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How to change the Volume Licensing product key on acomputer that
is running Windows XP SP1 and later
versions of Windows XP
INTRODUCTION
If you use a "leaked" product key (a product key that is known
to be available to the generalpublic) for the deployment of
Microsoft Windows XP across multiple computers (a Volume
Licensinginstallation), you may not be able to install Windows XP
Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later versions of
Windows XP or automatically obtain updates from the Windows
Update Web site. For example, youmay experience the symptoms that
are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article
when you install Windows XP SP1 or a later version of Windows
XP:326904You receive a "The product key used to install Windows is
invalid" error message
This article describes how to change the Windows XP product key
after a Volume Licensinginstallation. You can use the Windows
Activation Wizard graphical user interface (GUI) or a Windows
Management Instrumentation (WMI) script. The Activation Wizard
method is easier, but if you mustchange the product key for
multiple computers, the script method is better.
Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
Use the Activation Wizard
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry
incorrectly by using Registry
Editor or by using another method. These problems might require
that you reinstall your operatingsystem. Microsoft cannot guarantee
that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your
own risk.
If you have only a few volume licensing product keys to change,
you can use the Activation Wizard.
Note Microsoft recommends that you run System Restore to create
a new restore point before youfollow these steps. For information
about how to create a restore point by using System Restore,see the
"To Create a Restore Point" help topic in Help and Support.
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. In the left pane, locate and then click the following
registry
key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents
4. In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click
Modify.
5. Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate
Windows.
6. Click Start, and then click Run.
7. In the Open box, type the following command, and then click
OK.%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
8. Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service
representative to activate Windows,and then click Next.
9. Click Change Product key.
10. Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then
click Update.
If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me
later, and then restart the
computer.
11. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to verify that Windows is activated.
You receive the following message:Windows is already activated.
Click OK to exit.
12. Click OK.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326904/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326904/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874#top%23tophttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/326904/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874#top%23top
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13. Install Windows XP SP1 or a later version of Windows XP.
If you cannot restart Windows after you install Windows XP SP1
or a later version of Windows
XP, press F8 when you restart the computer, select Last Known
Good Configuration, andthen repeat this procedure.
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Use a script
You can create a WMI script that changes the volume licensing
product key, and then deploy thisscript in a startup script. The
sample ChangeVLKey2600.vbs script and the sampleChangeVLKeySP1
script that are described in this section use the new volume
licensing key that youwant to enter, in its five-part alphanumeric
form, as a single argument. Microsoft recommends that
you use the ChangeVLKey2600.vbs script on Windows XP-based
computers that are not runningWindows XP SP1 or a later version of
Windows XP and that you use the ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs scripton Windows
XP-based computers that are running Windows XP SP1 or a later
versions of WindowsXP. These scripts perform the following
functions:
They remove the hyphen characters (-) from the five-part
alphanumeric product key.
They create an instance of the win32_WindowsProductActivation
class.
They call the SetProductKey method with the new volume licensing
product key.
You can create a batch file or a cmd file that uses either of
the following sample scripts, together
with the new product key as an argument, and either deploy it as
part of a startup script or run itfrom the command line to change
the product key on a single computer.
For more information about how to script the product key, visit
the following Microsoft Web site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457096.aspx
ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs
' ' WMI Script - ChangeVLKey.vbs ' ' This script changes the
productkey on the computer
''***************************************************************************
ON ERROR RESUME NEXT if Wscript.arguments.count
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("win32_WindowsProductActivation") result =
Obj.SetProductKey(VOL_PROD_KEY) if err 0 then WScript.Echo
Err.Description, "0x" &Hex(Err.Number) Err.Clear end if
Next
Example
The following example shows how to use the ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs
script from a command line:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type the following command, where
AB123-123AB-AB123-123AB-AB123 is thenew product key that you want
to use, and then click OK:
c:\changevlkeysp1.vbs ab123-123ab-ab123-123ab-ab123
For more information, visit the following Microsoft Web
site:http://catalog.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx
http://catalog.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspxhttp://catalog.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx
