windows xp activation (there is no expiration!)

[petteyg359]

It is possible to activate the same copy of XP on multiple computers... That is how my cousin's family has all their computers on XP Home. You simply have to say each time that you've bought a new computer or something, and since they're all behind the same IP, it can't tell that they're different computers through the internet activation.

 

[DreamingWolf]

Okay, how about this, I have XPPro running legally on 2 computers. When one of my old computers that I used to run one of my XP copies on started having problems with the MBR I low-level formatted the HD then loaded XPPro to check if it would install properly. Now MS has the new identification strings for the two running XPPro now, yet when my old computer 'checked in' it activated without a hiccough. That confuses me. Unless of course they just assumed I went back to my old rig and didn't feel like having to deal with me on the phone again

DWolf

 

[The Dud]

It tells me to activate but say's it was alredy activated and lockes you out after 30 days only problem is i didn't activate it can some one tell me what the message means? ( I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A HACK)

 

[Leviathan41]

You have to call the number it gives you, then read back the ID number and they will give you a new ID number to type in to activate.

 

[DreamingWolf]

It tells me to activate but say's it was alredy activated and lockes you out after 30 days only problem is i didn't activate it can some one tell me what the message means? ( I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A HACK)

One possibility is that someone used a serial generator and randomly came up with yours to activate their machine.

Though, even if that happened, you should be able to follow Leviathan41's advice and get it activated that way.

DWolf

 

[Ebola]

Granted I'm not an expert on activation but it sounds like everyone is running oem windows. If you have a retail copy of windows it shouldn't matter if you change all of the hardware so long as its only on one machine. For those crazy enough to have several computers (over 5 running windows) its probably worthwhile to get a msdn subscription and save the hassle of activating.

 

[The Dud]

DaveHCYJ say's :5 bucks says that somewhere in the end user agreement (that no one ever reads) along with saying you are ok with not being able to change hardware too many times you also signed away your first born son to Microsoft.:

Well i installed again (same problem) and i took some time to quickly read the EULA and it said nothing about your first born son it did however say something in another language so it might be true. wonder if you did sign something?

also you don't need an activation code

 

[Xenocide]

since they're all behind the same IP, it can't tell that they're different computers through the internet activation.

WRONG

it creates a hardware inventory and sends it at certain intervals, it can tell that there is more than one computer behind each ip with different hardware. m$ isn't that dumb...

 

[The Dud]

got my hands on a copy of xp pro corprate eddition

 

[petteyg359]

Xenocide - Somehow they ARE that dumb... Those two computers are very different hardware (One is Athlon XP, other is Pentium 2; every piece of hardware is different between the two). They've also been running on that copy of XP Home for a year and a half.

 

[mbentley]

Xenocide - Somehow they ARE that dumb... Those two computers are very different hardware (One is Athlon XP, other is Pentium 2; every piece of hardware is different between the two). They've also been running on that copy of XP Home for a year and a half.

i still can't figure out exactly how microsoft does this activation stuff but nothing of it really makes sense. when i moved my windows xp over to a completely different system (after having to call them countless times before for this exact same copy of xp) it just activated like it was nothing... i don't get it but i didn't mind not having to go thru microsoft for activation... it is just the tiny inconvenience that i get every once and a while to get a os that works for me...

 

[diggingforgold]

got my hands on a copy of xp pro corprate eddition

What the FCKGW are you talking about?

 

[fadirocks]

I don't have any problems with XP activation because I never activated because you don't need to if you know how!

Cheers

 

[Randyman...]

What the FCKGW are you talking about?

Good luck getting SP-1 or SP-2 to install on that FCKGW key!

 

[cozmo_d]

Here you go this solves the whole thing period, I dont think this is out of line, if it is please delete it mods.

http://www.tunexp.com/tips/get_started/never_re-activate_after_installation/

 

[mbentley]

Here you go this solves the whole thing period, I dont think this is out of line, if it is please delete it mods.

http://www.tunexp.com/tips/get_started/never_re-activate_after_installation/

this only works if the hardware has not change significantly since the install with activation. it does however work sometimes, but i have tried this method before and it tends to lock me out of my install of windows until i contact a microsoft rep. so i'd give that method a 50/50 chance.

 

[cozmo_d]

I dont do this unless NO hardware has changed, Also boot into safemode before copying wpa.dbl to the system32 folder

 

[travanx]

I just did my activation. I bought this copy recently and had one motherboard. I switched out a new mb and chip and it wanted me to activate again. I called and the guy had asked if I had already activated before? I wasn't actually sure but I said no its never been activated. And then he gave me the new code. Easy process, but it takes about 10 minutes because of how long the stupid id numbers are.

 

[mbentley]

I just did my activation. I bought this copy recently and had one motherboard. I switched out a new mb and chip and it wanted me to activate again. I called and the guy had asked if I had already activated before? I wasn't actually sure but I said no its never been activated. And then he gave me the new code. Easy process, but it takes about 10 minutes because of how long the stupid id numbers are.

you might want to answer truthfully the next time. the next question they ask is how many computers you have this copy installed on. then just tell them the one that it is installed on, explain that you switched motherboards and did a fresh install. they will understand and give you a new code. wouldn't want them to "blacklist" your copy because you keep saying it's never been installed. they might be able to tell if it has been or not, i am not sure.

 

[Leviathan41]

you might want to answer truthfully the next time. the next question they ask is how many computers you have this copy installed on. then just tell them the one that it is installed on, explain that you switched motherboards and did a fresh install. they will understand and give you a new code. wouldn't want them to "blacklist" your copy because you keep saying it's never been installed. they might be able to tell if it has been or not, i am not sure.

Microsoft has a black list? scary. . .