So you’ve gone and reinstalled Windows XP on your system but after completing the installation and rebooting the computer, it’s asking that it be activated immediately. You’re unable to enter Safe Mode as it hangs before the desktop. You begrudgingly reinstall XP again hoping it will fix your problem but you still encounter the same problem. You contact Microsoft and they tell you that the product key is correct and they have no clue as to why Windows is asking for immediate activation. The Microsoft rep tells you to contact the distributor of the software as they can’t help you at this point. The distributor may turn around and tell you that all product keys are good and suggest, in not so many words, that you need to get glasses. Well, this issue is most likely due to the Windows XP CD you used to do the installation.

Some of you are probably thinking at this point, I know the differences between retail and an OEM CD and the different versions of XP that are available and that you wouldn’t be foolish enough to make that mistake. Well you’re right. You wouldn’t be able to get past the point where you need to enter the product key with the incorrect version. The problem lies with the fact that Microsoft has gone ahead and changed something in the media. I’ve seen it first hand with OEM versions of XP. OEM XP labels have gone through several changes in shapes and colors but the most recent incarnations comes with different media. Here is a picture of the most recent label:

You’ve probably installed XP using a CD from a different machine and assumed that you could just use that one thinking that they’re all the same. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case and the only resolution that I’ve come up with so far is completely reinstalling the OS using the correct CD.

If any of you have come up with another way to resolve this issue feel free to leave a comment and share the information.