WinXP activation resets after 4 months of use?

[blstriker]

Okay, I was reading PC World today at the library because I didn't want to study and I came across this at the end of the article:

"More importantly, WPA resets after 120 days, considering whatever you have to be the activated configuration. That means that after four months you can install XP on a second PC, activate it, and keep the first one operating without running afoul of WPA.

Doing so would violate the software license, but Microsoft is probably wise to cut us all some slack here."

This is news to me! How come this sounds kinda wierd?

Here is the article: Product Activation: Not So Bad After All

 

[bacillus]

that link is bad!
edit it works now!

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

when was the last time you could keep a ms o/s running for 4 months before a format/reinstall anyway?

just a joke

 

[BFG10K]

This is news to me! How come this sounds kinda wierd?

Why is it weird? Think about it: eventually you're going to have to reinstall Windows for some reason or another (eg you build a completely new system, you want to modify your partitions, etc). Microsoft have to make it possible for you to do this without depending on their reps. After all, it's your right to have one installed copy on a machine if you genuinely own the software. There's nothing wrong with deleting an existing copy and making a new copy on another system.

4 months is long enough to stop home piracy but it's short enough to cut genuine users some slack.

 

[blstriker]

It seems strange that they would go to all the trouble to try to stop piracy, but then just allow people to reinstall on another machine after 4 months. It's weird that they're posponing for 4 months when they could simply just stop "piracy" all together by leaving the registration process intact. IMHO.

 

[Demonicon]

I don't really think MS is ready to be super authoritative when it comes to activation quite yet. I believe they are gonna use XP as an acclamation to the activation process(not hardcore), the real shizzy will come in subsequent OS's when there will be some kind of serious piracy protection.

 

[DSTA]

It seems strange that they would go to all the trouble to try to stop piracy, but then just allow people to reinstall on another machine after 4 months. It's weird that they're posponing for 4 months when they could simply just stop "piracy" all together by leaving the registration process intact. IMHO.

They have other options, and IMO they will decide what to do after a while. I'm sure they have a good view of how many installation are used with each copy (XP is quite talkative over the net).

 

[blstriker]

MS is taking a lot of flack from the media and computer users alike for the activation scheme, just to let it expire after a few months. I do agree it will prevent people from basic piracy, but if activation was to fight against people installing multiple copies of the OS on different machines, then what is the point of allow people to do so after 4 months? It would seem to me that if you're going to protect your own interest, then you should do it all the way or don't do it at all.

 

[Scootin159]

Why can't you just install XP on one computer, wait a few weeks, tell microsoft you got a new comptuer & install it again on a 'new' (second) comptuer, while keeping the first one active? There are some of us who do build a new system every week (not me), wouldn't microsoft give these people serious issues?