VMPLAYER and OEM Windows XP

[jconstan]

I have a dead Dell machine that was running OEM Windows XP.  I built an image of the machine and ran it through VCenter convert to build a VM.  When I run the converted image with VMPLAYER, the OS tells me it wants to activate.  Now I understane hat the OEM version of the OS is intended to run on the piece of hardware that it was sold with, but that machine is dead.

If I purchase Windows XP, is there a way of activating the VM with the purchased XP product key?  I don't want to reinstall Windows XP because reinstalling all the programs would be a real hastle and maybe even impossible.

Any suggestions?

[wila]

Hello,

Welcome at the VMware community forums.

As you've rightly guessed, you are a bit in a pickle.

It is not legal to activate the Dell OEM XP image and if I"m not mistaken it will not allow you to do so either.

The thing to do, is to work with a copy of your harddisk and not work with the original as once you've messed it up there is little chance of recovery.

I've read other people having the same issue and they have had mixed success with running a repair install, aka boot from the install media in your clone of the disk.

See for example this old post (there are many other posts about it on this forum, I just picked the first one):

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1242921#1242921

Hope this helps,

--

Wil

[jconstan]

Thank you.

I took a look at the link you passed me and did notice that one person called Microsoft and they told him to reenter the OEM product key printed on the CA on the machine and reboot.  He said that it worked, so I'm going to try that first.  Thinking about it, I don't understand how that could work, because I thought the product keys on the CA of OEM hardware were bogus.

[wila]

jconstan wrote:

Thank you.

I took a look at the link you passed me and did notice that one person called Microsoft and they told him to reenter the OEM product key printed on the CA on the machine and reboot.  He said that it worked, so I'm going to try that first.

Yes that might technically work, but it will never give you a legal version of Windows.

I strongly advise you to not go that way and use the repair windows path instead.

--

Wil

[jconstan]

Well, I tried to perform a "repair" of the VM OEM XP OS with a retail version of XP, but no luck.  The repair seemed to be working fine but when it went to copy additional files from the CD, the repair utility simply complained about not being able to find a file that was actually there.  I tried to skip the file but the very next one it wanted to load gave the same "file not found" error.

I'm ready to try something else if anyone has any suggestions.

-Jim

[WoodyZ]

Dell OEM versions of Windows, by the EULA and or other measures implemented to thwart violating the EULA, live an die on the original system installed and are not transferable to any other system, physical or virtual in any way shape or form including trying to do a repair install once transferred!   So if you have a legally acquired Retail Version of Windows, with the appropriate number of licenses for the number of installs, then I'd suggest you create a new Virtual Machine and install it and be done with with.

[jconstan]

Your response is appreciated.

Your suggested path is a way to go, but I want to preserve the existing environment just the way it is and avoid installing all the software over again.  Some of the software on the machine has been updated a few times and It would be very difficult to duplicate the environment via a fresh install.

Thanks,

Jim

[WoodyZ]

but I want to preserve the existing environment just the way it is and avoid installing all the software over again.

I understand what you're trying to do however your not entitled to do so and I can't be sympathetic about it because what your trying to do violates the OEM EULA, period!