[BC] Another computer problem

[Cowboy]

On Monday 27 July 2009 07:15 pm, RichardBJohnson at comcast.net wrote:
>  A friend game me an 6 year old "Compaq Presario" desktop computer with the 
>  proviso that I rescue his photographs from it. There were too many to copy 
>  to a CD/DVD so I copied them all to an external USB drive from which I will 
>  copy them to his new computer. The computer uses Windows XP.   

>  However, the software wants me to "register" or "activate" it with 
>  Microsoft.

>  Does anybody know  
>  what to do? The software claims that I only have 10 days to activate the 
>  OS!       

>  Does anyone know the correct 'regedit' commands to "activate" the OS? 

 I've run into this myself.
 There are various "legal" ways to address it, all of which involve convincing
 M$ that the copy isn't bootlegged.

 I got so tired of dealing with it that I did write a hack for any/all of the "activation" 
 bits in new M$ systems, on my own stuff, of course.

 There's more to it than simple regedit. This one they've buried REAL good.

 Changing the hard drive is one that absolutely will cause the assumption that
 the OS is stolen, and often requires a conversation with a real human,
 most of which will assume you are guilty of theft first, and you must prove
 yourself innocent.

-- 
Cowboy