VirtualBox Ubuntu host with existing Vista

[darose-prQxUZoa2zOsTnJN9+BGXg at public.gmane.org (David Rosenstrauch)]

jbk wrote:
> David Rosenstrauch wrote:
>> I've been trying to get my XP partition to boot using VirtualBox raw disk
>> for some time now (as well as natively from the partition).  Although it
>> "works" and I'm able to boot the OS, the problem is Windows Activation
>> (WPA).  Any time I boot the Win guest it tells me I need to re-activate
>> Windows, but it never works no matter my using the right activation code. 
>> (Apparently there's some issue where activation works differently on OEM
>> versions of Windows.)  Never been able to work around it.  If you figure
>> it out, please let me know!
>>
>> DR

> Also, if you read through you 
> will find they address the OEM issue. This forum has a 
> wealth of information.
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck
> 
> 
> 
> Jim KR

Sigh.  Spent several hours again yesterday trying to work around the 
Windows activation issue, but it still won't budge.

Seems like the key recommendations that the forum suggests are:
* set specific settings on your VM configuration in order to simulate 
DMI BIOS codes, and

* set the MAC address of your virtual network card to mimic that of your 
actual network card

I tried both of these suggestions in dozens of different tweaks and 
permutations, but nothing doing.  Windows still tells me that XP needs 
to get reactivated.

Grrrrr!  This Windows Activation OEM/SLP stuff is a real pain!

(FYI, details about my Windows install are:  Windows XP Pro (32-bit) on 
a Dell Precision M4400 laptop - if anyone has any suggestions.)

Thanks,

DR