Windows XP Setup Reverts to the Welcome Screen When You Enter the Product Key (812204)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional

SYMPTOMS

When you enter one or two segments of the Product Key during an upgrade from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) to Windows XP, Setup reverts to the Welcome screen.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
  1. Cancel Setup.
  2. With the Windows XP CD-ROM still inserted in your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
  3. At the command prompt, type xcopy CD-DriveLetter\I386\*.* c:\i386\*.* /s /e, and then press ENTER. For example, if your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive is designated as drive D, type d:\I386\*.* c:\i386\*.* /s /e.

    Note that because of the size of the I386 folder, this process may take several minutes.
  4. Close all windows, click Start, click Run, and then type C:\i386\winnt32.exe.
Note: If this procedure does not resolve the problem, use the following contact information to order a replacement Windows XP CD-ROM from Microsoft.

If you are calling from the United States, contact the Microsoft Order Desk at the following phone number:

(800) 360-7561, Monday through Friday, 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Pacific time.

If you are calling from Canada, contact the Canadian Order Desk at the following number:

(800) 933-4750, Monday through Friday, 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Pacific time.

You can also verify the status of your order by calling one of these phone numbers.

If you order replacement media, you can view the status of your order online. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: To obtain your order status, enter the order number and Postal Code.

REFERENCES

For additional information about how to activate Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

307890 HOW TO: Activate Windows XP


Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:5/27/2003
Keywords:KB812204