20071030

This copy of Windows is not genuine? What!?


OK.  This is it.  I've patiently worked through many Windows Vista annoyances since blogging about my initial, positive impression of the OS; and I haven't terribly minded.  Linux taught me to put up with a lot I guess, but that is another post – with regard to Vista and Linux. 😉  Now I am downright angry, though.

Tonight I came home and expected to continue fixing a bug for work.  All I needed was Vista's VPN and RDP clients – nothing more.  Well, not even that much works tonight because Vista tells me that my copy of Windows is not genuine!

I've read about this issue on Slashdot – caused by a recent (stealth) Windows update or simply updating a driver as I recall – but never figured it would happen to me.  To be clear, the experience absolutely sucks. (...technical term for a "Was I just mugged?" customer experience, Microsoft.)

What to do?  Well, I got so sick of Vista's 15-minute, likely-infinite loop of "Windows must be reinstalled to activate", logging in, and repeating that I'm running my Dell XPS's diagnostics for a calming distraction. 🤦‍♂️  ...pretty sad.

However this plays out, I'll definitely share the Vista "experience" that awaits me!

4 comments:

  1. Google hasn't turned up much on "Windows must be reinstalled to activate". The second of two results it turned up dumbfounded me, though. RussWilliston and I can't be the only Vista users to report this issue, Microsoft. Is Slashdot my only hope online to resolve this tonight? :-|

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. Microsoft was "unable to find any information on this type of issue" near the end of October but helped someone with it near the end of September, well into October? What?

    Lord, help me.... I'm going to bed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. For those who are brave enough here are some things to try. I have collected them from forums on this subject and from offshore people hired by Microsoft to help users. (None of these steps solves my problem. Reactivating online solves it for 6-7 restarts and then it reappears.)

    I Sometimes the problem appears to be triggered by the activation process. To activate again:
    Online:
    1. Cllick on the Start button.
    2. Type: slui.exe 2
    3. Press Enter.
    4. You will be prompted to activate Windows.

    By Phone:
    1. Click on the Start button.
    2. Type: slui.exe 4
    3. Press Enter.
    4. You will be prompted to activate by phone.
    5. Apparently it sometimes helps if you talk to a person rather than just the computer.

    II 1. Click on the Start button and in the Start Search box type in: services.msc
    2. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
    3. The Services window should now open.
    4. Scroll down to Software Licensing, then right-click on it and select Properties.
    5. Under the General tab, click on the Stop button.
    6. Set the Startup Type to Automatic, then click Apply.
    7. Next, under Service Status, click on the Start button.
    8. Last, restart your computer.

    III Force Start the Software Licensing Service. Once you type the "net start slsvc" command and hit Enter, if you receive any error, then, for some reason, Vista is not processing the command correctly and the issue is larger than just a Software Licensing problem.

    1) Click the Start button
    2) Type: cmd in the Start Search field
    3) At the top the Start window, you will see cmd.exe
    4) Right Click cmd.exe and select Run as Administrator
    5) Type: net start slsvc
    6) Click enter then restart.

    IV Reinstall licensing command.
    1) Click the Start button
    2) Type: cmd in the Start Search field
    3) At the top the Start window, you will see cmd.exe
    4) Right Click cmd.exe and select Run as Administrator
    5) Type: (note spaces after ‘cscript’ and before and after ‘/ilc’:

    cscript %windir%\System32\slmgr.vbs /ilc %windir%\System32\licensing\ppdlic\Security-Licensing-SLC-ppdlic.xrm-ms

    6) Click enter and then restart when command completed.

    ReplyDelete

RollerCoin Miners By The Numbers

Meet  RollerCoin Miners By The Numbers , a spreadsheet that breaks down what currently available  RollerCoin  miners cost and offer. I built...