Activate windows before login even in safe mode

Hello,
Ran XP repair, now every time I log on I get "Need to activate Windows" even in Safe mode with Networking. It's run a whole bunch of updates in between all the reboots I'm having to do.
If I answer 'No' - I get sent back to my login.
If I answer 'Yes' - I get a blank screen and the disk chugs away for a while and nothing happens, I can't CTRL+ALT+DEL or anything.
Able to remote in via Team Viewer and do all this so enough of Windows is running; just not enough to get me to actually do the activation (which was done years ago on this machine, but obviously something in the Repair messed it up.
Please help as it seems I have a door stop I'll have to rebuild from scratch

There's much discussion of this all over the net (Google > "Windows XP activation loop")

This is one possible solution:

1.) log onto the PC using safemode with command prompt.
2.) type in explorer in the command prompt.
3.) in my computer explore windows cd and copy the TOOLS folder to c:\
4.) in the tools folder there is a DEPLOY.cab right click on it and select EXTRACT TO and extract it to the tools folder. (this will create a new folder called deploy).
5.) open the deploy folder and run sysprep.
6.) select factory seal. The pc will shut down once this is completed.
7.) when the PC shuts down start it back up in normal mode. Once it has started up reboot the PC.

Thanks but no go, I get the same thing in SafeMode, except when I answer yes it tells me - cannot run activation in Safemode - will get exact error

Got it:

“Because activation cannot occur in Safemode, please restart your computer in normal mode to activate Windows.”

Got it working by logging into Safe Mode no networking (as local Admin) and then from a command Prompt:

rundll32.exe syssetup,SetupOobeBnk (and click OK)
(note: one space, after "rundll32.exe " also the Oo are two letter o's in "oobe"; capitals and comma are important)
- Delete LegitCheckControl.dll under C:\Windows\System32.
- Reboot

Was then able to run through the Activation without error.