Activation/Cdkey required on an HPA install? -updated-

Message

off1c3r · #1 Post by **off1c3r** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:02 pm

Hey

Just wanted some input on this issue..

I had a 40gb HD in my T41. I reinstalled it fresh from my HPA and updated it to maximum. (no issues) I pulled it out and replcaed it with a 160gb drive.

I used the Recovery CDs (5) from Lenovo and I had some issues installing my HPA so I formated and reinstalled from the CD's directly. Everything went through without a problem.

I then eventually formated and got the CDs to install the HPA this time without a problem. It asked me to remove CDs which I did and then it did a fresh reinstall from the HPA. During the setup on the first screen it made me accept a liscense agreement, maybe it said out of warrenty? agreement and i hit ok, and then it asks me for a cdkey. I put in the one from the coa sticker and once the setup finishes I am in windows and it is asking me to activate?

I've never had to activate from any of my HPA reinstalls before on the old HD and definantly not on my new T61 which I just did?

To Test, I did a reinstall from HPA again and it did the same thing again; asked to accept agreement, enter key etc.

Now I am doing a CD reinstall again and it asked for key?

I spoke to lenovo techs a few times and they said the yare just going to send me fresh recovery cds.. but if it works fine via cd install, and not hpa? .. i don't get it ? I was thinking of making recovery CDs from my first 40gb hd which has winxp sp1 stuff.. whatever was out from 2/2004 is whats on that HD.

I dunno.. I am starting to think its because i reinstalled so quick? But on my old hd I reinstalled a few times before back to back with no issues.. and the VERY first time I used the recovery CDs it worked fine without asking me for a key or activation...

Brad · #2 Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:24 pm

I never had to enter a key.

I usually let the CD's install everything like it came out of the box which would install the recovery partition. Again the install never asked for a key and never requested to be activated. If it does this without asking if you are connected to the internet I don't know.

Brad

off1c3r · #3 Post by **off1c3r** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:40 pm

Brad wrote:I never had to enter a key.

I usually let the CD's install everything like it came out of the box which would install the recovery partition. Again the install never asked for a key and never requested to be activated. If it does this without asking if you are connected to the internet I don't know.

Brad

The first blue screen that comes up when you can start entering your info wher eyou can hit next and such.. first thing that comes up is to agree to liscense agreement and to enter key =( ... I never had to do that before with the old HD. Again, it worked fine from the CD first time around but after that.. always this issue

chan_man · #4 Post by **chan_man** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:04 am

You would be asked for activation if the Recovery CD did not find the right machine number in your bios, otherwise, it will just install normally. Check the information in your bios and make sure that nothing has changed.

off1c3r · #5 Post by **off1c3r** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:43 am

chan_man wrote:You would be asked for activation if the Recovery CD did not find the right machine number in your bios, otherwise, it will just install normally. Check the information in your bios and make sure that nothing has changed.

I don't know what to check really. No hardware was changed execpt HD.. bios was updated but I did a reinstall via hpa before with the 40gb hd after the bios was updated with no issues..

#6 Post by **richk** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:11 pm

The only time it asks for a key is if the recovery doesn't complete normally. Make sure the disk is completely wiped. Turn the machine on and boot into the BIOS. Under security, set predesktop area to disabled. Restart and run the disk wiping program of your choice. (For hitachi disks, use DFT) Reboot into BIOS and set predesktop to normal. Boot from recovery CDs.

off1c3r · #7 Post by **off1c3r** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:29 pm

richk wrote:The only time it asks for a key is if the recovery doesn't complete normally. Make sure the disk is completely wiped. Turn the machine on and boot into the BIOS. Under security, set predesktop area to disabled. Restart and run the disk wiping program of your choice. (For hitachi disks, use DFT) Reboot into BIOS and set predesktop to normal. Boot from recovery CDs.

Thats what I was thinking.. the first time it froze.. I tried to install the hpa again and it didn't work. Kept showing me option for just factory reinstall from CD. I did secure data scrub medium setting, took 1.5hrs, tried destroying partitions, disabled hpa, destroyed it, formated, formated full, quick, with 5 diff programs, NOthing i did let me get that option again to reinstall that HPA, then I randomly used ibm diagnostic tools to do a full erase on the drive till 1% and then I got fed up and quit. Then I tried again randomly and it worked, gave me option to reinstall HPA.

