Used mine previously and now says I've exceeded my usage pissing Microsoft....

any help appreciated. Cheers.

 

just phone them up and make sure you say you have ONLY installled it on one machine

Job done

 

as above mate, i havent had to do it myself but i heard thats what other people have done

 

Call Micro$oft as said above.

 

YES.....It does work.

The answer to their question is...............just the one computer.

 

Ta lads but BIG thanks to the unnamed gent who has given me a key

Thanks mate

 

You don't need to change the key, just ring up the asian call centre, punch in the code on screen, it won't be verified, kim jong ill will ask you a few questions then give you the activation code, job done

 

Glad you sorted it.

Just a little background if anyone's wondering...

If it was a case that your code had escaped onto the world wide wait, it's entirely possible that someone else has used and activated it. When the Windows Genuine Advantage Tool (if you have it installed) tells Microsoft that your computer is running with code XYZ, the WGA tool will immediately deactivate Windows, because code XYZ now has a query because two computers are using it. The other computer that does not have this optional 'tool' installed can carry on regardless, as there is no mechanism to disable their illegitimate copy.

The product key that came with your computer/copy of Windows can be activated once every 120 days - that is what was deemed, by Microsoft, a reasonable amount of time before anyone would make considerable changes to their computer's hardware.

The exceptions to this rule are certain groups of OEM product keys (such as those stuck to HP business PCs), which can not be activated over the internet. This is, partially, to attempt to prevent casual piracy by people noting down the product key on their work computer and then using it to install and Activate their 'downloaded' copy of Windows. The machines are built pre-activated because major changes to the hardware are unlikely given the nature of the machine.

Windows can also become de-activated all on its own - my brother installed drivers for his video card after he activated his shiny new boxed copy of 64-bit Windows XP, all of a sudden, Windows thought it was de-activated and he was left with a small dilemma... Luckily enough, he uninstalled the drivers, reinstalled them and lo: Windows reactivated itself.

Windows will also deactivate if something (not necessarily the user) meddles with the Activation database or associated files.

The call centre is now automated for the most part - you'll run through an automated touch-tone system, just listen to the options before you press any buttons. If the code you type into the phone is invalid for some reason, such as sausage fingers or the wrong code for the version of Windows you're installing was used, you'll go through to someone who understands English to whatever degree is printed on their script.

So there you go