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XP Activation ??'s

J

JustStarting

Diamond Member
OK- I'm an upgrade fanatic!! Maybe a little OCD?? Anyways.....

I find myself formatting and installing XP quite often due to a new mobo/hdd/video card, etc...., and I'm wondering how tired MicroSatan is of me activating my legit XP Pro every other month due to hardware changes?? It's easy to do, but I dread the stupid call to MS every time I have to activate.

Anyone else fall into this category?? Am I all alone here??
 
Originally posted by: Commish
Why not just use the online activation, two clicks (maybe three) of a mouse and you're all done.
Click to expand...

I try the online activation, and it kicks me out an installation ID, that forces me to call a MS rep to activate. I've never been able to complete the activation completely online without making the call. All they ask is if I have it insatlled on anther PC.

 
I have a test system setup that I run a lot of different hardware through so I run up against this same reactivation issue at least once every week or two. I just phone 'em up and the give me a new code every time. All they ask is "are you running it on more than one box".

I've talked to several CSRs about the frequency that I do this and they say it doesn't matter at all. They say I could call back a million times and they'd still keep giving me a new code. I also asked it there was any way they could give me some sort of "unexpiring" activation code so I didn't have to call back every week and they said "no".
 
Originally posted by: JustStarting
OK- I'm an upgrade fanatic!! Maybe a little OCD?? Anyways.....

Anyone else fall into this category?? Am I all alone here??
Click to expand...

Yes, you are pretty much alone. If you are an "upgrade fanatic" you shouldn't expect the world to be exactly like you. If you are having to do complete reloads every time you upgrade you are probably doing something wrong.


 
Originally posted by: Smilin
Originally posted by: JustStarting
OK- I'm an upgrade fanatic!! Maybe a little OCD?? Anyways.....

Anyone else fall into this category?? Am I all alone here??
Click to expand...

Yes, you are pretty much alone. If you are an "upgrade fanatic" you shouldn't expect the world to be exactly like you. If you are having to do complete reloads every time you upgrade you are probably doing something wrong.
Click to expand...

A different mobo chipset or hdd kinda requires a fresh install, unless you like headaches!!

And my point was already made, that I've tried online activation many times. Once you do it a few times, you are forced to call a rep on the phone to activate. The MS phone number for your area is displayed and you have to call.

 

Provided you don't jump hals you don't need a reinstall. Most boards today are all ACPI (shortname) Hals so if you avoid going single to dually you don't need a reload. You won't get headaches either. Go checkout sysprep from MS. Yes once you get past a few (3 maybe?) activations you have to call. However, you've just gutted a machine, reloaded the OS and applications...does a 2 minute phone call now suddenly make it an unbearable amount of time sent.


 
I've had to call ms twice now to activate because it wouldn't let me do the online version. It's a pain because you have to spew a string of letters back and forth. It's almost an annual thing
 
just curious, but what versions are you using
I got a full retail xp pro version and had to call once and use to generally wait the whole 30 days before activating.
but it seems to me that the servce pack 1 fixed some bugs as now I just activate and never wait more than a few day to make sure everything is setup just right.
and I haven't had one problem with activation online
 
Originally posted by: RalfHutter
I have a test system setup that I run a lot of different hardware through so I run up against this same reactivation issue at least once every week or two. I just phone 'em up and the give me a new code every time. All they ask is "are you running it on more than one box".

I've talked to several CSRs about the frequency that I do this and they say it doesn't matter at all. They say I could call back a million times and they'd still keep giving me a new code. I also asked it there was any way they could give me some sort of "unexpiring" activation code so I didn't have to call back every week and they said "no".
Click to expand...
Why don't you just not activate it until your 30 days is up? At least give you a month between calls.

 
i'm also one of the "frequent updaters" and am in the same boat as a few here. I have pretty much gotten used to callin MS once every few months and its not a matter of doing something wrong, its a matter of doing it "right". If you want a "clean" install when playing around with ur confuser, format and reload is, in my opinion, the only real way to do it. :beer: to all the re-installers here.
 
MS wants activation now, in the future you'll be renting your software from MS. And that's only if MS ever comes out w/ a 64bit OS.
Right now Longhorn is scheduled for 2006, prob. more like 2007.

I use a corporate license of XP, there's no activation w/ the corp. version. You may want to use win2ksp4, there's no activation w/ that OS either, or give Linux a try you could install it on a million computers.

Regards,
Jose
 
I think the major issue here is about convenience. It's a great security feature for Microsoft but a pain in the rear for consumers. All I did was change out some bad RAM and Windows XP warned me that I had call in for an activation number within 3 days or my OS would no longer work.

It's akin to having to change a flat tire and then being forced to call the manufacturer before the car can start up again. Seriously, it's insane.
 
Has anyone tried doing a print screen to copy the numbers given by M$ and then tried re-entering the same numbers after re-installing XP? I've only had to phone M$ once thus far for a new chipset. I didn't know at that time that there are programs out there on the internet to help prevent re-installing windows with a new chipset but I haven't tried them yet because I'm still running the same chipset.
 
Has anyone tried doing a print screen to copy the numbers given by M$ and then tried re-entering the same numbers after re-installing XP?
Click to expand...
Haven't tried using print screen to do that, But I have written the numbers down while talking to the MS people. Didn't work though.
 
Originally posted by: pdn
Has anyone tried doing a print screen to copy the numbers given by M$ and then tried re-entering the same numbers after re-installing XP? I've only had to phone M$ once thus far for a new chipset. I didn't know at that time that there are programs out there on the internet to help prevent re-installing windows with a new chipset but I haven't tried them yet because I'm still running the same chipset.
Click to expand...

windows\system32\wpa.dbl and wpa.bak. Just keep a copy of them somewhere and replace in safe mode. I back them up every few months to make sure they reflect my most recent hardware.
 
I try the online activation, and it kicks me out an installation ID, that forces me to call a MS rep to activate. I've never been able to complete the activation completely online without making the call. All they ask is if I have it insatlled on anther PC.
Click to expand...

Same thing for me.
 
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