XP Activation question

[marneus]

I am upgrading my PC's HDD, 1 question...

after cloning & then copying to the new HDD, will I need to reactivate Win XP (SP2) or should it work aok ??

Trust me I know what I'm doing... ooops, grab the cat...

 

[RichPLS]

I hardware changed more than 4 devices, then it will require re-activation via a phone call.

Either way it is painless.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[riser]

You might be fine and get away with it if it's just your hard drive.

You get 5 installs on a retail version. If you have a vendor sold PC, you'll need to call and give them the Product Key and they'll give you an activation key to type in.

 

[joe_tlj]

You get 5 installs on a retail version.

Are you sure that is the concrete rule of Windows xp internet activations? I thought as time passed the activation counter back at MS HQ was reset, thus allowing more than five installs in total.


There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito.

 

[riser]

I know for a fact you get 5 installs. Do I know if it resets after X amount of time? No. So I can't provide you with that information.

It might, but I haven't looked it up.. you could easily look that information up though if you wanted.

 

[joe_tlj]

um... No, I have looked; it's not easy. It's not even there. Even the 5 activations aren't mentioned on MS support.


There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Joe_tlj on 08/12/05 12:56 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[riser]

I searched google. "Windows XP activation"

The very first link covers it.

How does Microsoft Product Activation work?

Product Activation works by validating that the software's product key, required as part of product installation, has not been used on more PCs than is allowed by the software's end user license agreement (EULA). In general, Windows XP can be installed on one PC and Office 2003 or Office XP can be installed on one PC and the laptop computer used by the user of the one PC. (For specifics, please see the EULA accompanying your product.) Product key information, in the form of the product ID, is sent along with a "hardware hash" (a non-unique number generated from the PC's hardware configuration) to Microsoft's activation system during activation. In Windows XP SP1, the product key itself is sent in addition to the product ID. Activation is completed either directly via the Internet or by a telephone call to a customer service representative. Activations on the same PC using the same product key are unlimited. Product Activation discourages piracy by limiting the number of times a product key can be activated on different PCs.


How many installations can be made with one product license? Has this changed with the introduction of Product Activation?

The underlying principles of Microsoft's software licenses have not changed. Microsoft's End User License Agreements (EULAs) have always stipulated the number of PCs that software can be installed on. Product Activation does not change that. Office XP or Office 2003 may be installed on one PC. The primary user of Office may also install one copy on a laptop computer for their exclusive use. To install Office XP or Office 2003 on more than these two devices, another license of the product must be acquired. Licenses for Office XP or Office 2003 acquired preinstalled on a new PC are single-PC licenses that cannot be transferred or installed a second time on another PC or laptop computer. Windows XP may be installed on one PC. There are no secondary use rights (e.g. no "laptop clause") in the Windows XP EULA. The aforementioned licensing terms have not been changed due to Product Activation. Some special licensing programs (such as the Microsoft Developer Network) provide additional licensing terms. Please check your specific license agreement or EULA for specifics. Re-installation and re-activation on the same PC can be done an unlimited number of times. Pricing and licensing details are available for Windows XP and Office 2003.

What happens when you try to install and activate on more PCs than the end user license agreement (EULA) allows?

Per the EULA, installing on more PCs than the EULA allows would be in violation of the EULA. Technically, product activation does not limit the number of PCs the software can be installed on. It would be possible technically to install the software on, for example, 100 PCs. Activation would fail though on 99 (98 for Office XP or Office 2003) of those 100 PCs thereby limiting the usefulness of the illegal installation. Outside of an activation attempt, Microsoft does not know how many PCs Windows XP, Office XP family product, or Office 2003 System product have been installed on.



It's all right there.. they even refer you to read your EULA. It's all in there.

<A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx" target="_new">FAQs</A>

 

[joe_tlj]

You think this answers any questions about the number of internet activations allowed or the time period between internet activation renewal? Maybe I'm missing something. The EULA? Nope, nothing there either. Like I said, not easy.


There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito.

 

[riser]

Did you not read anything or check out the link? I put it there for you to read it over.

If you had read through some of the questions regarding activation, you would have noticed it said "unliminted installs on the same computer hardware" and limited to your EULA on how many times it can be installed/activated with different hardware.

1 license allows 5 activations with different major hardware changes. Where does it say 5? It doesn't, they weren't specific on it. From experience, it's 5.

Read it over, that's Microsoft's official FAQ on the activation. If it's not in there, no one else is going to have any more information aside from speculation.

 

[joe_tlj]

I don't know why you think I haven't read your post and checked out your link. Maybe you should read my post more carefully, we don't seem to be on the same page.

I think this is more than speculation.
<A HREF="http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/1911p092id63223.htm" target="_new">http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/1911p092id63223.htm</A>
It's a rate. "WPA resets after 120 days". So internet activation will work once every 4 months. It's been my experience that phone activations will work all of the time. I don't know where you get 5.


There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito.

 

[riser]

Try activating the same key in Windows 6 times in a month. You'll need to go over the phone, but it keeps a rolling # of Windows installs. Now with the WGU coming up, we might start seeing problems with multiple installs getting their updates.

 

[russell]

Within 30 days of installing the OS, you must activate it with Microsoft, a process every participating PC World editor found painless. Windows XP sends a numeric identifier<b> generated from ten of your system's components</b> to Microsoft's server, which in turn sends you a certificate activating your copy of Windows XP on that particular machine.

If you have a network card and leave it alone, you should be able to remove or replace up to six other signature elements (including the display and IDE adapters, the CPU, the amount of installed RAM, the hard drive, and the CD-ROM/RW or DVD drive) without triggering activation, Microsoft says. Otherwise, you can still change up to four other elements before having to contact Microsoft. Adding components never triggers a challenge.

<A HREF="http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/1911p092id63223.htm" target="_new">LINK</A>



<A HREF="http://OverVolt.com" target="_new">http://OverVolt.com</A>
!#&$ ---<font color=blue><i><b>There's the facts</font color=blue>....<font color=green>the twisted facts </font color=green>...the distorted facts</font color=blue>...Then There's</i><font color=red> Journalism!</font color=red></b>

 

[ovbg]

Interesting point.

I have winXP Pro, an OEM version, and my CPU has died, so as the PC is out of warrenty, I am upgrading most of the HD.

A new motherboard to take the new DC processors, new SATAII HD's, as this new motherboard has PCIe, I'll be buying a new Graphic card. In fact, after it's all done, probably only the sound card, case, Flash media socket and powersupply is the same.

Will the phone call to MS be ok, being an OEM version of XP Pro, or would they expect me to also buy the OS again?

 

[_WW_]

A friend of mine installed and activated online 32 times before he was forced to make a phone call to get activation on attempt 33.

This was pre-SP2...

....WW (5.1)