Accepted Answer

If you have a legit key that you want to reuse and you are no longer using it on the old system and Windows Activation is telling you it's no good - you can actually call Microsoft and they will ask you your information along with they old key and give you a new one over the phone in which to activate your system - that simple.

You can call them at: 1-800-642-7676

If you are trying to get rid of the Windows activation you can follow these steps (You should make sure you really do have a legit copy before you do this, if you have obtained your copy of Windows in a non-legit way, it may be illegal and you are opening yourself up to virus's, etc.)

1. Click on Start
2. Find and Click "Run"
3. Type: Regedit
4. Click the plus next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE"
5. Click the plus next to "SOFTWARE"
6. Click the plus next to "Microsoft"
7. Click the plus next to "Windows NT"
8. Click the plus next to "CurrentVersion"
9. Click "WPAEvents"
10. On the right panel, find "OOBETimer" then double click it.
11. Now, Delete all the Values by highlighting it, then delete it
12. Then type in this value without the quotation mark "FF D5 71 D6 8B 6A 8D 6F D5 33 93 FD"
13. Then after that click OK,
14. Then on the left panel right click WPAEvents, then click on permissions
15. Then click System or SYSTEM, then Deny Full Control, then Click OK.
16. Then Exit Registry Editor by Click the X or the red X on the Upper Right of the Title Bar or press ALT and F4 at the same time.
17. To Verify that it works, go to start, then "activate windows", or go to start, then all programs, then "activate windows"

Let me know if you need anything else and please hit "Accept" so that I can get credit for the answer. Thanks!

Expert:	Karl
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	11/4/2009

Information Systems Manager

Over 5 years experience as an IT manager. I manage multiple servers in a variety of OS.