Change the Product key

When you use a leaked product key in a Volume Licensing installation to install Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 on multiple computers, various issues may occur.

Note: A leaked product key is a product key that is available to the general public.

For example, you may not be able to install Windows service packs or to automatically obtain updates from the Windows Update Web site.

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. In the left pane, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents
3. In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
4. Change at least one digit of the OOBETimer value to deactivate Windows.
5. Click Start, click Run, type the following command, and then click OK:
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
6. Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
7. Click Change Product key, type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.

If the previous Activation Wizard screen appears again, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to verify that Windows is started. Click OK when you receive the following message:
Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
9. Install any Windows service packs that you want to install.

If you cannot restart Windows after you install a service pack, press F8 when you restart the computer, click Last Known Good Configuration, and then repeat this procedure.