Activating Windows XP license key on clean install

Hello,
I had to recently clean install Windows XP Service Pack 3 after I had issues with my previous install.
I firstly got an ISO for Windows XP Home and installed that. The installation went well with no issues.
Afterwards, I installed the necessary drivers. Only a few drivers were missing from when I clean installed the OS and they were relatively easy to find after a bit of troubleshooting (thanks to whoever gave me a detailed explanation on the last thread I made).

The problem I am having now is activating Windows. Since this is a desktop PC, and I have no Ethernet connection available, I tried using my laptop as a bridge to accessing the internet (laptop connected to Wi-Fi with an Ethernet cable between the laptop and the XP computer). The internet does work via this method (checked with Firefox 52 ESR - the last supported release) and I was getting a good internet speed.
However, one problem remains: not being able to activate Windows.
I have the 25 character OEM key on the side of the machine, which is correct for the OS I am installing (Windows XP Home key, Windows XP Home SP3 install). I have tried inputting this (when connected to the internet on the method mentioned above) and it refused to activate Windows.
I have recently manually installed Internet Explorer version 8 as the pre-bundled Internet Explorer version 6 is too old (and literally nothing works with IE 6).

I would also like to get Windows Update to install the updates required (up to when XP support was cut off in 2014) as there are likely countless security holes that need to be plugged. I don't really care about the "Service Pack 4" that someone else has released, as I will only sparingly use it on the Internet (i.e. to test/check things once everything is set up OK).

Any help on getting this to work will be appreciated!

P.S. I am not really too fussed about internet connectivity once I have got everything up and running, hence not going for any permanent internet setup. I do have a wireless USB dongle I can use in the interim, just in case.

P.P.S: I do also have another slight issue, with the Volume Control - turning the CD Player slider up introduces noticeable artifacts to the audio, and furthermore, the PC Beep slider does not control the actual Windows sound effects; it is instead controlled by the wave audio slider?

 

Yikes, I'm sorry to see that no one has come to help you yet. Maybe you can still get into the system...

Regarding activation, I'm confused. You must have been able to get past the installer when it was asking for the license key, right? If you're talking about that blue "Let's Activate Windows" window, you'll have to do that over the phone. It's fairly easy to do, but the activation code wouldn't be the OEM number on the machine.

Regarding updates, there's good new and bad news. The bad news is that Windows Update is pretty much unusable. It's still there, but Microsoft now demands SHA-2 to download updates, something Windows XP doesn't natively support (apparently). The good news, however, is that you can download the unofficial Service Pack 4, which rolls most updates up to the EOL in one convenient installer. After that, you should visit the Windows Update Catalog and grab the updates that came after from 2017-2019. Just click on "Last Updated" and it'll sort them from newest to oldest. Get the ones that are "Security Updates for Windows XP SP3".

Regard web browsing, have you considered Mypal? It's the best modern browser for XP right now, as far as I'm concerned.

The ethernet and sound issues are likely driver related I think. I wish I could help, but I'd need more info.

 

Windows XP Cannot be Acitvated throught the Internet anymore, you can do that over the Phone or use Microsofts Telephone Activation , Or there Site for Mobile Phones with internet Acces to do that, its mutch easier through there: https://microsoft.gointeract.io/interact/index?interaction=1461173234028-3884f8602eccbe259104553afa8415434b4581-05d1&accountId=microsoft&loadFrom=CDN&appkey=196de13c-e946-4531-98f6-2719ec8405ce&Language=English&name=pana&CountryCode=en-US&Click To Call Caller Id=+17142064889&startedFromSmsToken=3jUenpr&dnis=26&token=0Yr8Nd