Windows XP activate before log in, unable to boot in safe mode

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Mateo_012

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Feb 25, 2017
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Hello, here's is my situation. I have an old desktop computer running on Windows xp home version, which has some programs installed that I really want to keep using every now and then. Since the computer was having some overheating issues I transferred the hard drive to another desktop computer, and when I started windows I got a notification saying I had to activate windows in 30 days since there had been major hardware changes. Hoping I could reverse things, I put the hard drive back on the original computer and when windows started it would not even let me log in because it required an activation and the computer has no Internet access.

So I read an easy fix that includes booting into safe mode and running a command that would give me another 30 days so I could log in. The problem is that when I try to boot in safe mode I get a black screen with a ticking hyphen, without ever going into the windows loading screen. I've tried safe mode with networking and command prompt, with the same result, which is weird since it boots just fine in normal mode.

I've tried connecting the hard drive as a secondary one and loading the hives to edit the registry and followed instructions they would activate windows. Now it still asks me to activate before logging in, but when the activation screen loads it says windows is already activated and it logs me off.

So my question is, is there still a way I could bypass the activation so that it would let me log in (like another registry edit) or are there any thoughts as to why my computer won't boot in safe mode?
 
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junkeymonkey

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Nov 11, 2013
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because that windows is tied / licensed to your old motherboard -

''Hoping I could reverse things, I put the hard drive back on the original computer and when windows started it would not even let me log in because it required an activation and the computer has no Internet access. ''

don't know but may need to reactivate it back to microsofts computer/ server activation service ? or use the phone in way if they will allow you to do so with that old OS

your best bet is get online with it and just run the activation set up and re enter your product key

google ''windows xp activation '' and see what pops up as work a rounds ??

 
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azaran

azaran

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Feb 17, 2010
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After that much mucking about with the registry, you may need to do a repair install. Thankfully XP was really good about this sorta thing so doing a repair install is pretty easy and wont delete your programs. It effectively reinstalls windows over itself, so it'll load in to the version the disk loads, so updates and service packs will need to be reinstalled.

To do a repair install, you'll need your OS disk and your CD key. This has a good walk through of how to do it.
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-perform-a-windows-xp-repair-install-2624915

After the repair, you'll still need to activate it with Microsoft, but even with a major hardware change at most you should have to call it in and they'll feed you the new activation code.
 
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BFG-9000

BFG-9000

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Sep 17, 2016
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Just restore the wpa.dbl and wpa.bak files to Windows/System32 folder. It can be from an old backup as old as from 2001 and won't affect any installed programs or settings changes you've done since then, so long as most of the hardware is the same. After that, Windows will be activated and will boot up just like before, just as if you'd never moved the drive.

If you don't have these files backed up, you should've still had three days to reactivate (30 days is the grace period for a clean install). As mentioned, even if you don't have a NIC or dialup already set-up you can still get a code from them over the phone to activate, as they are still in business and still answer the phone.

If any major changes are detected, wpa.dbl will become too different from wpa.bak and XP is supposed to demand reactivation within 3 days. Make another big change before this and the grace period immediately drops to 0. You get one hassle-free reactivation over the internet every 4 months, after which you'll have to talk to someone over the phone.
 
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M

Mateo_012

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Feb 25, 2017
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So I got a little bit creative. Read an article about replacing sethc.exe with cmd.exe using another bootable computer which allows you to use the sticky keys function to open up the command prompt. After that I was able to run a command that got rid of the activation requirement to log in. Anyways, thanks for all your ideas!
 
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