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Ok, lets just clear this up. It sounds like what you are doing, although not downright illegal, is probably a bit dodgy.
There is no legitimate reason to want to change product keys. What are you trying to achieve?
Different types XP disks are physically different. You can't just change the product key to change from home to professional or any other version. There are also different types of license versions like "Retail" and "Business" which have different keys and activation types. Even if you could, doing so would be illegal, just go and buy the version you want to use.
Why are you trying to bypass/extend the activation? If your copy of XP is legal, just activate it. If it won't let you, phone MS, they will sort the problem out over the phone, it just involves some extra checks to make sure your not stealing it.
The hardware is not linked to the software in _any_ way by dell or any other company. some manufacturers, modify the windows installer so it won't install on any other PC, but that doesn't stop you from formatting your dell PC and putting whatever version of windows you want on it. A full format and full reinstall will revert everything back to how it was to begin with. No product key will be remembered after a format.
My recommendation to you is as follows:
A) If you are happy with the version of XP that you have legally on disk from dell, do a full format and reinstall, use the product key given to you by dell. If it requires activation, activate it, if it doesn't work, call MS.
B) If you are not happy with the version of XP that you have from dell, just go out and buy a version you are happy with.
Simon
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As I stated in my first posting; I was experimenting with the XP.When I read various computer articles that have some xp tweaks,I find some of them interesting and I am curious as to how my computer will respond to them,and the modifications suggested in some of the product key articles were both intersting and easy to apply.
I have done at least 15 to 20 new reinstalls including formatting over the past months on my computer and the XP cd disk has required that the 25 digit product key number be manuelly entered using the keyboard for each of those installations.Are you doing some dodging
yourself when you say that the product key will disappear {are you saying permanently?],after the first reinstallation and formatting that a computer user does with the computer.
I know that the XP SP3 is supposed to automatically fill the product
key in for the computer user ,from what I have read.I downloaded the SP3 when it came out a few months ago but I uninstalled it after about one day because of a few operating system problems it was creating.
- winch1020
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I am posting a spelling correction for a couple of items in my previous posts.
The OOBETimer is the correct spelling; There should be no letter "D" in the word.
The second error was the number 22.There are 24 digits in the data field of the OOBETimer; not 22.
The regedit path to the OObetimer is: HKLM > Software > Microsoft > Windows NT >Current version > WPA Events and the OOBETIMER Dword is located in the right part of the window.
I had read on one of the internet computer sites,that changing at least one of the digits in the OOBETimer data field is one method of resetting the product key in order to get a new product key number.
My XP SP2 cd that has the DELL logo on it, may be considerd legal by DELL, but Microsoft might not recognize the transfer of the XP cd disk to a second party;and if I were to ask Microsoft for a new product key then they might consider the disk as a new purchase with royality rights etc.
Since,my topic has centered around product keys; I will mention one other thing that I have read on one of the internet computer site forums; someone asked if the 30 day activation time parameter could possibly be tweaked and extended to a couple of years or longer etc; but I have read nothing further on it and I forget which of the computer sites that I read the archived forum when I was once browsing the different internet sites.
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Robert Winchell wrote: I had read on one of the internet computer sites,that changing at least one of the digits in the OOBETimer data field is one method of resetting the product key in order to get a new product key number.
Wrong. This does not generate a new product key. It invalidates the activation so you are forced to enter a new key, which you have to provide. There is nothing in Windows that generates a new key for you. In order to get a new key, you either have to buy it off the shelf, or call Microsoft and jump through a ton of hoops to get a new key generated for you.
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I am not going to try and phone microsoft and try and get a new replacement key for free ,as the XP got activated by the new product key that the magical jellybean extracted from the computer or should I say ,generated, when it was doing the extracting and looking for a product key.Maybe,the jellybean has a built in key generator program that turns on when it detects certain changes in files associated to the product key and activation process etc.
I could possibly try some other changes[tweaks] at some point in time to test the effect on the product key and activation process and the bootup time, if I happen to read an article pertaining to it.There are the two WPA files in the system 32 folder.
The longer bootup time is only a minor inconvienance and I think that being able to bypass the activation is pretty neat.If I were to get a new key from microsoft,then I would be less likely to experiment with it.If the activation process should happen to shut down my computer,then I would have to contact microsoft and possibly pay for a new key but for now I think that I will go with the magical jellybean.