It was a royal pain in the .. yeah. Took 15 formats, and non stop wiping and .. ugh bad experience. Thats the only thing I can think of but I don't know why that would cause that since it was eventaully reinstalled 100%

#8 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:53 pm

My experience is that, once a recovery fails for any reason, you need to remove all partitions and reset the master boot record with fdisk (which is on the recovery cd), and then try again. I got this advice directly from IBM when they had the business. I have done as they requested and it worked. ... JDH

off1c3r · #9 Post by **off1c3r** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:59 pm

jdhurst wrote:My experience is that, once a recovery fails for any reason, you need to remove all partitions and reset the master boot record with fdisk (which is on the recovery cd), and then try again. I got this advice directly from IBM when they had the business. I have done as they requested and it worked. ... JDH

Ok I'll try, but my recovery CD is just 1-5. Theres no "main" recovery CD, so I don't have access to fdisk, I'll have to find a cd image of it because all I ever find are floppys but i think maybe those ultimate boot cd images might have fdisk. I'll try though .. sounds like it should work though.. but again just a little skeptical since I formated and erased it all and after 15 formats and partition destructions, it finally gave me the option to reinstall HPA which is did flawlessly, BUT i am going to try via fdisk

Thanks I hope this fixes it

off1c3r · #10 Post by **off1c3r** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:13 pm

Didn't get new CDs yet (Lenovo said they would send me a new set) but I put a BRAND new harddrive in, still sealed. I poped in cds, did HPA reinstall; finished, and then it did a reinstall from HPA.. still asked me for keys

Do you think it has anything to do with me using a new HD ? I hear countless times that its based on the bios machine code so .. I don't get why a new HD would give me this issue... Right now I am making recovery CDs from my original 40gb hd with the image from 2/2004 and I will try that on the new hD to see if confirm if the NEW recovery CDs are bad or not..

#11 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:56 pm

I am starting to think something is wrong with the CD's you have. I do lots of new hard drive setups for clients with Recovery CD's or with images I have built from said CD's. I never get asked for an activation key.

This happened to me a long while back and IBM replaced the Recovery CD's and told me about the procedure I documented here. Hopefully your new CD's will work. ... JDH

off1c3r · #12 Post by **off1c3r** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:13 pm

jdhurst wrote:I am starting to think something is wrong with the CD's you have. I do lots of new hard drive setups for clients with Recovery CD's or with images I have built from said CD's. I never get asked for an activation key.

This happened to me a long while back and IBM replaced the Recovery CD's and told me about the procedure I documented here. Hopefully your new CD's will work. ... JDH

I hope, I get the new CDs tomorrow. I tried it on 2 brand new drives.. jeez no go. If I STILL Get the issue, YOu think maybe I should reflash bios? Perhaps a bad bios install is causing it to have problems? I last updated it a month or two ago to latest, but then when I did the auto detect required drivers it said unknown bios or something like having trouble reading it? I don't know .. maybe I should try and reflash? ughh

Brad · #13 Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:41 am

If you check ThinkPad configuration is there a machine type and serial number listed there? Check the BIOS too. If not maybe you need to add this information with the HMD.

Brad

off1c3r · #14 Post by **off1c3r** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:53 pm

Brad wrote:If you check ThinkPad configuration is there a machine type and serial number listed there? Check the BIOS too. If not maybe you need to add this information with the HMD.

Brad

Checked in bios and all info looks good.. Got new CD's today too, and no go.. asks for key.

What still bothers me is the VERY first time I used the CD(when the HPA install failed and I had to restart it) and instead I just loaded the software via cd, it didnt ask for key ...

off1c3r · #15 Post by **off1c3r** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:09 pm

edited: put wrong info

I am so fed up now. I checked the install process again, reinstalled the HPA so many times yet it sitll asks me to 1. accept EULA, 2. Enter Key 3. Activate in windows...

In my computer i see the OEM key listed, not the one I entered too! I don't get it!? The key I entered shows up though when I used keyfinder. It shows the COA key, but my comp shows OEM key.

What am I missing?

Timeline
Original 40gb HD -> factory preloaded it, updated and pulled it out
Put in 160gb HD & New DVDRW -> Used CD's to install HPA, froze on disc 2, put back in old CDRW, restarted, didn't have option for HPA but I did have option to install from CD to factory content which I Did and it worked fine. Didn't need to activate or anything.

