/product key. The instructions state that you are not supposed to use the product key which is on this label during activation; that this is the product key which is to be used by the builder. I am the builder, but I am not registered as a Microsoft Distributor, so this product key is not associated with me. There is an article on Microsoft website, which has sketchy instructions: It shows a diagram with arrows pointing to the numbers beneath the product key/barcode, and that these are the numbers you should use, rather than the product key which is listed above the barcode. I have not tried to enter these, because there are not the required amount of digits for a product key entry; but, since I have never used one of these version before, I am not sure what the actual process is to use it.

If anyone knows, or can find out, how a builder/vendor is supposed to use this version, please let me know. For now, I am going to use another version of WinXP Pro for my husband's system.
He is furious because he may have lost his money, of course.

Thanks,
Moonraven

USAFRet · Aug 7, 2013

I have never heard of a product called "Windows for Refurbished PC"
A quick google search returns no product by that name.

And the activation key is always 5 groups of 5. Even a Volume license key.

"The instructions state that you are not supposed to use the product key which is on this label during activation;" leads me to presume that is not a valid, unused copy.

mbreslin1954 · Aug 7, 2013

I've been building PCs since the Pentium II came out, probably nearing 100 by now, and I've never heard of this type of license. The fact that Google doesn't turn up anything leads me to be suspicious. In any case, since no one has ever heard of it and it won't activate, it seems like you are out of luck. You can protest all you want that it is legitimate, but if you can't use it then it might as well be illegitimate as far as you are concerned.

Moonraven · Aug 7, 2013

mbreslin1954 :

I am installing from a new XP CD, in any case.
Windows for Refurbished PCs is a valid OS from Microsoft, I never heard of it, or saw it, before now either. It does come up on searches. I did some research and found out why it can't be activated. Microsoft negated it as of 2/21/12; in case anyone runs into one of these again, it really does exist.
And, of course, the snake that sold it to my husband, probably was aware of the negation......
and, on top of that, another screw-up from Microsoft!

Here are 2 links:

Article about this version being valid:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2007/nov07/11-09mar.aspx

Notice that Microsoft has now negated this version, as of 2/21/12:

http://www.digiconcepts.com/microsoft_software_69.htm

mbreslin1954 · Aug 8, 2013

How can they just "negate" something that people have paid money for? Isn't that stealing? What if someone had to re-install Windows on their refurbished computer -- are they just out of luck and out of money for their copy of Windows? It's crap like this that encourages piracy.

USAFRet · Aug 8, 2013

mbreslin1954 :

Because people were selling outside of the licensing agreement. And quite often, selling the same key over and over and over.

mbreslin1954 · Aug 8, 2013

Well, isn't that what product activation is for? It doesn't activate the same Windows license key over and over and over. That explanation makes no sense. If it did, I guess I could buy a retail or OEM copy of Windows and resell it over and over and over again to my friends and family, then Microsoft would cancel all retail and OEM Windows keys as a result? I don't think so.

USAFRet · Aug 8, 2013

mbreslin1954 :

Often, as in a VLK, a company gets one key and is licensed for many activations. But...use that same key too many times, or even outside your geographical area, and MS may cut that key off from any future activations. Too bad for those that bought what they thought was a valid key.

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Question on WinXP Pro for Refurbished PC Activation

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