XP Home OEM activation?

[wheels]

I have a Oem copy of windows XP home sp2, not used yet, but will in a few days. I am coming from win98/2k. I have read that you have to call microsoft everytime you install XP? I am not going to install the OS on any other comp. Will i have to call anyone to activate or will I just type my cd key and it works? If so what number and what do you say? unless that specific number is for activating keys i know what to say.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: wheels
I have a Oem copy of windows XP home sp2, not used yet, but will in a few days. I am coming from win98/2k. I have read that you have to call microsoft everytime you install XP? I am not going to install the OS on any other comp. Will i have to call anyone to activate or will I just type my cd key and it works? If so what number and what do you say? unless that specific number is for activating keys i know what to say.

Normally you will not have to call MS, just type in your activation code and it all happens over the internet. You may have to call if you reinstall a number of times with a 120 day window.

Bill

 

[wheels]

How does it do it over the net if I am not plugged in? Or do I need to be plugged in?

 

[bendixG15]

Here's what Microsoft has to say..
http://www.microsoft.com/windo...atures/activation.mspx

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: wheels
How does it do it over the net if I am not plugged in? Or do I need to be plugged in?

Well if you never plug in or dial out, you will need to phone in. However, you have up to 30 days to do it (and if you connect to the internet during that time, you can just do it then)

Bill

 

[Navid]

If you have no internet access or you do not want to activate over the internet, you chose to activate over the phone.
Then, it asks you where you are located.
You answer that question.
Then, it will give you a phone number to call.

I am in the States and the number that I get is toll-free. I don't know about anywhere else.

Edit:
When you call, you get to an automated system. it guides you through. You give it some numbers from your screen and it gives you some numbers that you type in. If you have the XP on more than one machine, it will fail and you will be connected to a live person. You will explain why this is the case and they will activate.

If it is an OEM license, you can only install it on one machine. Even if the machine dies, you are not officially allowed to install it on another.

You can activate it as many times as you want on the same machine.

Every time you format and re-install, you will have to activate.

 

[William23]

Originally posted by: Navid
If you have no internet access or you do not want to activate over the internet, you chose to activate over the phone.
Then, it asks you where you are located.
You answer that question.
Then, it will give you a phone number to call.

I am in the States and the number that I get is toll-free. I don't know about anywhere else.

Edit:
When you call, you get to an automated system. it guides you through. You give it some numbers from your screen and it gives you some numbers that you type in. If you have the XP on more than one machine, it will fail and you will be connected to a live person. You will explain why this is the case and they will activate.

If it is an OEM license, you can only install it on one machine. Even if the machine dies, you are not officially allowed to install it on another.

You can activate it as many times as you want on the same machine.

Every time you format and re-install, you will have to activate.

So are you saying that if I have an oem version,and install another motherboard later on,it will not let me activate windows again?

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: William23

So are you saying that if I have an oem version,and install another motherboard later on,it will not let me activate windows again?

That is not what I said.
I said that if you had an XP OEM, officially, you are not supposed to upgrade the motherboard. I say this only based on this link. You decide.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/oemeula.htm