2nd vista install

Hi,
I signed up for the public test and downloaded 5384.4 some 2-3 weeks ago. Installation and activation worked like a charm, Windows Update downloaded fine, and the 2 driver issues I had on my machine did not bother me.
So after this initial test, I decided to move Vista to a bigger harddrive this week. When I installed I used the product key I got with the email from Microsoft, the same key I had used in my first installation. Installing Vista worked fine again (except for the few driver problems) but now I'm trying to activate and Vista tells me the key is already in use. I tried entering the same key again as was suggested in another newsgroup but that doesn't work either. I thought I can use the key on 10 different machines, so how come it's suddenly invalid?
Unfortunately I have deleted my first test installation so I can't move back to that one. Please help coz my Vista will expire in a few days without activation. Any suggestions what I should do now? You can also PM me if you want to carsten (a t) buddybb.com

Not only 10 different machines, but several times on the same machine without decrementing the 10 again.
"Carsten M." wrote in message

Hi,
I signed up for the public test and downloaded 5384.4 some 2-3 weeks ago. Installation and activation worked like a charm, Windows Update downloaded fine, and the 2 driver issues I had on my machine did not bother me.
So after this initial test, I decided to move Vista to a bigger harddrive this week. When I installed I used the product key I got with the email from Microsoft, the same key I had used in my first installation. Installing Vista worked fine again (except for the few driver problems) but now I'm trying to activate and Vista tells me the key is already in use. I tried entering the same key again as was suggested in another newsgroup but that doesn't work either. I thought I can use the key on 10 different machines, so how come it's suddenly invalid?
Unfortunately I have deleted my first test installation so I can't move back to that one. Please help coz my Vista will expire in a few days without activation. Any suggestions what I should do now? You can also PM me if you want to carsten (a t) buddybb.com

Thanks Colin. But then I really don't understand why Vista suddenly considers that key "used"...
Carsten
"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Not only 10 different machines, but several times on the same machine without decrementing the 10 again.

I have seen several threads but don't recall the resolution. Do a search on microsoft.public.windows.vista.general as well as here.
"Carsten M." wrote in message

Thanks Colin. But then I really don't understand why Vista suddenly considers that key "used"...
Carsten
"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:
Not only 10 different machines, but several times on the same machine without decrementing the 10 again.