Can't activate XP inside the VM

[MartinDahl]

Hi,

I have a new laptop, so I decided to convert my old one (hp compaq nw9440 - XP sp3 pro 32-bit US-English) to a VM and use it in WMP.

Conversion seems to have finished OK.

However I can't activate XP in the generated VM.

We have a corporate license for XP, all machines with the same product key. But when I type it, XP tells me it's "mistyped". I tried many times, and I'm absolutely 200% sure it's correctly typed. Even asked a colleague to type it - XP insists it's wrong(not invalid, but mistyped).

Then I tried entering the key from the old laptop sticker - it was rejected as invalid. Maybe it's only valid for HP laptops, have no idea.

Then I tried entering product keys from the stickers of several desktop and laptop machines around - they were all rejected, some as mistyped, some as invalid.

Or whatever key I enter, it's rejected either as mistyped or as invalid. All I tried are absolutely valid, non-pirated keys.

What am I supposed to do now? Anyone had such a problem?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[a_p_]

Microsoft has different installations for e.g. OEM, SB, Retail, Enterprise, ... with a different activation part. Depending on this part you can only enter the appropriate license keys. However, if you laptop wasn't installed using a hardware related (OEM) installation, you shouldn't even need to re-enter the key for reactivation. Does it force you to enter a new key or can't you just reactivate the OS via Internet? If the latter try the telephone activation.

André

[MartinDahl]

well I don't know much about all this.

Originally the laptop was supplied with an OEM key(for HP) I guess. This key is on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

In the VM, this key is rejected as invalid. This is maybe normal, because it's probably only for HP hardware, and the virtual hardware is not HP hardware.

The strange thing is it rejects our corporate key as well, as 'mistyped'. This key is surely not hardware related.

This was the key used in the laptop at the time of conversion.

Tried all the activation options- via internet, via phone, nothing works.

I really don't want to search for and use 'cracks'

[continuum]

the old laptop was a HP and the new host for your VM is HP too ?

then try with

smbios.reflectHost = "true"

in the vmx

[MartinDahl]

thanks, but the new one is Dell

[continuum]

then the line will not help

[MartinDahl]

I did a reapir install using a XP sp3 VLK installation CD iso. That solved the problem. Thanks for the help.