Strange problem with Vista - Activation

I recently bought an Inspiron 531 with Vista home premium installed.
First thing i did when I got it was reinstall the OS from the cd Dell
provided to get rid of the bloatware. I then installed the graphics card
and a thing popped up saying that my activation key was invalid. So I
entered the product key and attempted to activate over the net. It
didnt activate and told me to use the automatic phone system. So I
phoned it up and typed in my activation code. It was rejected. I was
transferred on to a Microsoft rep and when they enetered my code they
generated a new code no trouble at all. So windows is now activated.
Why did the automatic part not work? I phoned up dell and told them and
they sent out another product key label and a new disk. So i changed the
product key and the same thing happened again. I needed an actual
person to enter it into the system for me. Is there somethign wrong
with the automatic part of the phone system or has Dell sent me another
faulty key? It said windows activated up until I reinstalled the
graphics card.


Thanks,



Jake

Many OEMs use a special preactivated key for the factory install. The key on
the computer is only for use if you install by any method other than the
factory restore method. Because of this many people sold their Windows CD
and the key on the side of the computer. They could still use the factory
restore procedure which didn't use this key. To stop this grey market
activity Microsoft changed these OEM keys to always require phone
activation. Any key that Dell sends you will require phone activation. If
you restore Windows by using the factory restore procedure you won't need a
key or need to activate.

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca


"Jake" <jake@home.com> wrote in message
news:uz4yh7UHIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I recently bought an Inspiron 531 with Vista home premium installed. First
>thing i did when I got it was reinstall the OS from the cd Dell provided to
>get rid of the bloatware. I then installed the graphics card and a thing
>popped up saying that my activation key was invalid. So I entered the
>product key and attempted to activate over the net. It didnt activate and
>told me to use the automatic phone system. So I phoned it up and typed in
>my activation code. It was rejected. I was transferred on to a Microsoft
>rep and when they enetered my code they generated a new code no trouble at
>all. So windows is now activated. Why did the automatic part not work? I
>phoned up dell and told them and they sent out another product key label
>and a new disk. So i changed the product key and the same thing happened
>again. I needed an actual person to enter it into the system for me. Is
>there somethign wrong with the automatic part of the phone system or has
>Dell sent me another faulty key? It said windows activated up until I
>reinstalled the graphics card.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jake

But the thign is I used their cd. Dell's cd. It was activated up until
I installed the drivers for my graphics card. Then it told me it wasnt
valid.


Kerry Brown wrote:
> Many OEMs use a special preactivated key for the factory install. The
> key on the computer is only for use if you install by any method other
> than the factory restore method. Because of this many people sold their
> Windows CD and the key on the side of the computer. They could still use
> the factory restore procedure which didn't use this key. To stop this
> grey market activity Microsoft changed these OEM keys to always require
> phone activation. Any key that Dell sends you will require phone
> activation. If you restore Windows by using the factory restore
> procedure you won't need a key or need to activate.
>

Jake wrote:
> I recently bought an Inspiron 531 with Vista home premium installed.
> First thing i did when I got it was reinstall the OS from the cd Dell
> provided to get rid of the bloatware. I then installed the graphics card
> and a thing popped up saying that my activation key was invalid. So I
> entered the product key and attempted to activate over the net. It
> didnt activate and told me to use the automatic phone system. So I
> phoned it up and typed in my activation code. It was rejected. I was
> transferred on to a Microsoft rep and when they enetered my code they
> generated a new code no trouble at all. So windows is now activated. Why
> did the automatic part not work? I phoned up dell and told them and they
> sent out another product key label and a new disk. So i changed the
> product key and the same thing happened again. I needed an actual
> person to enter it into the system for me. Is there somethign wrong
> with the automatic part of the phone system or has Dell sent me another
> faulty key? It said windows activated up until I reinstalled the
> graphics card.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jake

Vista bytes arse! Vista in it's current condition is not recommendable
to anyone, IMO. However I suggest it may be smart for a business to
start to test vista due to the fact that OEMs will not be allowed to
sell new machines with XP on them anymore middle of next year. I am
testing vista at work, but only to make sure that if we have to replace
an XP machine after XP is not available anymore, we can do it without
any unexpected results. We will be staying with XP for as long as
possible in the future.

