WindowsXP and formatting

September 29th, 2001, 07:13 PM

If I buy Windows XP Pro and install it on a machine and activate it through microsoft and then decide to format in 2 months...can I use the same activation code they gave me if no hardware changes take effect? I format often and was wondering....and If i buy a new Pentium4 board, ram, CPU and upgrade my current machine...do i have to call to reactivate windows?

September 29th, 2001, 07:44 PM

Just a thought,even on the same hardware it might be designed not to generate the same key every time.

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Life is always stranger than fiction ..... and then some

[This message has been edited by Andi (edited September 29, 2001).]

Sowulo · September 29th, 2001, 09:38 PM

If you reinstall, you will need to reactivate it.

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Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present.

September 30th, 2001, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VCTech:
If I buy Windows XP Pro ....and If i buy a new Pentium4 board, ram, CPU and upgrade my current machine...do i have to call to reactivate windows?

I have xp Pro build 2600, doesnt have activation in it. never asks me for anything other than the key code from cd case. I changed my MB/CPU/RAM the other day The MB was still same model but different revision. It came up with a stop error and wouldnt boot. Had to reinstall. same thing if I try to clone HD to another machine, same stop error. I believe with the retail version you will have to activate if change those things.

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Computers are only as smart as the user, well... in some cases the computer IS smarter.

ReBoot · October 1st, 2001, 02:52 PM

XP Pro (Build 2600) seems to be the corporate version, which doesn't require the activation from MS.

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Who needs a life, I have Internet! Jim & Sue's Free Files | Jim's Modems | reboot@pcmech.com

October 1st, 2001, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reboot:
XP Pro (Build 2600) seems to be the corporate version, which doesn't require the activation from MS.

True, but I removed my NIC from teh system the other day (tbh I forgot to put it back in) & XP Corp wouldn't boot into Windows again until I placed it back into the system. I could change anything else that I had though, except the NIC.

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System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

jbar1 · October 5th, 2001, 05:10 PM

I have made numerous changes in my system and have not had to reactivate. But a couple of months ago everytime I changed more than 2 componets I had to go through the activation process but not recently. Also a not so well kept secret is that after 120 days ms wipe you data from data base. Conceivably if you wait 120 days between install you may install the same copy on another machine and have two machines running with the same copy. This came from some MS reps.

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Hey! I'm all right, The world is all wrong.....

October 5th, 2001, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jbar1:
I have made numerous changes in my system and have not had to reactivate. But a couple of months ago everytime I changed more than 2 componets I had to go through the activation process but not recently. Also a not so well kept secret is that after 120 days ms wipe you data from data base. Conceivably if you wait 120 days between install you may install the same copy on another machine and have two machines running with the same copy. This came from some MS reps.

I am really, REALLY sure that that is NOT true.

I just have this hunch...

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Matt
AKA ShadowKing
"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."

October 5th, 2001, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jbar1:
Also a not so well kept secret is that after 120 days ms wipe you data from data base. Conceivably if you wait 120 days between install you may install the same copy on another machine and have two machines running with the same copy. This came from some MS reps.

I have not heard this neither & nor has anyone else I have spoken to.

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System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

Sowulo · October 5th, 2001, 09:49 PM

Doesn't matter, as long as you only activate and do not register, MS doesn't know who you are anyway....

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Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present.

October 5th, 2001, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sowulo:
Doesn't matter, as long as you only activate and do not register, MS doesn't know who you are anyway....

I thik alarm bell swould ring though if the same Product CD Key was used a few times to activate

------------------
System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

Sowulo · October 5th, 2001, 10:40 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the CD Key is not involved in activation. The activation code is randomly generated from the ID's of several hardware components (I don't remember which at the moment and I don't care enough to look it up...

).

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Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present.

October 6th, 2001, 12:48 AM

well i installed XP home version and I have to say...seems pretty solid...no problems at all. I did the activation online..wasn't too painful

October 6th, 2001, 02:28 AM

Actually it's a combinatin of both the cd code and the hardware(hash),the makes the system activation code.Conceivably,you could have identical machines,and the same cd,and have the both activated.

