Classmate - Windows Not Activating

[BrandonD-1528]

So, apparently our classmates are getting activation errors and claiming Windows is not genuine after reimaging. The systems are from the 2010 kit.
We're currently running tests to find out if the issue is with the network setup or an issue with the install.

Error:
0x8007232B
Description:
DNS name does not exist.

UPDATE: Ping isn't working, so there's an issue in the networking, looking into it.

UPDATED UPDATE: Tracert is getting to ntwk.msn.com and stops. Ping is timing out to www.microsoft.com. Is everyone imaging at once and crashing Microsoft's servers like they did to FIRST and CD today? :P

UPDATED UPDATE OF UPDATEDNESS: Google can be pinged, and I can't ping Microsoft from home either. Looks like Microsoft is having a server outage.

PING:
brandon@nickolai:~$ ping www.microsoft.com
PING lb1.www.ms.akadns.net (65.55.12.249) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 10.22.8.58 icmp_seq=17 Packet filtered
From 10.22.8.58 icmp_seq=36 Packet filtered
From 10.22.8.58 icmp_seq=37 Packet filtered
From 10.22.8.58 icmp_seq=51 Packet filtered

TRACERT:
brandon@nickolai:~$ traceroute www.microsoft.com
traceroute to www.microsoft.com (65.55.12.249), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
1 homeportal (192.168.1.254) 3.501 ms 3.548 ms 3.894 ms
2 * * *
3 75.26.93.194 (75.26.93.194) 28.783 ms 29.852 ms 30.391 ms
4 * * *
5 * * *
6 151.164.99.200 (151.164.99.200) 31.221 ms bb2-g14-0.sfldmi.sbcglobal.net (151.164.92.220) 23.691 ms 151.164.99.200 (151.164.99.200) 24.329 ms
7 151.164.99.177 (151.164.99.177) 31.469 ms 31.068 ms 31.190 ms
8 ppp-151-164-46-34.eulstx.swbell.net (151.164.46.34) 31.731 ms 31.881 ms 30.530 ms
9 xe-0-1-2-0.ch1-16c-1b.ntwk.msn.net (207.46.43.204) 32.027 ms 30.432 ms 31.339 ms
10 ge-1-3-0-0.co1-64c-1b.ntwk.msn.net (207.46.40.98) 91.837 ms 92.001 ms 91.962 ms
11 10.22.8.170 (10.22.8.170) 91.589 ms 91.294 ms 91.641 ms
12 10.22.8.58 (10.22.8.58) 95.838 ms 92.081 ms 91.677 ms
13 * * *
14 * * *

[BrandonD-1528]

Adding a reply so that people having the same problem see that this post has a reply and finds the solution.

[PriyankP]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88413

Try doing what I did. It'll most likely fix the genuine windows problem. But to fix the other problem, try doing the whole process again.

[BrandonD-1528]

That's probably not going to help, because we can't even reach the activation server.

[PriyankP]

That's probably not going to help, because we can't even reach the activation server.

Well, wait till tomorrow then. Does it really matter if the classmate runs on an unverified windows for a day or two? I'm pretty sure it won't affect programming and driver station softwares in anyway.

Edit: I just checked if my home computer is running on genuine windows, it works fine for me. May be it's your internet giving problems?

Edit Edit: http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/unable-to-ping-certain-web-sites/89879.html Microsoft is most likely blocking your ping requests..

[BrandonD-1528]

I figured that with the ping requests. As for the verification, I was just wondering how many other people were having the problem and trying to provide as much info as I could to get the issue solved.

[darkorbit]

I just reimaged. First have you checked if all the drivers are installed after the reimage? lol mine weren't. second you should follow this instruction that was in the how to setup pdf. "Download the file “Classmate_Update.bat” from the 2011 FRC Control System website and copy it to the Desktop of the Classmate." It worked for me.

[stinstin]

I reimaged the classmate to the 2011 image, installed the classmate update as per the instructions mentioned above, and then installed the driver station update. Sometime during that process the activation messages disappeared. If this doesn't work for you, let us know!

[BrandonD-1528]

This is working just fine now, but we're low on disk space. I'm quite tempted to remove the recovery partition and add it to the Windows partition. Doing this over a net or USB-booted copy of linux should work alright.

EDIT: Yeah... netbooting is way too complex, and I don't have any flash drives large enough that I'm willing to wipe... any other ideas?

[darkorbit]

Actually I lied that software update didn't do junk lol I'm getting that DNS error too. I've already imaged it like twice. I have 26 more days to activate haha but I can't because of the DNS error.

