CAnt activate!!! HELP!!

[PCFreek14]

ok i reformat my HD on a regular basis and now ive used all of my activations for my cd key and microsoft wont activate it for me. Is there ne thing i can do?????

[Aseaver]

There has to be more to the story than that....if you just reformat and don't change the hardware, then XP should be ok. Don't know why you would reformat HD all the time. MS probably doesn't believe you which is why they won't reactivate for free.

Just my guess.

You can run XP without full activation, but you can't download SP1 or SP2.

[Andyman902042]

Just Microsoft a call with the number that's shown in the activation wizard and explain what happened. They should be able to help you.

Here's a tip:
Install windows and activate it, then immediately make a backup of the entire drive. Then instead of reformating and reinstalling windows, just reformat and restore the backup.

Also if you do hacks and things like that and they find out they'll NEVER help you and it'll be hard to get updates. (and also you're not susposed to talk about that stuff on the forums;))

You can run XP without full activation, but you can't download SP1 or SP2.
You won't be able to log in after 30 days of installing and not activating.

[Dubbin1]

Originally posted by PCFreek14
ok i reformat my HD on a regular basis and now ive used all of my activations for my cd key and microsoft wont activate it for me. Is there ne thing i can do?????

Did you call them and talk to them? If so then I don't understand why they wont help. I have called them many times to have them give me an activation code and the NEVER gave me any problems.

[I.M.O.G.]

I think he was actually asking for more than we can offer to help with. If his problem was that simple, I have heard of M$ resolving similar issues very quickly.

[stan03]

iv never heard of a limit on activations...

[I.M.O.G.]

I have.

[matttaylor]

They have a limit on activations, but primarily a limit on different computer activations. Each time you activate windows on different machines, it generates a new activation code. That is where you run into problems. However if you activate on your original computer, then you shouldn't have any problems. I had a comp that kept spitting out system errors, and each time i had to reformat and reinstall. That computer would always reactivate. Then when i upgraded the computer i couldn't reactivate without calling MS

[I.M.O.G.]

Right, it can get real picky once you start changing hardware.

Student editions sold at universities are even worse... They have very tough limits. But that comes with getting windows for $10. :rolleyes:

[Leviathan41]

I got Windows XP Pro Full Version from my college for $7, w00t!

[I.M.O.G.]

Ya, I got it for $10 but it usually has special clauses about activations if you read the fine print... Other than that is the real thing. :)

[stan03]

Originally posted by IMOG
I have.

i meant a limit on the number of times windows can be activated

[I.M.O.G.]

I meant I know there is one on university distributed copies... others I haven't really heard. I Shoulda been clearer. :)

[theguywiththeha]

if you own a license of xp pro would it be illegal to use a crack

[I.M.O.G.]

Yes.