- winch1020
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Robert Winchell wrote: Would a phone call to microsoft be required in order
to get a new product ID number of some sort; as the only solution?
Yes, and don't forget your checkbook.
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if you cant delete an ntfs / fat32 folder from a linux live cd boot it might mean the file system or drive itself is corrupt
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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So, how can I repair it ?
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well first of all i would be *extremely* careful in suggesting anything without being able to sit down and look for myself... BUT if it is an NTFS or FAT32 drive under windows i believe right-clicking on the drive in "my computer" will give a properties box, with one tab being "tools" or something, and one option there being "repair" ... that is def worth a try but be aware that it might require a reboot if it needs to do a surface scan too
if that doesnt work then i would be puzzled to say the least
hth and good luck
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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Thanks.
I've had Windows XP SP3.
I've not any problems with it, just I've wanted to delete that folder.
I don't think so the File System is corrupt (my drives are NTFS), but I'll try your suggestion.
By the way Scan Disk can find any errors ?
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whats actually in the folder? and how did it get there?
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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Allright.
Some days ago my system had a virus , I cleaned it (with updated ESET Smart Security) and I'm sure my system is clear rightnow.
After that I pryed  in my drives and I delete this folder (System Volume Information).
At first it deleted easily and I didn't have any problems. But when I reser my sestem and wanted to delete it from my recycle bin , this problem occured and I couldn't delete it. I couldn't restore it though 
I was looking for a solution to solve it and I found this site[^].
I could to empty my recycle bin with rename RECYCLER folder to anther name (so RECYCLER1), but I haven't deleted RECYCLER1 so far.
This was my story 
Now can you help me
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ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh a virus ..... hmmmmmmmm then you might have more problems since there is obviously a process running that takes ownership of the folder and/or recreates it if it gets deleted
i think you will have to identify the virus (usually the process that owns the folder) and try to remove that process either manually or with a virus killer designed for that infection
shame thats horrible
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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l a u r e n wrote: i think you will have to identify the virus (usually the process that owns the folder) and try to remove that process either manually or with a virus killer designed for that infection
I've did it, I'm sure my system is clear now.
I've wanted to delete it with Linux but I could't so I think a virus didn't cause this problem .
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probably linux didnt mount the ntfs partition as read / write ... which is usual for live cds ... normally you could have deleted it from linux if you were using the ntfs-3g sub-system
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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I don't think so.
Thanks anyway
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You probably need to take ownership of the folder, and remove any 'limbo' permissions.
xacc.ide - now with TabsToSpaces support IronScheme - 1.0 beta 1 - out now! ((lambda (x) `((lambda (x) ,x) ',x)) '`((lambda (x) ,x) ',x))
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but surely if he booted into knoppix live cd there wont be any ownership issues since windows isnt even running??
thats whats puzzling me
"mostly watching the human race is like watching dogs watch tv ... they see the pictures move but the meaning escapes them"
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l a u r e n wrote: issues since windows isnt even running??
I am not sure how NTFS does it exactly, but I have seen it happen. A 'scandisk' will probably fix it on second thought.
xacc.ide - now with TabsToSpaces support IronScheme - 1.0 beta 1 - out now! ((lambda (x) `((lambda (x) ,x) ',x)) '`((lambda (x) ,x) ',x))
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l a u r e n wrote: if he booted into knoppix live cd there wont be any ownership issues since windows isnt even running?
Yes, I find that puzzling as well.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer
"Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
"Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
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If the folder is not taking up any space, why not just leave it? If it is taking up space, can you delete the contents of it? Try that and see what is causing the access denied error.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer
"Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
"Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
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Paul Conrad wrote: If the folder is not taking up any space, why not just leave it? If it is taking up space, can you delete the contents of it?
The folder is 0 Byte. I've wanted to know it.
Paul Conrad wrote: Try that and see what is causing the access denied error.
I've tried everything but I couldn't find anything to solve it
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One solution, might not be what you are looking for, could be to just wipe the drive and reinstall. But, why do that if it is a pesky zero byte file/folder, no harm in letting it be.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer
"Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
"Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
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With a hexeditor?
(do not actually do this, there is a 99.99% chance that it will make matters worse)
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