[Joe Ross]

FIRST knows about the activation issue and is working on the solution.

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=15994

[RyanN]

FIRST knows about the activation issue and is working on the solution.

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=15994

I wish I could verify what you said is correct, but I can almost prove otherwise. I emailed then about it. They just said to follow the instructions.

My email:
Hi Ryan:

You may have this worked out already, but here’s the scoop… once you reimage the Classmate, you need to follow the rest of the instructions in the Getting Started with your 2011 Driver Station documentation (online at www.usfirst.org/frc/kitofparts). You see a file you need to download and run in order for Windows to become “legit”. I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

FRC Team Support
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
200 Bedford Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 666-3906
Fax: (603) 666-3907
http://www.usfirst.org

Agent ID: 2


From: Ryan Nazaretian
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 4:04 PM
To: frcteams
Subject: 2010 Classmate Update Problem

We cannot activate Windows 7 on our 2010 classmate using the 2011 Image for the 2010 classmate.

This is what I've done.
I downloaded the How to Set Up Your 2011 Driver Station last night after the 1/11/11 update on the Kit of Parts Website.

Before I reimaged the classmate, I applied the fix for reclaiming the drive space. I backed up the two files that needed to be overwritten, and drag-and-dropped the new files onto the USB flash drive.

I restarted the machine, pressed F11, booted from the flash drive, and reimaged the device, unconnected from the internet. I named the machine Team0364 and created a temporary account like the instructions said.

So by now, I have completed the "Reimage the Classmate," "Initial Driver Station Boot," and "SET UP Wizard."

Now comes the part about the Windows 7 Activation.

I downloaded the Classmate_Update.bat and brought it to the desktop of the classmate under the Developer account. I ran it, waited a few seconds. It said the task had completed successfully, and to restart, so I did.

Now, at this point, I connected the classmate to the internet and tried to activate it. Activation failed with error 0x8007232B saying that the "DNS name does not exist."

I figured that maybe Windows needed to be updated, so I went about going through all the Windows Updates, installed Avast anti-virus (Please look at side note below), and installed the Driverstation Software update. I logged out of the Developer account, and logged into the Driver account and set up the team number. Now I'm at the end of the instructions on how to set up the driver station. No where did it mention that I needed to activate it.

There are also other teams with this issue out there. I've seen a couple on ChiefDelphi.com, and on the official FIRST forums.

I have tried this procedure 3 times now. I'm also out of re-runs for the Classmate_update.bat. I have exhausted my 3 tries with that, and to re-do this, I'll have to reimage the classmate again for the 4th time.

If there is any additional information needed, please let me know. We're currently trying to get our 2007 robot running as a test/practice bot while the new 2011 robot is being built. The classmate is currently holding up further development.


Sincerely,
Ryan Nazaretian
College Mentor
Team Fusion Robotics #364
IEEE Region 3 Student Representative

Side Note:
The instructions said that I could either register AVG (which was supposedly pre-installed), or go about finding my own AV program. AVG was NOT pre-installed. This leads me to think we may have a defective USB Image Flash Drive.

[ParsonsProject9]

Team 834 is still undergoing issues with Windows activation too, I thought I fixed the issue earlier by running the validation through http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate/?displaylang=en&Error=52&OSV=6.1.7600.2.00010100.0.0.048.00.1033&GenuineInfo=00000000&ls=3&control=install

but now it appears that it just turned Windows into a 30 day trial.

When we had 17 days left I attempted to rearm but on restart the trial went down to only 3 days... We now used all of the rearms possible, so any fix would be appreciated.

[RyanN]

Team 834 is still undergoing issues with Windows activation too, I thought I fixed the issue earlier by running the validation through http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate/?displaylang=en&Error=52&OSV=6.1.7600.2.00010100.0.0.048.00.1033&GenuineInfo=00000000&ls=3&control=install

but now it appears that it just turned Windows into a 30 day trial.

When we had 17 days left I attempted to rearm but on restart the trial went down to only 3 days... We now used all of the rearms possible, so any fix would be appreciated.

Re-image, update, apply 'patch.' That's all you can do for now. Also, FIRST does know about the issue if you didn't know by now.

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for your note.

That’s right; the Classmates won’t activate yet. The rearm you refer to buys us time.

We’re working on a tool that will install the license key and will publish something shortly… stay tuned.

Thanks for your patience,

FRC Team Support
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
200 Bedford Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 666-3906 Fax: (603) 666-3907
http://www.usfirst.org