activation loop for xp but already activated

Hi I'm running XP in a virtualized environment (fusion for mac)

Its been working fine , activated succesfully and running smoothly for many
months until last night it did an automatic security update, now after it
rebooted, it says i must activate windows before i log on. if i click YES, it
says windows already activated, click OK but it then brings me back to the
first message saying I need to activate.

If I click no, it just brings me back to the same message. If I start in
safe mode, it says I need to activate but cannot in safe mode, click ok, but
brings me back to same message.

Basically I'm stuck in a loop, and i can't get into windows. this all
happens before i can access anything. PLEASE someone help!!
Thanks
Mike

Go to start/run, and type
regsvr32.exe regwizc.dll
OK, then,
regsvr32.exe licdll.dll

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Mark L. Ferguson

"mikeyp" <mikeyp@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E0713109-A973-4A40-83A9-92742ADA3EB3@microsoft.com...
> Hi I'm running XP in a virtualized environment (fusion for mac)
>
> Its been working fine , activated succesfully and running smoothly for
> many
> months until last night it did an automatic security update, now after it
> rebooted, it says i must activate windows before i log on. if i click YES,
> it
> says windows already activated, click OK but it then brings me back to the
> first message saying I need to activate.
>
> If I click no, it just brings me back to the same message. If I start in
> safe mode, it says I need to activate but cannot in safe mode, click ok,
> but
> brings me back to same message.
>
> Basically I'm stuck in a loop, and i can't get into windows. this all
> happens before i can access anything. PLEASE someone help!!
> Thanks
> Mike

[oncaralph]

I have the same problem but in a native XP Professional environment and Mark Fergusons reply is not helpful as cannot get into windows at all so obviously cannot go to Startand run anything! Safe mode doesn't work either so cannot do a restore or anything - help!

[kiwidave]

I have the exact same problem. I can, however, get to the command prompt using the installation CD. What files do I need to delete/overwrite to make things work. PLEASE help - this has become a saga*!


* I had everything working fine at one point but stupidly didn't take a snapshot of the virtual setup. When the problem first came up I called microsoft and got through to a "help"desk representative who could hardly speak english. She told me that it was her lunch break (somewhere in China) and there was no one who could help me with this and she couldn't transfer me to a technician. I called again and was put through to the Philippines where a "service"desk representative took all the same registration key details and listened to the problem before telling me that I could pay $75 to speak to a technician or I could have a nice day. In frustration I called Dell who supplied the original laptop. They told me it was a Microsoft problem (duh!) but the helpdesk offered to help! He got me to the point where I could enter safe mode - but still needed to activate an already activated version of XP!! He also showed me how to get to the recovery console. However, neither of us know which part of windows is bugged...
I am now convinced I did the right thing moving to a Mac! Microsoft = crap but Dell = helpful. I just want to get into the virtual laptop now so I can copy over my files! I guess it's stupid of me to have thought that a parallels copy would suffice: it's still Microsoft!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!