[GregW]

Are there any XP users here who change their hardware configuration frequently?

Did you ever have to contact Microsoft to re-activate your OS?

Was it a big hassle?

Has this issue been blown out of proportion?

 

[xcel]

Hi GregW:


___Please use the search function on my name here in the HT Computer forum for exactly what you want to know. I get activated about once every 2 – 4 weeks. It is not a great idea by MS IMO but if you want to use XP and test HW or upgrade often, you are more than likely going to get hit with one eventually.


___Good Luck


___Wayne R. Gerdes

___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.

___ [email protected]

 

[olyar15]

I basically made a wholesale computer change - went from an AMD/KT266a/DDR setup to an Intel P4/i850/RDRAM setup, also changed wid cards and a larger hard drive in the process. Had to call to re-activate, and wasn't a problem.

 

[Dean Roddey]

I've reactivated probably 8 times since I put XP Pro on my HTPC a few months back. The hardware stayed the same, but they were complete re-installs. No problems at all so far.

 

[DArthur]

After reinstalling XP home about 8 times (last time with a motherboard change), I had to call MS and verbally activate over the phone. The tech support was curteous, but the procedure takes a few minutes. I thought the TT player had some long validation strings...


Darryl

 

[ajira99]

You can bypass reactivating XP (as long as there are no significant hardware changes from the initial installation) by copying the Product Activation database files wpa.dbl and wpa.bak in the folder %systemroot%\\system32 to a floppy disk.

 

[Continuum37]

Now I feel really lucky to have an academic site licensed version w/o any stupid activation requirements. What a PITA!


Ken

 

[ChrisW6ATV]

The corporate version works that way, too, Ken. I'd hate to have had to deal with the whole mess otherwise. I'm sure we all have better things to do with our time than tell Microsoft we've changed our computers around again

 

[fredl]

Don't know if it's special with my OEM version of XP and the key I'm using, no activation at all.

 

[Mouw]

Try this one WinXPreg

 

[trbarry]

It occurs to me that at some point in the future Microsoft will probably have something new and drop support for XP. Will they then be allowed to stop activating it?


- Tom