"Justin Doek" wrote:

> I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.
>
> 'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
> that error
> 'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
> activate.
> The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
> error.
>
> I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
> installation and after.
> I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to set
> the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
> During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.
>
> My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my product
> key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2 years
> now.
> Which results in the expiration.
>
> "David Jones" wrote:

> I feel this area is a BUG.
> See my Blog: http://spaces.msn.com/ce-aus/
> Where I am blogging my Vista (Beta 2) installation experiences. So far
> VPC
> VMWare
> VIA ITX M1000
> -This last one I ran into similar problems as above.
> -I am doing a complete reinstall
> -Suggestions:
> New key for subsequent installs
> Disable "Activate as soon as connects"
> Don't change date until after activation
>
> --
> David Jones
> Senior Lecturer
> School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
> RMIT University
> +61 3 99255318
>
>
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" wrote:
>

> > Yes, if your date and time settings are not correct, it can cause problems.
> > --
> > --
> > Andre
> > Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> > Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> > Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> > http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
> >
> > "Justin Doek" <Justin Doek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:77376AED-2F67-4552-81FA-1C0FC4923D75@microsoft.com...

> > >I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.
> > >
> > > 'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
> > > that error
> > > 'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
> > > activate.
> > > The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
> > > error.
> > >
> > > I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
> > > installation and after.
> > > I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to
> > > set
> > > the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
> > > During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.
> > >
> > > My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my
> > > product
> > > key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2
> > > years
> > > now.
> > > Which results in the expiration.
> > >
> > >

> >
> >
> > I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.

'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
that error
'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
activate.
The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
error.

I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
installation and after.
I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to set
the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.

My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my product
key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2 years
now.
Which results in the expiration.


This is very similar to the issue I am experiencing.

You have to understand that Vista will be installed on a lot of new machines
- and it is not uncommon for the date and time to be wrong on initial
install. I have done this many times - as have many system admins I know.

You can't have a scenario where the wrong date and time locks people out
like this - it makes no sense - partricularly where the actual activation
process is itself currently broken.

"David Jones" wrote:

> I feel this area is a BUG.
> See my Blog: http://spaces.msn.com/ce-aus/
> Where I am blogging my Vista (Beta 2) installation experiences. So far
> VPC
> VMWare
> VIA ITX M1000
> -This last one I ran into similar problems as above.
> -I am doing a complete reinstall
> -Suggestions:
> New key for subsequent installs
> Disable "Activate as soon as connects"
> Don't change date until after activation
>
> --
> David Jones
> Senior Lecturer
> School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
> RMIT University
> +61 3 99255318
>
>
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" wrote:
>

> > Yes, if your date and time settings are not correct, it can cause problems.
> > --
> > --
> > Andre
> > Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> > Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> > Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> > http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
> >
> > "Justin Doek" <Justin Doek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:77376AED-2F67-4552-81FA-1C0FC4923D75@microsoft.com...

> > >I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.
> > >
> > > 'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
> > > that error
> > > 'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
> > > activate.
> > > The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
> > > error.
> > >
> > > I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
> > > installation and after.
> > > I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to
> > > set
> > > the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
> > > During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.
> > >
> > > My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my
> > > product
> > > key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2
> > > years
> > > now.
> > > Which results in the expiration.
> > >
> > >

> >
> >
> > "David Jones" wrote:

> I feel this area is a BUG.
> See my Blog: http://spaces.msn.com/ce-aus/
> Where I am blogging my Vista (Beta 2) installation experiences. So far
> VPC
> VMWare
> VIA ITX M1000
> -This last one I ran into similar problems as above.
> -I am doing a complete reinstall
> -Suggestions:
> New key for subsequent installs
> Disable "Activate as soon as connects"
> Don't change date until after activation
>
> --
> David Jones
> Senior Lecturer
> School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
> RMIT University
> +61 3 99255318
>
>
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" wrote:
>

> > Yes, if your date and time settings are not correct, it can cause problems.
> > --
> > --
> > Andre
> > Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> > Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> > Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> > http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
> >
> > "Justin Doek" <Justin Doek@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:77376AED-2F67-4552-81FA-1C0FC4923D75@microsoft.com...

> > >I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.
> > >
> > > 'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
> > > that error
> > > 'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
> > > activate.
> > > The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
> > > error.
> > >
> > > I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
> > > installation and after.
> > > I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to
> > > set
> > > the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
> > > During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.
> > >
> > > My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my
> > > product
> > > key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2
> > > years
> > > now.
> > > Which results in the expiration.
> > >
> > >

> >
> >
> > I am experiencing the same error after i try to login.

'Activate windows online now' and 'Retype your product key' timeout with
that error
'Buy a new product key online' pops up an internet explorer but no way to
activate.
The 2 options under other ways don't work either and timeout with the same
error.

I think this problem can be backtraced to the system time before
installation and after.
I had a windows XP computer installed for testing purposes and forgot to set
the date to todays date. (it was somewhere in 2004)
During the configuration of Vista i set the date to Today.

My guess is that the installation took the date when i submitted my product
key (somewhere in 2004) and thinks i have vista beta2 installed for 2 years
now.
Which results in the expiration.


This is very similar to the issue I am experiencing.

You have to understand that Vista will be installed on a lot of new machines
- and it is not uncommon for the date and time to be wrong on initial
install. I have done this many times - as have many system admins I know.

You can't have a scenario where the wrong date and time locks people out
like this - it makes no sense - partricularly where the actual activation
process is itself currently broken.

Hi David et. al.

I had this same problem, and looking at the forums, numerous other people
did too.

I also changed the date in Vista and got locked out on next boot-up (I had
previously reset the bios just prior to installing Vista).

None of the options on this screen work, and all freeze for approx 1 minute
before giving the error: authentication failed with the error 0x800705b4

Are there any solutions to this, or must I re-install windows??? I hate
wasting time with this crap.

I am actually browsing the internet through clicking on "read our privacy
statement online" which popped up firefox luckily. I may just use the
internet this way without a desktop lol

Obviously internet access is available, that is not the problem. Perhaps I
must just bite the bullet and reinstall again. Unless anyone has found a fix
to this.

Thanks

Richard

Swrink wraped vista beta 2 that was mailed to me, out of the box install,
says I have an invalid key and the install process stops. I've found no
thread here with an answer as to why!

"Rocko" wrote:

> My installation hangs when I enter the key that Microsoft provided me. If I
> enter my XP Pro key, it tells me right away that it's invalid. Any ideas why?