This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can proceed
There seems to be a bug in Windows Server 2003 R2 that if you try to repair your system after hardware changes you get the error message "This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can proceed" when you try and login, but when you try and activate, Windows just logs you off.
This seems to be caused by having IE7 installed, if you look in the error log you will see that msoobe.exe has crashed:
Reporting queued error: faulting application msoobe.exe, version 5.2.3790.0, faulting module urlmon.dll, version 6.0.3790.2612, fault address 0x0000618c.
Fault bucket 338988625.
I got around this by repairing with a Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition SP1 disk (not R2).
You may be able to get round this by uninstalling IE7.
Cheers,
Paul
Comments
Anonymous
February 15, 2007
The comment has been removedAnonymous
April 24, 2007
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932442 I found this problem also on an XP Pro SP2 install where I had to replace the motherboard. Uninstalled IE7 and the Activation wizard kicked off OK. Hope this helps someone.Anonymous
April 29, 2007
Thanks guys - encountered this problem upgrading an XP MCE 2002 installation to XP MCE 2005. Required activation on log on, but answering yes just logged out. Uninstalling IE7 from safe mode fixed this for me. The KB article should be updated - seems any Windows installation requiring activation on log on, with IE7 already installed, will encounter this show stopper.