Windows XP Activation - again?

[Fifer]

I'm using an iMac (20" 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo) OS 10.5.1 .

I spent an hour or so yesterday doing the Boot Camp thing, and installing Windows XP. Things eventually went OK ... I'm sure. It seems OK to me, a very non-Windows person.

Today I decided to install Fusion. That went OK ... eventually. It didn't recognise the Boot Camp partition when I tried to create a VM from it. The 'eventually' bit is where a light bulb flashed up top, and I did a restart. Then Fusion did recognise the Boot Camp partition.

Next step, following the onscreen instructions I get as far as activating Windows again(?). BUT. There is no installation ID anymore, so I can't key in as required in order to be able to type in a confirmation ID.

Can anyone who has passed this point in the process help with some advice, please? I'm based in the UK, and have repeatedly tried phoning the support number.

[MPM01]

Booting Windows XP alternately via Boot Camp and VMware Fusion will cause considerable differences in the hardware that will trigger product activation.

You can try below steps

1. Boot the system in native Boot camp

2. Active the boot camp partition

3. Reboot the system in Mac OS

4. Launch the VMware Fusion

5. Boot the Boot camp partition under Fusion 6. Install the VMware Tools 7. Restart the Virtual Machine 8. Activate the Windows Vista when running as Virtual Machine

Note: You have to activate Windows Vista minimum of two times and have VMware Tools installed:

a. Once in native Boot Camp

b. Once running as a virtual machine in VMware Fusion, after VMware Tools was installed and you restarted.

[Jayhox]

I have the same problem. I called Microsoft and they issued me a new activation code. However, it just reset it for 30 more days and says I need to reactivate it. Help.

[Fifer]

Oh, man!

Will I also have to endure this as well?

Has this happened while you have been using VMware Fusion only to run WIn XP? No changing back and forth between the Boot Camp Partition and Fusion's Boot Camp VM?

[Fifer]

Thanks for your reply.

All things considered, I think I'll maybe stick to Win XP via Fusion. I ask myself whether it was worth setting up the Boot Camp Partition now. I thought it was all going to be straightforward ... hmmm.

I finally got tired of not being able to get a Microsoft representative on the phone, and waived the Activation process. Lo and behold I was asked if I wanted to Activate etc (again!). This time for some reason, there was an installation ID on the screen!! So all went well, after some nagging questions due to the fact that 'hardware had changed'. VM Tools was/were duly installed.

I will see what transpires in future, but it seems that it's best to opt for either working in the Boot Camp partition OR using Win XP via Fusion, but not having both set up. I wish I had known.