October 6th, 2001, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sowulo:
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the CD Key is not involved in activation. The activation code is randomly generated from the ID's of several hardware components (I don't remember which at the moment and I don't care enough to look it up... ).

If the CD key is not used, then how would Microsoft diffrentiate on wether you had used the same copy on more than one machine upon activiation??? If the CD key wasn't used then you could in theory then use that CD Key on as many systems as you liked and activate them all without having any problems

The CD Key & the Hardware ID's are what generates the Activation code.

------------------
System Specs
Abit KT7A-RAID (Rock F'n Solid!!!) - AMD Athlon 1Ghz (10x100) - 1024Mb PC133 SDRAM - ATI Radeon (AGP4X) - Maxtor ATA100 30Gb - 2 x Seagate ATA66 (RAID 0 totalling 26Gb) - Toshiba SD-1202M DVD - Plextor PlexWriter 2410A (Buy One!!!!) - Creative Labs SB Live! Value (No Pops , Hiss or Crackles here) - 20" Eizo Flexscan Monitor - Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM Final Release

September 29th, 2001, 07:13 PM	#1
VCTech Guest Posts: n/a	WindowsXP and formatting If I buy Windows XP Pro and install it on a machine and activate it through microsoft and then decide to format in 2 months...can I use the same activation code they gave me if no hardware changes take effect? I format often and was wondering....and If i buy a new Pentium4 board, ram, CPU and upgrade my current machine...do i have to call to reactivate windows?

September 29th, 2001, 09:38 PM	#3
Sowulo Registered User Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Clackamas, OR USA Posts: 5,422	If you reinstall, you will need to reactivate it. ------------------ Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present. __________________ "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges."

October 1st, 2001, 02:52 PM	#5
ReBoot Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Kelowna, B.C. Canada Posts: 647	XP Pro (Build 2600) seems to be the corporate version, which doesn't require the activation from MS. ------------------ Who needs a life, I have *Internet!* Jim & Sue's Free Files \| Jim's Modems \| reboot@pcmech.com __________________ Who needs a life, I have *Internet!* <a href="http://members.cnx.net/reboot/" target="_blank">Jim & Sue's Free Files</a> \| <a href="http://reboot.8m.com" target="_blank">Jim's Modems</a> \| reboot@pcmech.com

October 5th, 2001, 05:10 PM	#7
jbar1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Isleton, Calif, USA Posts: 463	I have made numerous changes in my system and have not had to reactivate. But a couple of months ago everytime I changed more than 2 componets I had to go through the activation process but not recently. Also a not so well kept secret is that after 120 days ms wipe you data from data base. Conceivably if you wait 120 days between install you may install the same copy on another machine and have two machines running with the same copy. This came from some MS reps. ------------------ Hey! I'm all right, The world is all wrong..... __________________ If life is a bitch, then what is death? I believe that I will take the bitch...

October 5th, 2001, 09:49 PM	#10
Sowulo Registered User Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Clackamas, OR USA Posts: 5,422	Doesn't matter, as long as you only activate and do not register, MS doesn't know who you are anyway.... ------------------ Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present. __________________ "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges."

September 29th, 2001, 07:44 PM	#2
Andi Guest Posts: n/a	Just a thought,even on the same hardware it might be designed not to generate the same key every time. ------------------ Life is always stranger than fiction ..... and then some [This message has been edited by Andi (edited September 29, 2001).]

October 5th, 2001, 10:40 PM	#12
Sowulo Registered User Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Clackamas, OR USA Posts: 5,422	Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the CD Key is not involved in activation. The activation code is randomly generated from the ID's of several hardware components (I don't remember which at the moment and I don't care enough to look it up... ). ------------------ Note to self: Re-index brain cells, database corruption present. __________________ "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges."

October 6th, 2001, 12:48 AM	#13
VCTech Guest Posts: n/a	well i installed XP home version and I have to say...seems pretty solid...no problems at all. I did the activation online..wasn't too painful

October 6th, 2001, 02:28 AM	#14
DJSEARCHING Guest Posts: n/a	Actually it's a combinatin of both the cd code and the hardware(hash),the makes the system activation code.Conceivably,you could have identical machines,and the same cd,and have the both activated.

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