[TERRY08]

My Windows Xp Pro is fully activated but to my surprize when i tried installing SP1, I got an error message that my Windows XP product key is invalid and therefore I cannot install SP1.
I thought if your product key is invalid, Windows is not activated and you get reminder to activate within 15 days. But in my case Windows is fully activated, so how come my product key is invalid. What does this activation of Windows exactly mean. Could anybody please explain me that?

Thanks.

 

[angel]

There were many keys floating around that allowed you to activate XP but were not legal. Microsoft maintains a list of common keys used in this way and if yours matches, you cannot install the service pack. Assuming the key you used is one of these, you are running a pirated version of XP.
Do you recall where you got the key from? Did someone give it to you? Did you give it to anyone else?

 

[Arky]

See today's posting by quahogboy.

 

[angel]

The post Arky is referring to is this one.
Arky posted an attachment explaining why you may receive the error and what to do about it - post #5.