Windows activiation within Fusion

[maximedia]

Having used Fusion on a MacBook (solely to use Microsoft Money) for many months, I hit problems earlier this year and had to reinstall. Since then, I've been unable to follow the Windows activation countdown prompts (clicking on the balloon does nothing). Now the activation period has come to an end, I'm locked out of Windows at the log-in screen, and get an error message when I attempt to activate.
Any suggestions. VMWare help desk was less than helpful, but suggested the problem might be because my copy of Windows XP has already been activated on my PC. If this is so, how come it worked fine for months without activation problems?
Thanks

 

[saMac]

easiest solution: reinstall windows

... if you're using Boot Camp and VMware, your installation may think it's on 2 different machines depending on how you start it up. i ran into that problem.

alternatively, does windows tell you to call the activation center 800-number? that one worked for me.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

alternatively, does windows tell you to call the activation center 800-number? that one worked for me.

Me too. Just call up the 800 number and enter the license code that came with Win. The process is very tedious, but would you expect anything less from M$. At the end it will give you another activation code.

 

[maximedia]

Thanks for those pointers.
I'm not using Bootcamp, but I do wonder whether there's a hangover from the first installation of XP within Fusion that is having the same effect (I thought I'd uninstalled the first one, but perhaps not: any pointers there?)
I'm in the UK, so don't have a phone number, and have failed so far to find one online that is not an automated one...

 

[velocityg4]

As I recall when the Activation period runs out and you can not do anything at the log in screen you can still boot into Safe Mode (F8 key while booting Windows) and perform the activation from there.

Wait for the activation box to pop up in the task bar. Once in the activation Window select by phone and it should give you a drop down list to choose your location where it will give you a number to call.

 

[saMac]

Thanks for those pointers.
I'm not using Bootcamp, but I do wonder whether there's a hangover from the first installation of XP within Fusion that is having the same effect (I thought I'd uninstalled the first one, but perhaps not: any pointers there?)

i may be misinterpreting, but you don't really need to uninstall windows to start over, just create a new virtual machine and trash the old one. though technically, that may be bending licensing rules a little to have 2 concurrent installations. maybe trash the old one first, so the MS snipers don't hunt you down.