Board index » Windows Vista » Activation error Home Premium UG over WinXP Prof

Windows Vista10
I purchased Home Premium upgrade to install on my WinXP Prof.

computer. When I started installation, my only option was a clean

install. So I did a clean install dual boot. All went well and Vista

seems to be working, so I decided to activate it. When I entered the

product key, I got an error message that a clean install was not

allowed with that key. The error Code ox c004F061 is not in MS list.

MS does not seem to allow any contact with them prior to activation.



Please help.


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"Bob" <rogodwin3@nospam.adelphia.net>wrote in message



By design. Guess what? There is a way around this. Upgrade your Vista with

your Vista. That's right, install it a second time. You used 'upgrade' media

to do a 'clean' install. The activation routine checks this out and will not

all ow it. If you now to an "in-place" upgrade - Vista smack bang right

over Vista - it will then activate. Don't worry, because Vista 'rolls out',

the upgrade will be a virtual clean install anyway.



So re-insert the DVD media and do an upgrade. When the time comes to choose

the ediition of Windows choose the same one. Once done, activation will go

through because this time 'round the registry will say the installation is

an 'upgrade' installation.



Saucy



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Thanks for your response. I did as you suggested and all went well

until the end. I then got an error message "Windows could not

configure one or more system components. To install restart."



When I restarted, Vista restored my previous configuration. I

rechecked the Vista advisor program and it did not identify any

software or hardware problem. I do not have much software yet. I

disconnected USB scanner and printer. I reinstalled again with the

same results.



Any idea whether the problem is software or hardware? Any suggestion

as to what to do?



On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:10:19 -0400, "Saucy"

<saucy538347334873772.sjhdf@net.net.net>wrote:



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"Bob" wrote:



When installing any operating system it is best to disconnect non-essential

peripherals such as printer/scanners and external hard drives. Try using the

method given below and when you have successfully installed Windows you can

then plug in your peripherals one at a time. Don't rush to activate - you

have upto 30 days to do so. This should give you sufficient time to ensure

that your system is working as it should.



Clean Install



Use Vista's 'upgrade' version to clean-install.



Please remember to DISCONNECT from the internet for this whole procedure.

You may reconnect at the end of the procedure when you have completed both

installations i.e. when you have completed Step 10.



Please note that you may be required to provide storage adapter drivers for

this procedure. These can be on floppy, cd or USB flash drives.



Step 1. Boot the PC from the Vista DVD.



Step 2. Select 'Install Now', but do not enter the Product Key from the

Vista packaging. Leave the input box blank. Also, turn off the option

'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'. In the next dialog box that

appears, confirm that you really do want to install Vista without entering a

Product Key.



Step 3. Correctly indicate the version of Vista being installed i.e. Home

Premium.



Step 4. Select the 'Custom (Advanced)' install, not the 'Upgrade' install.



Step 5. Vista copies files at length and reboots itself one or more times.

Wait for the install to complete. At this point, you might think you could

'activate' Vista, but you can't. That's because you haven't installed the

Vista upgrade yet. To do that, run the DVD's 'setup.exe' program again, but

this time from the Vista desktop. The easiest way to start setup again is to

eject and then reinsert the DVD.



Step 6. Click 'Install Now'. Select 'Do not get the latest updates for

installation'. (You can check for these updates later.)



Step 7. This time, do enter the Product Key from the Vista packaging. Once

again, turn off the option 'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'.



Step 8. On this second install, make sure to select 'Upgrade', not 'Custom

(Advanced)'. You're not doing a clean install now, you're upgrading to Vista.



Step 9. Wait while Vista copies files and reboots itself. No user

interaction is required. Do not boot from the DVD when asked if you'd like to

do so. Instead, wait a few seconds and the setup process will continue on its

way. Some DOS-like character-mode menus will appear, but don't interact with

them. After a few seconds, the correct choice will run for you automatically.



Step 10. After you click a button labeled 'Start' in the 'Thank You' dialog

box, Vista's login screen will eventually appear. Enter the username and

password that you selected during the first install. You're done upgrading to

Vista.



Step 11. If any device(s) or device driver(s) need installing, then this is

the time to do it.



Step 12. If any further user accounts need creating, then they may be

created now.



Step 13. Within 30 days, you must 'activate' your copy of Vista or it'll

lose functionality. To activate Vista, click 'Show more details' in the

Welcome Center that automatically displays on each boot-up, then click

'Activate Windows now'. If you've dismissed the Welcome Center, access the

correct dialog box by clicking Start, Control Panel, System & Maintenance,

System.





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Finally, as suggested, started over.

Did a dual boot clean Vista install with CD boot and no key.

Downloaded vista updates and immediately did upgrade from within

Vista. Put in Key and selected internet activation. Vista upgraded

properly and said I had 2 days to activate and offered an option to do

that, I did and it ACTIVATED.



So all is well. Thanks for everyone's help. It is hard to understand

why MS makes it harder to upgrade the more expensive XP Prof than XP

Home. Or tell you how to do it.



Thanks again.







On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 03:02:04 -0700, Dwarf

<Dwarf@discussions.microsoft.com>wrote:



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