This is the solution to activate Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8 – Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2012) when you have this message and you cannot activate it bacause your logged out.
This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can continue. You cannot log on until you activate Windows. Do you want to activate Windows now?
Boot into Safe Mode. To do this, turn the computer on and press F8 as it is booting up. Go into Safe Mode by choosing the Safe Mode option.
Once you are at the desktop in Safe Mode, Click Start then click Run.
At the run command prompt type the following EXACTLY:
rundll32.exe syssetup,SetupOobeBnk
NOTE: The Oo’s in Oobe are oh’s – not zero’s. There is one space after rundll32.exe. It is case sensitive as far as I know.
Click OK.
Wait a few seconds – the screen may blip a few times or so.
This just reset Windows Activation for 30 days.
Reboot the PC into normal mode – log in – re-activate Windows.
Activation, Copy, how to, Microsoft, Windows
-
This copy of windows must be activated with microsoft before you can log in, do you want to activate windows now?»
Hi all! Currently your computer using Windows XP Sp3 but present it to the logon error message this copy of windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can logon. Do you want to activate windows now » If i click «Yes» or «No» Wilndows will not open.
-
I suppose you just like to get into windows?
I don’t remember the exact command, try these 2:Alt + F10 , Command prompt will appear —> type: Explorer.exe
Ctrl + Alt + Delete, Taskmgr will start —> Application Tab —> New task —> type: Explorer.exe -
Not working Please any one help me ..
-
You should still be able to boot into safe mode..If it is, indeed, a licensing issue. If it is a virus, you may not have this option. If you can boot into safe mode, load the OEMBIOS tool onto a cd or usb drive and run it to activate the OS..
Stop hovering to collapse…
Click to collapse…
Hover to expand…
Click to expand…
-
winlogon has some sneaky programming in it. you can launch \windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe from an unactivated copy of windows. but attempting to launch explorer.exe results in messages about not enough quota.
-
make sure you choose safe mode WITHOUT networking. winlogon still enforces activation if you choose safe mode WITH networking.
-
Thank you every one who trying to help to solve my problem.
My Problem is solved. I found a patch file for activate.
-
hi deefuuck……..
Can u share the patch file here…….it will help someone having the same problem…
-
That didn’t solve your problem just delayed it till patch gets knocked out you should have made oem slp cd.
-
Yes, this is why I put it in for damage control..not a primary option. The version I have is easy to uninstall. just unregister the .dll and it is gone..delete away. OEM is the best way.
I have altered the tool again to change the timestamp files to do away with the MGAdiag errors on dump…just to appease some of the picky ones..(I guess it helps with WFP also..)
Stop hovering to collapse…
Click to collapse…
Hover to expand…
Click to expand…
-
@ 911medic, wasn’t getting at your VLK to OEM tool great work there M8 but you know no excuse now with DMI boot cd and fresh install and an HP OEM cd job done.
That seems to be the problem with a lot of peeps don’t want to or don’t know how to reinstall windows. -
Then they should use paper & pencil if you ask me
sebus
-
Most are lazy, I suspect. It is entirely too easy to make a OEM CD and put a string in the DMI..
I guess it is easier to have someone else do it for them….I think I couldn’t ask someone to do it for me without trying myself first..where is the fun in that??
I think if someone doesnt know how to do a repair install, or a fresh one for that matter, shouldn’t be dicking around with a computer anyway. They jump into things assuming someone will bail them out…
If you can’t fix it yourself, you best not break it…
Stop hovering to collapse…
Click to collapse…
Hover to expand…
Click to expand…
There may be number of reasons why you could bump into such error. In my particular situation this happened after moving physical Windows XP machine to a virtual VMware host. Other reasons could be – upgrading computer hardware, not activating Windows within permitted 30 days period, etc.
Annoyingly you are not even allowed to login into Windows. The only thing you can do is activate the Operating System. This is well and good if activation actually works, but what to do if it doesn’t?
There is a little command line trick which allows to reset Windows Activation period. This will give you another 30 days period to login and use Windows normally.
All you have to do is run this little command in a command prompt:
rundll32.exe syssetup,SetupOobeBnk
and then restart your computer.
Now, logical question would be, how you could run command prompt if you are not allowed to login into OS…
One option is to boot into “Safe Mode” (restart computer and press F8 as it’s booting, then choose Safe Mode option). I haven’t tried this myself, but people say it works.
I didn’t try the “Safe Mode” method, because I managed to open command prompt without actually leaving Windows Activation screen. This is what I did:
- On Windows Activation screen click on Microsoft Activation Assistance Web Site link.
- This should bring an Internet Explorer window
- Now, in Internet Explorer address bar type C:\Windows and press Enter
This will bring an error message, but this doesn’t matter. What matters to us is that Windows Toolbar just appeared!
