Windows Genuine Advantage Validation!
This weekend I decided to remove a removable hard drive caddy from my machine thats been playing up. Upon doing so and restarting my machine I was met by a message from Microsoft, Your PCs hardware has changed considerably, you will have to re-activate your copy of Windows XP.
So I clicked to activate over the internet as it was a legal copy of windows. To my surprise I was then told that the CD-Key used to activate windows had be used to many times and I would have to aquire another, in three days you computer will cease to work. Thanks Microsoft.
So for the first time I went to activate over the phone, I was pleased to see it was a toll-free 0800 number. Ten Minutes, two 36 number codes (one typed into phone, other given to me by operater to type into computer) and a little bit of explaining later, my computer was genuine again, no more threats of it shutting off in 3 days.
My advise if this ever happens to you is to make sure you have everything you need infront of you when making the call , especially the Windows Genuine Product sticker on your pc, and you should have a hassle free call.
