shrug-l: XP OS Question - GIS related

[Doug Braeckel]

William,

Try the link below.  It's a pretty neat little utility that will show =
your current license string and allow you to change it.  I haven't used =
it to change a string so I don't know how well it works, but it will =
allow you to do so, so it's worth a try. =20
>From the website: The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility =
that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from =
your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it =
to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, =
ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Office 97, and Office XP. This version =
is a quick update to make it work with Windows Server 2003.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

Sincerely,

Douglas Braeckel, GISP
Senior GIS Programmer=20
England, Thims & Miller, Inc.
14775 St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL 32258
P: (904) 642-8990
F: (904) 646-9485
braeckeld@etminc.com <mailto:braeckeld@etminc.com>=20
www.etminc.com <http://www.etminc.com>
=20

>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	shrug-l-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us =
[mailto:shrug-l-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us]  On Behalf Of wbp
> Sent:	Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:45 PM
> To:	Shrug-L@Lists. Dep. State. Fl. Us
> Subject:	shrug-l: XP OS Question - GIS related
>=20
> This is an OS question in reference to Win XP as opposed to a =
traditional GIS query,  but I suspect 90% of SHRUGgers run on Microsoft. =

>=20
> If, theoretically, one worked for a University [any University]  - let =
me pause here;
> To make it more complicated it's a word problem with no multiple guess =
answers:  essay only.  Neatness counts. It has at least three parts: So, =
starting again,=20
>=20
> You work for a University and  have upgraded your GIS workstation to =
Windows XP - from an enterprise  license you believed current and legal. =
  Subsequently you learn from Microsoft that they consider it a pirate =
copy and refuse to allow you to load patches and updates from their web =
site. Somehow a non-licensed copy fell into your possession. You have =
access to the Enterprise copy and it's license number and documentation  =
- and you know it's well within the legal number of users. =20
>=20
> You ask  Microsoft for help - and get a typical answer . I told them I =
work for the IT Department and I know I have a current license, but I> =
'> m not sure I entered the correct code.  They wrote back - I'm not =
making this up -" I comprehend from your e-mail that you have a volume =
License Key copy of Windows XP and it tells that it is not an =
authenticated copy> ...>  Therefore, I suggest you to contact your IT =
organization ." Contacting others in the office lead to the single =
response, "I've never run into that."=20
> Here are the questions:=20
> 1) Is it possible to determine, using MS tools only, what keycode was =
entered when XP was  loaded? If so, how?  Apparently XP [probably 200 as =
well] generate a PID number that has no relation I can see to the CD =
Keycode.  If I know that I loaded the wrong license number at least I =
know it's my problem - not MS accounting system.  That gives whining =
rights, I guess.=20
> 2) Is it possible to change the Keycode and update whatever secret =
registry codes in which MS hides its keycode - without having to reload =
the OS [see question 3]?
> 3) XP will not load again on this system because it sees the service =
packs and patches and says, "You have a newer version of the OS. Bye," =
or something equivalent.
> When I search Control Panel/Add Remove software there is no uninstall =
for SP1 and SP 2.  Instead the add/remove  box shows scores of tiny, =
cryptically named patches.  When the system boots it sees SP 2 and the =
XP install sees it.  Is there any solution except un-installing each and =
every MS patch/update listed?  After completing that arduous task, what =
chance is there that the system will boot?=20
> 4) Is there any way around this problem that will not require =
formatting the boot drive and starting from scratch -reloading ESRI =
ArcInfo and friends, AutoCAD 2005, Corel, Ashtech GPS software, the MS =
Office Suite and a plethora of other time-consuming tasks?  >=20
> 5) Is it strange to anyone except me that Microsoft has a license =
manager for SAS, AutoDesk, ESRI and others - but it's own license is =
managed by completely different system - one that is occult to me =
[occult meaning hidden, not that it plays Goth Rock and has black =
fingernails]?
>=20
>=20
> William Porter
> GIS Application Coordinator
> Email:  william.porter@famu.edu <mailto:william.porter@famu.edu>
> Florida A&M University
> Information Technology Systems
> Lee hall Suite 303
> Tallahassee FL 32307
> (850) 412 5401  ITS Office
> (850) 412 7474 [no voice mail]
> =20
>                            =20
>=20