Decided to delete partition & start over since I wanted to get that HPA installed again. Ever since then always asked for activation/enter cd key

I tried with 2 different 160gb hd's, tried both DVDrw, and CDRW drives, strong enough wipes to let the system know the partitions were gone to reinstall HPA.. yet it still keeps asking me to accept EULA, enter key, and activate. I checked the bios, the versions are good nothing chnaged..

what am i missing!?

#16 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:51 am

Maybe some type of memory error causing a glitch in the install? Try removing or changing some memory.

ajkula66 · #17 Post by **ajkula66** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:07 am

I've had this issue with original recovery disks for A3x series machines that I've had. Whatever I've done, regardless of machine/HDD/formatting, it always wants to be activated...meanwhile, I've recently made copies for someone and they say it worked on their A31p with no activation being asked for, and the person is in Canada...no clue whether it would have anything to do with the fact.

I'm fairly certain you're doing everything right, and that the disks are OK. Just try activating the darn OS with MS on the phone...

My $0.02 only...

off1c3r · #18 Post by **off1c3r** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:32 pm

carbon_unit wrote:Maybe some type of memory error causing a glitch in the install? Try removing or changing some memory.

I tried =( I changed , swaped out, and tried with only 1 ram

ajkula66 wrote:I've had this issue with original recovery disks for A3x series machines that I've had. Whatever I've done, regardless of machine/HDD/formatting, it always wants to be activated...meanwhile, I've recently made copies for someone and they say it worked on their A31p with no activation being asked for, and the person is in Canada...no clue whether it would have anything to do with the fact.

I'm fairly certain you're doing everything right, and that the disks are OK. Just try activating the darn OS with MS on the phone...

My $0.02 only...

From what you said, and what I am thinking now, I am 99% sure my CDs are fine too.. its something with the sytem. I guarentee my CDs would work find on any other system ... like i was saying before it worked fine the first time, just only after the first install I started to have problems. Thanks for letting me know i am not alone though =/

off1c3r · #19 Post by **off1c3r** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:43 pm

Also, it seems one of the codes i always get when its making the ram drive is

one or more con code pages invalid for given keyboard code

I don't know what that means though

off1c3r · #20 Post by **off1c3r** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:09 pm

It worked!

I don't know WHAT to say. I reset my bios to defaults... but THE ONLY changes i ever made to my bios was disabling parallel port + serial port. I reset to default and it worked?

Im so happy yet so mad at the same time lol

I almost want to reinstall again (after I put back my settings in bios) but then again.. I don't want to go through that again

Brad · #21 Post by **Brad** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:13 pm

Great news.

Success comes to those who keep trying and don't give up.

Awesome.

Brad

off1c3r · #22 Post by **off1c3r** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:16 pm

Brad wrote:Great news.

Success comes to those who keep trying and don't give up.

Awesome.

Brad

Thanks! I have no idea.. but it seems to be an issue with modified bios settings and the recovery discs? I guess from now on I'll restore bios to defaults, install then modify entries? On my old HD i never had to do that, but I guess its an issue with new discs.. or just my T41 is getting old and stupid =)

fschwep · #23 Post by **fschwep** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:57 pm

Have you tried using that OEM key? I have a 'Windows unattend install key' noted down somewhere, which is indeed different from the key on the sticker. MY guess is that all Windows preinstalls for TPs of a certain model use a special key that prevents the machine asking for an activation code. The sticker then is just there to prove you purchased a legal copy of Windows - and as I understand it, you could use that sticker key to install and activate any copy of Windows from a MS Windows (XP) CDROM.
The username I found with my 'unattend install key' is simply 'IBM USER' and the organisation 'IBM CUSTOMER'.
I must say I never reinstalled Windows on my machine (which is probably why it so slooow when booting; too much ballast), and I can't even remember where I found the above. But maybe it will help.

#24 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:38 pm

This is a good tip to keep in mind. I would have never thought resetting the BIOS would be the answer.

