Reformatting on an OEM Windows XP pro system

DrachmasErus

Member
Oct 9, 2005
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like the title says i am reformating, but ive heard that when u reformat windows asks u to reactivate. will i have any problems reactivating? and if so....will i have to buy a new copy of windows xp to reinstall or will ms help me with reactivation?
 

Lord Evermore

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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If it's been several months since you last activated, then you will probably be able to simply activate over the Internet again. In fact a few days ago I built a machine, installed and had it up and running and activated, then discovered a major problem and had to format and install again, and I was able to activate over the Internet again just a few hours after the first time.

Even if you can't activate over the Internet (apparently the license keys with Dell OEM copies can't be done that way anymore for instance), all it takes is a phone call to Microsoft. When you run the activation program and select to activate over the telephone, it gives you a string of numbers and a phone number. You give those to the Microsoft agent, they give you back another string of numbers that you enter to activate. Only takes a few minutes and I don't think they ever hassle people, at least rarely.

However, you may not even have to worry about it. If you're reformatting and reinstalling on the same machine, you can skip the activation step. In the C:\Windows\System32 folder, there are two files named wpa.dbl and wpa.bak. Copy those files to another hard drive or partition, or a floppy or USB flash key, somewhere safe. Then go and do your reformat and repartition. After the installation, go into the same folder and find those files on the new install, and rename them with something like .new for the extension. Then copy your backup versions in and reboot. The system sees the files and thinks you activated it. Since none of the hardware changed, the calculations that give the system the identification code are still the same so the files are still valid, and it's all perfectly legal.