Microsoft Verification Error
<div class="IPBDescription">(Please help!!!)</div>Right, so, the story. I was playing BF2 when all of a sudden I got flashed the blew screen of death, then my computer was forced to reboot. Alright, no problem - I crashed. I start up, and immediately upon getting to my desktop I'm told that there was some sort of log file in the registry deleted, and it was fixed, or something - there was a problem, and it was fixed, thats the bottom line.
Yay!
Or so I thought. My computer told me now that it was not a legit copy. I assumed - because I knew this was a legit copy, I bought it myself from a respectable retailer, not someone off a street corner - that this was a legitmate copy, and that the file that got screwed with may have influenced that decision on microsoft's part. I thought it would all work out, what was I going to do? So I continued to play. But then I had to restart again. And soon my computer grinded to a halt.
Now I can't get past the intial sky-blue screen with an XP logo on it, sitting there, and taunting me because I'm wrongly barred out of my computer.
Can anyone help me? Is this what happens when microsoft deems your copy ill-obtained - they force you to sit at a blue screen and do nothing? I thought I heard about a counterfeit prevention scheme that they made sounding like this, but is this what has happened to me?
I can insert the physical, real, shiney looking CD with the special "hey, I'm not counterfeited!" text printed all over the front. I can go throw it at someone, preferrably a microsoft employee right now, and show them its indeed not some fake, magical, hocus pocus trick I'm doing to make them see a CD.
What can I do to get past this? Microsoft's support is harder to guide than ... something really really really difficult to guide, and I'm only getting frustrated.
(I'm on another computer, by the way)
Yay!
Or so I thought. My computer told me now that it was not a legit copy. I assumed - because I knew this was a legit copy, I bought it myself from a respectable retailer, not someone off a street corner - that this was a legitmate copy, and that the file that got screwed with may have influenced that decision on microsoft's part. I thought it would all work out, what was I going to do? So I continued to play. But then I had to restart again. And soon my computer grinded to a halt.
Now I can't get past the intial sky-blue screen with an XP logo on it, sitting there, and taunting me because I'm wrongly barred out of my computer.
Can anyone help me? Is this what happens when microsoft deems your copy ill-obtained - they force you to sit at a blue screen and do nothing? I thought I heard about a counterfeit prevention scheme that they made sounding like this, but is this what has happened to me?
I can insert the physical, real, shiney looking CD with the special "hey, I'm not counterfeited!" text printed all over the front. I can go throw it at someone, preferrably a microsoft employee right now, and show them its indeed not some fake, magical, hocus pocus trick I'm doing to make them see a CD.
What can I do to get past this? Microsoft's support is harder to guide than ... something really really really difficult to guide, and I'm only getting frustrated.
(I'm on another computer, by the way)
Comments
Microsoft's support is harder to guide than ... something really really really difficult to guide, and I'm only getting frustrated.
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A herd of cats.
There's no quick fix for a broken Windows installation. Well it's possible, but requires some knowhow. That and it will 9/10 times result in a very unstable platform...
I do hope you don't have everything on one single hard drive/partition though.
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Thems is good words to hear when the answer is yes.
Real good words.
I feel like jamming my XP disc down Bill Gate's throat <strike>and then whipping him into submission as he reinstalls Windows for me. With his tongue.</strike>
edit: Oh yay, I can't wait to reinstall steam, World of Warcraft, battlefield 2 and vegas. And everything else. And then lose all of the pictures I have on my computer *choke, choke, choke, choke, choke*
I think I see why people hate windows now. No, I probably dont have the same reason, but screw them anyways.
What normally happens, is that tech-savvy people go out and buy an OEM copy of Windows, as opposed to Regular Joe, who wanders into PC World, and picks a copy of XP off the shelf, retail box, and all. Now, the problem that causes this doesn't actually happen to the FRB version of XP. FRB meaning Full Retail Boxed, as in non-OEM, with a pretty box, and a "Start Here" guide.
What happens, is that the activation status is checked against a hardware list that the PC compiles when XP is activated. If this differs upto 3 times, from that list, then it calls for a new activation. This can only happen a few times in any given period (up to 3 times in any given 180 day period). After that, it locks you out, and forces you to call Microsoft up, and reactivate it. After a few extra times of that, they then consider that product key to be abused, and they lock it out from being activated. This is normal procedure, and is designed to stop pirated product keys from being vaild forever. The FRB version doesn't have the same limitations per se, due to the change of licence, and can be reactivated up to 5 times in any given 180 period.
Basically, the screwup caused some hardware to be redetected, failing the hardware checker, and making you reactivate it. It's pretty simple stuff. Call up Microsoft activation, explain the situation, and get them to reactivate it.
You wouldn't happen to have the number, would you? Because the only "screen" I'm getting is a blue screen with the windows logo sitting there. Its really pretty.
Edit: As in, I can't access the internet on that computer. Or anything. Its completely useless and locked out 100% of the way. How are they going to reactivate it if they can't connect to it?
Then they could simply either make those partitions I mentioned --> Basically make more virtual drives on your hard drive and copy the stuff you want to keep onto the partitions. Or perhaps put the stuff you want to keep on DVD/their hard drive as backup.