Just go into Start Menu and open the Command Prompt.There is a little catch here. After about 30-60 seconds all windows will automatically close and you will be dropped back to the Windows Activation screen. But this gives you more than enough time to open CMD and issue the command.
Map Your Next Move at VMware Explore
Join peers and leaders at the essential cloud event for IT professionals.
Learn More
Map Your Next Move at VMware Explore
Join peers and leaders at the essential cloud event for IT professionals.
Learn More
Community Search
Welcome to the Broadcom Community
Find Your Communities
Our communities are designed by division, as you can see below. Visit each division’s homepage for a list of product communities under each division. From there, click on the communities you’re interested in, choose «Join Community,» and select your notification settings. It’s that simple. Join as many as you’d like.
Register Here
Please note: Your first post to any of our communities will be placed in a moderation queue for review to help us prevent spammers from posting unwanted content. Our community managers closely monitor this moderation queue, and once your first post is approved, your posts will no longer go through moderation. Please do not submit the same post multiple times.
Check Out Our Events
Looking for product roadmap webcasts, technical sessions, user group meetings, conferences, and workshops? Check out our events calendars:
- Application Networking and Security
- Carbon Black — Symantec
- VeloCloud
- Carbon Black
- Tanzu
- VMware Cloud Foundation
- Enterprise Software Events
- Mainframe Software Events
- Symantec Enterprise Events
- VMware Events
Latest Discussions
-
-
@Junchi Zhang — can you please confirm this?
Recent Blogs
-
Posted in:
Bitnami
Model Context Protocol (MCP) has taken the world …
-
Posted in:
Bitnami
We’re excited to announce that we’ve expanded Tanzu …
Upcoming Events
Engagement Leaderboard
-
Wanderingscribe
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 19. May 2009, 02:08
- Primary OS: Mac OS X Leopard
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: Windows XP
«this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
After weeks of trouble-free Windows use with the help I received the last time I posted here, I tried to start up this morning and got the error message above. Random Googling tells me I may find a way around it if I restart Windows in safe mode and do a whole lot of things I won’t go into here, but restarting and pressing F8 while in VirtualBox won’t do the job. Any ideas?
-
Wanderingscribe
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 19. May 2009, 02:08
- Primary OS: Mac OS X Leopard
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: Windows XP
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by Wanderingscribe »
It was like that when I got here, honest .
Seriously, I haven’t touched a thing. Trying to start in safe mode by pressing (fn) and f8 at the same time does nothing, so it looks like my next step is to delete the whole VM, create another and reinstall.
-
Wanderingscribe
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 19. May 2009, 02:08
- Primary OS: Mac OS X Leopard
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: Windows XP
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by Wanderingscribe »
Creating a new VM and reinstalling everything thereupon just led to the same old problem, so I’m back to needing to start Windows in safe mode and seeing what I can do from there. Given that neither F8 on its own or (fn) plus F8 didn’t work, what do I have to do to make that happen? Any and all suggestions welcome.
-
yesandno
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 25. Jun 2009, 17:46
- Primary OS: Mac OS X Leopard
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: XP SP2
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by yesandno »
Did you activate with Microsoft within 30 days of installation of XP? If not, you’ll have to scam a code from somewhere, perhaps off a real XP box you have laying around. I have been able to re-use codes after 3 to 6 months.
-
Perryg
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 34369
- Joined: 6. Sep 2008, 22:55
- Primary OS: Linux other
- VBox Version: OSE self-compiled
- Guest OSses: *NIX
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by Perryg »
@Wanderingscribe
When you say (FN + f8) does nothing do you mean that you are not able to get to the safe mode option, or can you get into safe mode and it does not fix your problem?
-
Wanderingscribe
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 19. May 2009, 02:08
- Primary OS: Mac OS X Leopard
- VBox Version: OSE other
- Guest OSses: Windows XP
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by Wanderingscribe »
I can now get into safe mode by using (fn) + F8 because I disabled all the dialogue boxes that pop up while the VM is booting. That still doesn’t fix the logon problem though. I think the only thing for it is to uninstall/reinstall Windows and do it properly this time. Thanks to all for your replies.
-
Sasquatch
- Volunteer
- Posts: 17798
- Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
- Primary OS: Debian other
- VBox Version: VirtualBox+Oracle ExtPack
- Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
- Location: /dev/random
Re: «this copy of windows must be activated before you log on»
Post
by Sasquatch »
Your problem is that you don’t know how Windows XP and above work now. You have to activate them. If you don’t, you have 30 days until you are locked out of the system and are forced to activate Windows through internet or by phone. You should have gotten a balloon popup each time you log on telling you to activate Windows, and that you have x days left. Activation is just a security method to make sure you have an original XP version, just like how Apple and others use DRM on music.