#433165 - 10/15/03 02:36 PM
XP Activation - help
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kid music
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Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 212
Loc: ,,UNITED STATES
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I just upgraded to XP. I have 30 days to activate. I upgrade my computer's hardware and software several times per year usually.
What changes will cause my computer to require me to activate/authorize again?
How easy is it to get Microsoft to approve another activation?
This will help me plan my purchases/upgrades for the future.
Thanks!
-kid music
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#433166 - 10/15/03 03:54 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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"What changes will cause my computer to require me to activate/authorize again?"
That is a secret that MS won't tell. There are quite a few people who say that they know, but most don't. For example, one fellow that I know has to call for reactivation every time he pulls a drive from his removable drive bay. Others using the same drive bays have no problem.
"How easy is it to get Microsoft to approve another activation?"
It's a simple phone call. I've done it several times. Understand though, that after 8 re-activations, you will have to buy another license, unless they have changed their mind since the original press conferences around the XP release.
XP works well, and you'll be happy to have made the change.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#433167 - 10/15/03 05:46 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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Uh Clem
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The phone call is no big deal - I did it at 3:00 in the morning once after a disaster recovery where I used a new drive for the system. Data drives have never been a problem and I swap them out all the time.
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#433168 - 10/15/03 06:35 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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soundman_dup1
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Registered: 07/09/03
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The only problems I've had with XP activation was on my home computer. I was trying to setup my home network. I made some changes in the network settings and shut it down. When I restarted, It wanted me to reactivate.
I didn't know you can only activate 8 times. I've reformatted over dozen times using win98. I guess those days are gone. I really hate Microsoft!!!
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#433169 - 10/16/03 02:48 AM
Re: XP Activation - help
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FrankieP
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Registered: 07/16/01
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After installing, tweaking and activating XP, I backed up an image of my OS drive to CD using PowerQuest's Drive Image 7, then always use that image if I need to reinstall Windows. Works great and didn't need to do the activation thingy again.
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#433170 - 10/16/03 02:29 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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kid music
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Hey - good stuff.
I guess I should do a bunch of upgrades now before the first activation...
If I plan the upgrades rightn (and don't have too many unexpected disasters), I should be able to work with 8 activations before XP becomes completely obsolete.
But it is weak - I've reinstalled 98 countless times too.
-kid music
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#433171 - 10/16/03 02:34 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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Originally posted by kid music:
Hey - good stuff.
But it is weak - I've reinstalled 98 countless times too.
-kid music
Or maybe you should just pick a configuration and stick with it, stop upgrading so often?
Anyway, though I find the whole idea morally aborrent, in practical usage it is not as bad as it looks like it would be at first glance. I took a lot of convincing, as Win2K was working just fine for me. But go a head, you won't regret the move.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#433172 - 10/16/03 02:36 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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ohh... and if you feel that you are over your head or need help, there are a bunch of people who have done this who will help, over on the discussion pages at prorec, and probably about 2 dozen other sites thast you can trust. The RME and SAWStudio newsgroups, the Cakewalk newsgroup... the list goes on...
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#433173 - 10/16/03 06:46 PM
Re: XP Activation - help
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AudioMaverick
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Registered: 05/19/01
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I didn't hear about the 8-times thing, either. I'll have to scan the Registry for some kind of entry.
Microsoft uses a scale to rate the value of the hardware being replaced. The NIC is rated heaviest, because they use the MAC address to note a PC change. Similar thing with the CPU serial number and motherboard BIOS. I got bit inserting a wireless NIC. Changing the IDE RAID controller and adding drives didn't do anything, for me.
If going online isn't an option. Here is a way to force the activation without calling. It is slightly modified from the official Microsoft page...
From Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 328874 -- HOW TO: Change the Volume Licensing Product Key on a Windows XP SP1-Based Computer
_______________________________________________
First -- You need to "damage" the key value in the registry. You can either run REGEDIT and alter the value of the key at the location indicated, or create a file to run from it. If you prefer to make a file, copy the contents of of the table, below. Then, paste it into a blank Notepad document, and save it with a name, like FIXKEY.REG. Remember where you saved it, so you can find it to run it!
========= Save this as a text file ==========
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents]
"OOBETimer"=hex:ac,28,8b,55,4d,40,5b,fc,cc,b5,42,79
========= Save this as a text file ==========
After you run the Registry patch, you need to get Windows to notice the change. Copy the contents of the next table and paste it in the Run box (Start -> Run)...
========= Run this ==========
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
========= Run this ==========
Note: %systemroot% is usually C:\WINDOWS
The Microsoft activiation wizard should be running. Now, you need to anser the questions, like this...
- Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
- Click Change Product key.
Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.
(If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.)
- Go back To Start -> Run and relaunch msoobe.exe line.
(You should get teh message you are activated.)
- Click the OK button on the next two panels, and you are done!
I got this fix suggestion from the Microsoft web site. But, it was a bit more complicated the way they explained it... 
_________________________
"It's all about the... um-m-m, uh-h-h..."
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