Removing/moving a hard drive is a very easy thing to do also it does not require any installation software (w2k and XP will recognize it and automatically install the appropriate drivers). So I hope you've got a buddy who knows his way around pc hardware, because paying a techshop to do this backup of files for you seems a waste of money <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
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Have you tried getting into windows safe mode? Pressing f8 before the windows XP log/loading screen appears and selecting safe mode from the list
Heh annoying when not having encountered the problem myself, if I was for some vague reason being locked out like this I would simply grab my backup and plop it back on the c: drive <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
*sigh*
The best way to fix this is to call windows help line and tell them the issue, and ask (nicely!) for them to reset the limit on your serial code. They treated me over the phone as if I was single-handedly trying to bring down their company, but eventually reset it after I convinced them I wasn't trying to pirate XP.
You COULD reformat and get the 30 day trial of XP before it locks you out until you authenticate, but it probably isn't neccessary.
Or you could switch to windows 2000, no authentication there.
1) it is no longer supported unless you are a business customer
2) there are actually games coming out that will NOT work under 2K with out some serious tweaking.
3) There were rumblings about MS not creating a patch that would properly update 2K to the new DST settings (if you live in the states), I do not know if they are sticking with this. Though It THINK you can remedy this with a quick registry hack...
Ninja Edit: I jsut did a quick search, there is a fix out there. Any one that wants to make sure your computer will properly update can use <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/dst2007" target="_blank">This Link</a> to make sure you will be up todate.
I am probably going to finally 'upgrade' to XP soon (to many new games that will NOT run under 2K)....
That or a mac where they can't game "much" (usually the big downfall of mac sales)
Linux? Didn't think so, Tux is evil and you know it Caboose! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
windows is the most userfriendly OS all be it not the faster/efficient/stable platform. It still is the best choice for the people who just want a pc for games/emailing/internet <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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Actually I'd say that windows is the most un-friendly. Not that it is hard to use, but that using it wrong has a large effect on it. So many of Windows "characteristics" are just dependant on the user. People whine and complain about Windows "stability" but I haven't had a computer crash in 3 years (aside from power outtages and things I did on purpose), that doesn't mean it is stable, it's just that I happen to know what Im doing.
An idiot on a Mac will make it crash just as much as an idiot on a Windows computer.
<i>In closing</i> I'd say Windows is the best OS for anyone, as long as you happen to know what you are doing.
People want freedome
Windows gives them too much freedome
Windows literally begs for the user to shoot it in the head if they don't know what they are doing. Families have their kids sit behind the pc, not knowing how to secure accounts. Kid sees thingy on inernet, downloads and installs it, BOOM windows dead or severely crippled. I've seen it way to many times over at my uncle and aunt and their kids <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Then I'm asked to fix the problems. I make the suggestion of putting in some security features, which are discarder of being not needed, because they know what they are doing and want total freedome.
Windows is the most user friendly OS there is, but at the same time is also the most dangerous to itself. I'd say windows or computers, with the consumer user in mind, should be more like a console. The OS totally inaccessible for the users yet they can play games. Add to this emailing/office work and internet and we'd have a winner. Newly added hardware could be installed with modules, which are separated from the OS --> The OS boots, then proceeds to checks hardware vs installed modules and notifies the user if a module is missing or not up to date and gives options. MS + MONEY could make this happen. Alas MS is more interested at adding popup balloons and fancy colours it seems <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Furthermore <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<a href="http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20070207" target="_blank">http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20070207</a>
oh, and im assuming youve tried entering safe mode to back everything up.
Or if you've got a random 10gb or something laying around, install windows XP onto that, then hook your current one up to it as a slave, copy major files off, then reformat your main one.
*Edit* This is what Kouji suggested, isn't it? Why would having everything on a single partition be a problem?
I have now reformatted (horay... ><;;) and am trying to download my drivers/programs I need, but am getting an error now when I try and download things. Its:
"Internet Explorer cannot download <file> from <source>
Internet explorer was not able to open this internet site. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later."
I can't install my drivers now. >< This works this way for every website. I've already installed my motherboard drivers initially to be safe (from the CD), but downloads are not going to happen.
Help? T-T
That is because you don't have access to the internet. If you are using a network card, are the drivers installed? Are you sure you have all the Mobo drivers installed? I would advise that you put every driver that you have on-disc onto your computer first, then just update them once you get internet activity.
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I do have access to the internet, I just can't download anything. This issue crops up with several other users (as I searched the error on google) and there are more "solutions" to it than I can count - none of which, have worked for me.
The best way to fix this is to call windows help line and tell them the issue, and ask (nicely!) for them to reset the limit on your serial code. They treated me over the phone as if I was single-handedly trying to bring down their company, but eventually reset it after I convinced them I wasn't trying to pirate XP.
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I just phoned them up, gave them my CD Key, they gave me an activation code, I typed it, it worked.
Everyone else has a somewhat crap experience but my activation was smooth, odd but hey it's really not that hard.
On Disc 3 of the burning crusade. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" />