After getting a corrupted PC, I found myself needing to do a repair install of windows XP.

Everything proceeded normally, but after the final reboot, I get the normal XP logo with a rolling bar at the bottom, and then a light blue screen, and then nothing.

After a minute, I move the mouse pointer, and it works normally.

I then try Ctrl-ALt-Del, but nothing happens.

Next, I try starting in safe mode, and that works.

I soon find that windows wants to activate, so I start XP in safe mode (with networking), in the hopes I can then activate in, and then start windows normally.

Alas, XP refuses to activate in any for of safe mode… only normal mode will do.

But I do find that that I can disable the automatic activation, which then lets me boot normally, after which I just need to re-enter the windows product key, and then (at long last), activate the stubborn XP system.

Details:

• Start in Safe mode
• Run regedit
• navigate to: HKLM -> software -> microsoft -> windows nt -> currentVersion -> WPAEvents
• Now change the oobetimer entry by 1 digit (eg change the last hex key from fd to ab)
• Once you commit the change to the registry, close regedit, and restart the PC

You can now re-enter the product key and activate normally