--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html

"Fair use is not merely a nice concept--it is a federal law based on
free speech rights under the First Amendment and is a cornerstone of the
creativity and innovation that is a hallmark of this country. Consumer
rights in the digital age are not frivolous."
- Maura Corbett

Now I understand why the product key sitting on the side of my compter is
not the product key I see on my installed Vista. Thanks a lot, I did'nt
understand this before.


"Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m> skrev i meddelelsen
news:FAEC0D58-2848-4D05-B173-670607BE93A6@microsoft.com...
> Many OEMs use a special preactivated key for the factory install. The key
> on the computer is only for use if you install by any method other than
> the factory restore method. Because of this many people sold their Windows
> CD and the key on the side of the computer. They could still use the
> factory restore procedure which didn't use this key. To stop this grey
> market activity Microsoft changed these OEM keys to always require phone
> activation. Any key that Dell sends you will require phone activation. If
> you restore Windows by using the factory restore procedure you won't need
> a key or need to activate.
>
> --
> Kerry Brown
> Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
> http://www.vistahelp.ca
>
>
> "Jake" <jake@home.com> wrote in message
> news:uz4yh7UHIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>I recently bought an Inspiron 531 with Vista home premium installed. First
>>thing i did when I got it was reinstall the OS from the cd Dell provided
>>to get rid of the bloatware. I then installed the graphics card and a
>>thing popped up saying that my activation key was invalid. So I entered
>>the product key and attempted to activate over the net. It didnt activate
>>and told me to use the automatic phone system. So I phoned it up and typed
>>in my activation code. It was rejected. I was transferred on to a
>>Microsoft rep and when they enetered my code they generated a new code no
>>trouble at all. So windows is now activated. Why did the automatic part
>>not work? I phoned up dell and told them and they sent out another product
>>key label and a new disk. So i changed the product key and the same thing
>>happened again. I needed an actual person to enter it into the system for
>>me. Is there somethign wrong with the automatic part of the phone system
>>or has Dell sent me another faulty key? It said windows activated up
>>until I reinstalled the graphics card.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>>
>>
>> Jake
>

The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'
wrote:
> Jake wrote:
>> I recently bought an Inspiron 531 with Vista home premium installed.
>> First thing i did when I got it was reinstall the OS from the cd Dell
>> provided to get rid of the bloatware. I then installed the graphics
>> card and a thing popped up saying that my activation key was invalid.
>> So I entered the product key and attempted to activate over the net.
>> It didnt activate and told me to use the automatic phone system. So I
>> phoned it up and typed in my activation code. It was rejected. I was
>> transferred on to a Microsoft rep and when they enetered my code they
>> generated a new code no trouble at all. So windows is now activated.
>> Why did the automatic part not work? I phoned up dell and told them
>> and they sent out another product key label and a new disk. So i
>> changed the product key and the same thing happened again. I needed
>> an actual person to enter it into the system for me. Is there
>> somethign wrong with the automatic part of the phone system or has
>> Dell sent me another faulty key? It said windows activated up until I
>> reinstalled the graphics card.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jake
>
> Vista bytes arse! Vista in it's current condition is not recommendable
> to anyone, IMO. However I suggest it may be smart for a business to
> start to test vista due to the fact that OEMs will not be allowed to
> sell new machines with XP on them anymore middle of next year. I am
> testing vista at work, but only to make sure that if we have to replace
> an XP machine after XP is not available anymore, we can do it without
> any unexpected results. We will be staying with XP for as long as
> possible in the future.
>


Good luck with that one

Actually when you get it working Vista seems okay except for when it
decides it isn't okay, but access permissions and networking glitches
are the norm rather than the exception I think.