Windows Product Key

[jbruno]

This is actually more of a rant than anything else.

I installed a new monitor and plugged my 400g external HD inot a different USB port (directly on computer as opposed to hub).

At next startup Windows tells me that my computer has changed significantly and I must re-register.

OK, so I get the disk and the product key and type it in. I then get the message that I have exceeded the number of times I can use this key.

I need to call on the phone and after speaking to a computer and reading off the special code, I'm told that they can't help and I need to speak to a customer representative. On hold for a few minutes and am told that everyone is busy and I need to call back later.

Does any of this make sense?

/Rant

[Ob1]

thats weird that they didnt put you in a que for the next available rep.

[jbruno]

Originally Posted by Ob1 thats weird that they didnt put you in a que for the next available rep.

Nope, just said call back later... didn't even get a goodbye

[Ob1]

Man, M$ cutting the corners in the cust service dept apparently........

[clroberts]

How many times have you installed XP. My brother has installed his dozens of times and got the max installations exceeded message and he read off that special code and they just gave him the activation key to use.

[jbruno]

Originally Posted by clroberts How many times have you installed XP. My brother has installed his dozens of times and got the max installations exceeded message and he read off that special code and they just gave him the activation key to use.

Not sure of the times but I never got to speak with a human. I read off info to the computer and then they transfered me to limbo.

[Statica]

The issue is weird on a number of levels. Firstly WPA should not be triggered by moving an external hard drive at all - that is if the drive was used for data. Also WPA does not account for monitors (it checks for 10 cateogies - Video card, IDE Adapter, SCSI adapter, NIC, RAM amt range, processor type, processor serial, HDD and Volume Serial #, Optical drives). Is your copy of Windows legit?

[jbruno]

Originally Posted by Statica The issue is weird on a number of levels. Firstly WPA should not be triggered by moving an external hard drive at all - that is if the drive was used for data. Also WPA does not account for monitors (it checks for 10 cateogies - Video card, IDE Adapter, SCSI adapter, NIC, RAM amt range, processor type, processor serial, HDD and Volume Serial #, Optical drives). Is your copy of Windows legit?

Yep, 100% legit. Looking over your list, the only other things I can think of is that my second SATA drive cable must have been loose because Windows didn't see it. I then just made sure it was connected and rebooted. Maybe this triggered something....hmmm