Windows reactivation after conv from Fusion

M

martinw

Bit poster
Hi,

Just started using PD4, 3810, and as one of my first experiments with it, I opened an XP instance that I have in VMWare Fusion 1.1.3. Transporter imports it, then the conversion (the 4 steps) starts, a dialog box comes up that says I have to continue manually and the XP starts up.

The first thing XP does is tell me that I have to activate, else I can't log in. It then offers to activate over the net, but can't find the net, of course. I can't install the Parallels tools since I can't log in and can't log in since I can't install PT.

Huh. Now what? Thankful for any tips. Don't want to keep using Fusion just for this one instance.
 
If Windows is asking you for your serial key, it must think you're trying to run it on a different computer. If you don't have your original, or it's not accepting it, you'll have to make a phone call to Microsoft and explain your situation.

Basically it's the same as if you changed all your hardware but tried running Windows from the same hard drive. It wants to re-varify to make sure Windows is legitimate.
 
Well, yes, I'm totally aware of that a licence key is required. Duh. And that reactivation happens when hardware changes. That was not the question. Now, let's take this again.

I have an XP instance that is licensed, activated, legal, entirely to MS's satisfaction, and is running under Fusion 1.1.3. Then I open it in PD4 3810, which starts the Transporter as expected, then proceeds to convert. Once done, it opens XP which *refuses* me to log on until it has been reactivated. Stupid MS will not even give me the normal 3 days grace. Now, it turns out XP *can't* reactivate since it finds no network. That's because the Parallels Tools aren't installed yet. I assume I have to get XP to log in to finish the installation, but MS won't let me.

Unless you know of a method to get the network working on the converted XP without first getting past the login, I'm stuck using Fusion for this one XP forever.

Of course, I could also call MS on the blower and read them a 50+ digit number on the phone and take down the 50+ digit number they're giving me back over the phone, after going through their painful menu system first, but having done this before, I'd rather have a root canal. Or switch to Linux.

To summarize: is there any way of getting the Parallels Tools, or at least networking, installed in an XP instance without logging in to the XP first?
 
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