XP Activation

[Sled Dog]

A friend of mine got a computer for christmas, from her husbands mother. Out of the box it had XP Home installed, and was activated. They had tried for two weeks to get connected, it was impossible to install a dialup connection, as the box was greyed out. Anyway, I have reinstalled XP for them, and have dialup working, XP is wanting
to get activated within 30 days. From what I understand it will need it after service pack 1 also. I am not familliar with XP at all, and am wondering how this activation BS works. Will I be able to activate the machine again, since it was already activated "out of the box"? Or can one machine/xp install be activated more than once after reinstall? She tried to get help from where it was purchased, they told here to phone a programmer, and hung up on her. I am no programmer, but can usually get windoze to function. Also, what would happen with the activation if the OS was imaged using something like Ghost, and then reloaded from the ghost image, (wiped out by virus or something like that) would that mess with the activation?

Thanks fur any help with this silly OS.

 

[bozo1]

Your activation should be automatic. The only time you should have problems is if you change a bunch of hardware in which case you just have to call Microsoft to reactivate.

 

[bsobel]

In addition to what bozo1 said, you do NOT need to reactivate when you install SP1.
Bill

 

[KnS]

You can reactivate no problem. It alows up to 6 Hardware changes before not letting you activate it. At which point A) call MS and explain the HW changes and get it activated or B) wait 6 months then activate it again. MS only holds the HW/Activation info in there database for 6 months. (IE: Helps prevent someone installing the os on multiple machines quickly)

 

[uncleX]

From what I understand, OEM XP that comes with a computer is pre-activated. (I never have bought an OEM with XP preloaded.)

If this is a legal XP, MS says getting it activated many times is not considered objectionable. I'm sure a lot of peole do it. It does not need to be activated again after SP1 is installed. MS says this protection is supposedly directed at commercial operations, not ordinary users. Just give them the circumsances if they ask.

Certain versions of XP (not the retail versions) do need to be reactivated if SP1 is slipstreamed into the installation CD (or other media) and then it is installed.

If a crack was used to activate XP, the crack is circumvented by SP1 and needs to be recracked with possibly a more recent one. Tne widely circulated warez
XP Corporate never needs activation. MS put in a detection for a serial number which was widely circulated. If SP1 finds that serial number, it won't install.

 

[Sled Dog]

As near as I know it is all legal, the CD came with it, and the case has a sticker on the side with the number. After low level format of drive and reinstall it said 30 days for activation. Ended up going with win2k. Thanks for all the info, will know better next time what to expect.

Merry Christmas..

 

[NokiaDude]

Also don't you have to call in if you install your copy of windows xp more than I think it's twice during a 90 day period? Becuase I remember re-installing xp at the beggining of December or late November, activating and everything was okay. But I just wiped my HDD installed windows and now it won't let me do it online, I'm connected to a LAN, it wants me to phone there toll free number and get a code from them. Total BS IMO.

 

[drag]

Yep. I just like to say here that Microsoft is one of the few major software vendors that actually makes it a more pain in the butt to pay for it's software than to steal it.

IE: the best thing for the a person who doesn't want to feel guilty for stealing software and wants to use XP is to go to the store and buy a upgrade version of XP and then go home and throw away the install cd. Then go out and find a person who is willing to give you a copy of XP's corporate version (the one that doesn't require activation or registration) and remember that whenever you purchase a computer with software pre installed on it, part of the price of the computer you are paying for is full rights to use windows....

Not that I am advocating someone doing that or anything, It's just to illustrate Micorsoft's attitude towards it's customers and the trouble with such restrictive authentication scemes for everyday software..

Just don't forget there are alternitives