Good detective work.

off1c3r · #25 Post by **off1c3r** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:17 pm

fschwep wrote:Have you tried using that OEM key? I have a 'Windows unattend install key' noted down somewhere, which is indeed different from the key on the sticker. MY guess is that all Windows preinstalls for TPs of a certain model use a special key that prevents the machine asking for an activation code. The sticker then is just there to prove you purchased a legal copy of Windows - and as I understand it, you could use that sticker key to install and activate any copy of Windows from a MS Windows (XP) CDROM.
The username I found with my 'unattend install key' is simply 'IBM USER' and the organisation 'IBM CUSTOMER'.
I must say I never reinstalled Windows on my machine (which is probably why it so slooow when booting; too much ballast), and I can't even remember where I found the above. But maybe it will help.

I wrote down the OEM key to try .. but I always used the key from the COA.. but I thought about what you said.. but thank god I got it working =)

carbon_unit wrote:This is a good tip to keep in mind. I would have never thought resetting the BIOS would be the answer.
Good detective work.

Thanks! Yeah I would have never thought that. I'll add that to my knowledge base of things to try. Also to add things I would have never thought; a normal format/delete partition from windows will NOT get the recovery discs to reinstall the HPA. Secure Data disposal will NOT get it to work either (on medium setting). The only tool I have found out of every partition program/format (not even fdisk worked) is the IBM recovery disc utiltiies where it says quick erase harddrive where it does a 2% format. ONLY THAT program has allowed me to wipe any remnants of the HPA to allow me to reinstall. ALSO the HDM diskette which I choose the option to erase HPA and also the erase hd and prepare HD for OS installation option. That does the trick too!

videonerd · #26 Post by **videonerd** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:18 pm

It took me a long time (and a lot of wasted install CDs!) to figure this out on how to get a clean XP install when you're not provided the original XP disc:

1. Make a new folder on your desktop (eg. "new XP")
2. Copy the ROOT dir from a XP CD (doesn't matter retail/volume/oem) into that folder.
3. Copy the C:\386 folder into "new XP" folder
4. download nLite, install and run.
5. do what you want with nLite, or simply skip every step and go make a bootable ISO and burn it to a CD.
6. Run Magical Jelly Bean finder http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml
7. Write that key down! It's the the OEM install key! It's not the one on the COA.

Install XP using your nLite'd install disc. Enter the key you wrote down from Magical Jelly Bean and it should work! Now you have a clean system without all the OEM junk.

I've tried it on a Futjisu 5032d TabletPC, T30 and T42 all using the i386 folder that was on the system hard drive.

off1c3r · #27 Post by **off1c3r** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:13 am

I wanted to add something .. whic his weird..

I got a new size HD and I put it in my T41 and I ran the CD HPA reinstall .. then windows, and then it asked me for activation?

I pulled a piece of ram and it worked, 1gb instead of 2gb.

I swaped out the ram and put a brand new set of 2gb, didnt work, pulled 1 stick, (testing now, just reformating and resetting up the hd for HPA install)

videonerd · #28 Post by **videonerd** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:26 am

Windows uses a "point" system ... basically every piece of hardware has point(s) associated with it... once you pass a threshold of points that differ from the original activation, it'll request you for another activation.

I'm sure someone has a much more technical and detailed explanation for it.

off1c3r · #29 Post by **off1c3r** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:36 am

videonerd wrote:Windows uses a "point" system ... basically every piece of hardware has point(s) associated with it... once you pass a threshold of points that differ from the original activation, it'll request you for another activation.

I'm sure someone has a much more technical and detailed explanation for it.

Thats really interesting, I never heard of that. I hope someone with more knowledge can explain because I had 2gb of ram always with my original HPA on my 40gb drive from 2004. So is it possible they change the system with the new recovery cds to prevent some type of fraud?

dc_slim · #30 Post by **dc_slim** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:34 am

FYI, I ran into a similar situation when trying to upgrade the HD in my X31. I purchased a new Hitachi 5400 rpm 160gb HD and tried to use the restore discs to do a fresh install of Windows XP and all the IBM software. The discs did a partial install but then asked me to activate Windows. Resetting the bios back to the default settings solved the problem. I didn't have to scrub and reformat the drive once I'd done that -- it let me use the recovery discs from the beginning and did a full install of the OS and IBM software.

Activation/Cdkey required on an HPA install? -updated-

Activation/Cdkey required on an HPA install? -updated-

Who is online