Microsoft KB Archive/274776

Knowledge Base

Microsoft Reader Error Message: Activation Error

Article ID: 274776

Article Last Modified on 9/16/2005

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Reader 2.0 for the Pocket PC
• Microsoft Reader 2.5 for Tablet PC

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This article was previously published under Q274776

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to activate Microsoft Reader, you may receive the following error message:

Activation Error

-or-

When you attempt to login to your Passport account through Reader, it will take you back to the first Activation page asking you to sign in again.

-or-

You have a Passport, but when you click YES on the Passport site, you keep receiving the same question.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if either of the following conditions is true:

• You are currently signed in to a Microsoft Passport account.
• You connect to the Internet through a firewall or proxy server.
• Your Temporary Internet files or Cookies have become corrupt.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Delete Your Password Cookie

You may have to delete your Passport cookie to activate Microsoft Reader. To remove Passport cookies, follow these steps:

Internet Explorer

1. On the Tools menu, then Internet Options.
2. Under Temporary Internet files, click Settings.
3. Click the View Files button.
4. Right click and delete the following files:

   [YourName]@passport.com
   [YourName]@passporttest.com
   Cookie:[your name]@das.microsoft.com/ 
   Cookie:[your name]@passport.com/ 
   Cookie:[your name]@passport.com/ppsecure
                           

5. Close all your browser windows, and reopen your browser to:

   http://das.microsoft.com/activate

Netscape Navigator

1. Close all Netscape instances.
2. Use Notepad to edit the following:

   [Netscape Install Drive]:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\[your name]\cookies.txt.
                           

3. Remove all lines that start with "passport.com" and "das.microsoft.com."
4. Reopen your browser to:http://das.microsoft.com/activate

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Temporarily Bypass Your Firewall or Proxy Server Settings

To temporarily bypass your firewall or proxy server settings:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Internet or Internet Options.
3. Click the Connections tab.
4. Click LAN Settings.
5. Click to clear the Automatically detect settings check box, and then click OK.
6. Click OK.
7. Activate Microsoft Reader.
   

If you activate Microsoft Reader successfully, repeat the previous steps to restore the original setting of the Automatically detect settings check box.

If the issue is not resolved, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or system administrator to inquire about how to temporarily bypass any firewalls or proxy servers for your Internet connection. After you activate Microsoft Reader, restore the original firewall or proxy server settings for your Internet connection.

Clear Out Temporary Internet Files and Delete All Cookies

Follow the steps below to clear out Temporary Internet Files, and delete all cookies.

1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer Icon on your desktop and click Properties.
2. Click the Delete Files button, and click to check the box to delete Offline Files. Click OK. NOTE: This may take a while.
3. Click Settings, click View Files, click Edit, click All, click File, and then click Delete.
4. Close this window, and click OK on the Settings Window.
5. Click the Clear History Button, and then click Yes to clear your history.
6. Now connect to http://www.passport.com, log in, then log out again so you are not signed in to Passport. Next, open http://das.microsoft.com/activate/en-us/default.asp in Internet Explorer, and go through the process to activate Reader again.

Additional query words: 1.50 multi multi-media media mm msreader loop looping

Keywords: kberrmsg kbsetup kbprb KB274776

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