Original title: Windows Product Activation__ I have a repeating issue with several PC.Machines that have been working to serveral years have been failing 1 by 1 (4 in the last week)They all have Windows XP OEM from Dell. Some running the original install from Dell.When trying to login it tells me the profile is corrupt and then proceeds to tell me the product is not activate.I can boot into safe mode but can resolve the issue without reformatting. I assume it spyware but not finding anything.I error in event viewr is 0x80070002.

Hi mense23, You may try to delete SID.bak key from registry settings and check if it helps.a. Click Start, type regedit in Run, and then press OK.b. Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileListc. Under the ProfileList subkey, delete the subkey that is named SID.bakNote SID is a placeholder for the security identifier (SID) of the user account that is experiencing the problem. The SID.bak subkey should contain a ProfileImagePath registry entry that points to the original profile folder of the user account that is experiencing the problem.d. Exit Registry Editor.e. Log off the system.f. Log on to the system again. Important: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:How to back up and restore the registry in Windowshttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ Also refer the link to activate Windows XP:How to activate Windows XPhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/307890 Hope this information is helpful.Praseetha KMicrosoft Answers Support EngineerVisit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.

I had to reformat the system to make the system usable for today.I can't believe 2 systems would fail on the same day within minutes of each other.I also read the windows http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307890,it doesn't explain what happens if the activation doesn't take place on a system.