"The specified key cannot be used to activate the product."

I was a Parallels 2.0 user and just purchased the upgrade to Desktop 5.0. I installed the downloaded upgrade and proceeded to activate 5.0 for the first time. At the first prompt to enter in the UPGRADE ACTIVATION KEY provided to me after purchasing the upgrade and I entered that in without issue. Then I was prompted to enter in my original key for my previous version of Parallels 2.0. Upon entering in that key, I get the following error: "The specified key cannot be used to activate the product.
Please provide your key for the previous version of the product. The key is usually printed on the CD sleeve or sent to you by e-mail."

I am entering in the key exactly as it is on my ORIGINAL CD sleeve....it also reported back the same key printed on the CD sleeve when I run the zip utility from the Parallels website.

I need to get this resolved quickly and do not know why the old key for my purchased copy of Parallels 2.0 will not work on the second activation screen although I've read some posts about old keys getting invalidated by Parallels.

This is extremely frustrating and can't believe I have to do all this running around to try and get this running. No one picks up at phone support, the online chat doesn't work and it has disconnected me 3 times already because no one picks up on the other end, and when I submitted a work ticket online the estimated reply was 2 days!....which seems unacceptable as I need to get things running quickly and expect that after handing over payment a response should be quicker.

Anyone experiencing similar issues lately and what was your path to a solution? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

I got exactly the same problem.

The documentation issued with the upgrade CD comes with the following instructions;

Parallels 2.5 users: please contact consumer service to receive a special parallels 2.5 upgrade code. Call 1-800-395-6682 between 9am and 5pm PST and press "9" to receive your code.

OK, so this might work if you are in the US, but I'm in Australia, and I can find no phone numbers or email addresses to help out, so I'm stuck and getting progressively cranky.

 

nevermind....after nearly an hour and a half waiting on the phone, I finally got through to a live person. Basically, 2.x upgrades need to happen a certain way and that link/path isn't very obvious so it's easy to just go via a direct upgrade. I got a refund of my original upgrade and had to do it again via the special upgrade for 2.x

 

Are you sure that it's possible to use the upgrade path from 2 to 5 (I thought it only worked from 4 to 5)?

 

hi,
yes, upgrade from PD 2.5 to PD 5 is possible: http://kb.parallels.com/en/6815
To make sure you enter license key correctly, you can use this Knowledgebase article:
http://kb.parallels.com/4661
You can also create ticket for Parallels Customer Service here, in Customer Support and Licensing (Consumer & SMB) section:
http://www.parallels.com/support/request/

 

Woah!

I can't believe this. I installed the Parallels 5 upgrade trial version (had 2.5 before, but after upgrading to Snow Leopard it obviously refused to work). Now I purchased the permanent upgrade key and ran into the problem of Parallels refusing my old key.

If I get the kb link right, you are telling me I'd have to

- get a refund for the upgrade key I just bought (how?)

- de-install my trial version

- retrieve my old 2.5 installation (from a backup HD I would have to re-install first!!)

- meanwhile loose all the data produced during the trial version

- then go through a process that includes manually importing my 2.5er virtual machine

You. can't. be. serious.

If the upgrade keys don't work for 2.x people, why not just give them 'normal' product keys instead? In fact I'm afraid this is what I'll be forced to do, lacking spare time to spend with this: To get a refund for the upgrade key and buy a 'normal key'. If this is really your last word on the issue, than your ads should plainly say:

'Upgrade works only for Parallels 3.0 and higher (unless you want to go through a painstaking mass of trouble)'

 

Ben82, please create ticket for Customer Support and Licensing following the link I provided earlier; Customer Service will assist you further.