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windows problem

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Dave Stacey

New Member
Hi Can anyone give me some advise please.
I was running my Gerber edge fine when all of a sudden it stopped saying it couldn't find the security devise or something like that. I finally rebooted the computer & a message can up saying " the copy of windows must be activated by Microsoft before I can log on. Do you want to activate windows now?" when I said okay it says" Windows already activated" with pressing okay the only option. It then brings me back to the same log in window.
Its the only computer I have to put in a login password.
Would it hurt to reinstall windows with out losing all the settings and data.

Thanks Dave
 
osmasterflex

osmasterflex

New Member
Is it a pirated version of windows? You may have downloaded an update, and it recognized its not legit windows?

Anyway, if you reinstall windows, theres an "update" option which just installs on top of your current version. You dont need to format your hard drive.
 
osmasterflex

osmasterflex

New Member
Then your problem may be windows recognized the serial on another computer. If you call them up they can help you switch it over.
 
signage

signage

New Member
Are you running Abobe suite on it? If so could be related to thread Fred posted last week about imaging a drive with CS4!
 
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Dave Stacey

New Member
It was a computer built by a small computer store. I had called the in 2 months ago to fix because the the old one wouldn't reboot & they told me the processor was going & it would be better to build another a clone everything.
I've inserted the windows disk but all I get is the blue screen to logg in or put in the password.
 
osmasterflex

osmasterflex

New Member
I would recommend contacting the company who built the computer. Windows comes with one license, your license wasn't removed from the other computer most likely. If you have the actual copy of Windows on hand, with the serial number, box etc. etc. then you can just call windows Directly and they can handle it for you. Otherwise you'll need that information to release it.
 
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Dave Stacey

New Member
As for Adobe suite, it was a CS2 on the previous computer that belonged to a previous employee that didn't work on the new computer. I don't think it was ever uninstalled.
 
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SignsOfMaine

New Member
The computer shop should have known this was going to happen, no excuse for it. Windows XP method for preventing piracy is to check your hardware at the time of install and activate based on that check. You are allowed to swap a hard drive or two, and make some other changes, but after too many changes XP thinks it's been moved to a new computer and won't function anymore. Which in this case is true.

Because the hard drive was ghosted from a previous drive, it has all the necessary files to make it think it's activated, but it still isn't passing the hardware check which can't be bypassed.

If you call the activation help line (assuming ms is still supporting it) it's possible to get a live human to help with this, and you might have some luck with this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312295/en-us

To be honest, I had a similar problem with a friend, and called the line, and one guy said he'd get me a new product key... then went back on it and wouldn't. I guess no way to verify that I wasn't trying to BS my way to a new legal copy.

What I ended up doing, which I don't recommend, was to find a copy of XP corporate via bittorrent, and reinstalling windows. Corporate version doesn't require activation. However in your case the software and files on there are probably too important to risk doing this. So I'd get on the phone and pray you get a smart and nice tech.
 
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Dave Stacey

New Member
Thanks a lot for everyone help. Since the computer still boots up I can still access the files through the network even though I can't get into windows. I'll try and backup everything first before I may have to reformat. I needed the failed computer to run Omega 1.56 mostly. I've re-arranged my work station to run my Edge2 on the same computer as I'll am running a Roland SP 540. Unfortunately the Edge stops printing after about 16". Gerber says I have to upgrade to get tech help. Luckily Cadlink helped me set up printing from signlab although there's restrictions without buying a module.
 
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