Activating Windows XP Home

[Rock]

Dave wrote:

Answers in line:

Hi Rock and Steve

Many thanks for your replies.

So what your both saying is that what's happened to me is quite normal
and that I should not get annoyed about it?

I can't speak for Steve, but I didn't say that. I explained how the
process works. Whether you are annoyed by it or consider it normal is
up to you.

With regard to 'activating too many times with the last 120 days',
although I did try to activate within a few days of the second
activation last week, to my way of thinking, activating twice since last
October should not be considered 'too many'.

As I and many others have stated in this thread that message is
misleading. To repeat one more time - that message comes up when
activating less than 120 days from the last time. The online database
is purged after 120 days. It does not really mean it's been activated
too many times in an absolute sense.

So if I had to activate again now, I would automatically have to call
Microsoft?

Uhh..if less than 120 days yes, normally speaking.

 

[kurttrail]

Dave wrote:

Answers in line:


I can't speak for Steve, but I didn't say that. I explained how the
process works. Whether you are annoyed by it or consider it normal is
up to you.

LOL! Nice evasion Rock! How about giving how YOU feel about the
normality and the annoyance factor of the OPs situation, as a fellow
human being.

As I and many others have stated in this thread that message is
misleading. To repeat one more time - that message comes up when
activating less than 120 days from the last time. The online database
is purged after 120 days. It does not really mean it's been activated
too many times in an absolute sense.


Uhh..if less than 120 days yes, normally speaking.

Actually, he shouldn't have had to "PHONE," for activation unless his
hardware was substantially changed. There is something freaky going on
in this thread. Either the OP has changed the requisite amount of
hardware since his previous activation, or PA has gotten a mind of its
own. The 120 day rule is how often you can install XP on substantially
different hardware without having to Phone MS for activation. If XP
hasn't been substantially changed, then Activation should go smoothly
over the internet, no matter is it was less the 120 days.
1.. RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
2.. Processor Type
3.. Processor Serial Number
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

Not enough votes to require phone activation on substantially different
hardware.

"I bought a genuine copy of Windows XP Home Edition (VRMHOEM_EN) last
October
2004 and installed it on my computer. Everything was running smoothly
right
up until the present time when I decided to upgrade my Intel CPU from a
2.40C GHz to a 3.20E GHz and also installed 2 x 512MB DDR 400 RAM."

"I formatted my computer a couple of days ago and installed a fresh copy
of
XP Home and after installation, an automated message appeared on my
computer
saying something like, my hardware had changed and that I needed to
verify
and activate my copy of XP. I fully realise that making major hardware
changes would probably need me to reactivate XP so I clicked on the link
in
the system tray and activated Windows online, without any problems."

So the OP formatted and reactivated over the internet with no problem.

"I then encountered a few niggly problems with the computer and after
sorting
them out, I decided a fresh copy of XP would be best so I reinstalled
Windows using my CD. I then clicked on the activation link and thought
that
activation would be over in a few minutes but how wrong I was."

The only reason the OP should have been forced to phone activate is if
he changed another hardware component between the first reinstall and
the second reinstall a couple of days later. Which could be the case
BUT the OP doesn't mention any hardware change between the two
reinstalls.

But now, if the OP needs to reinstall XP he SHOULD be able to activate
over the internet unless he does more hardware changes, as long as
everything is working right in PAland.

Confused? I must admit, I am a little, and I'm the one explaining it!
And yet MS expects the AVERAGE computer user to know and understand all
the nuances of their PA policies! How unrealistic is that? And the OP
has shown that he has more knowledge about computing that the average
consumer in that he was able to upgrade his processor and RAM!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Dave]

Hi to everyone who contributed towards this thread.

Kurttrail: Your right, I did not change any hardware between the two
installs which were around two to three days apart, so I agree that I should
have been able to activate online without problems, but that was not the
case.

Anyway, everything is running well at the moment and I don't envisage having
to re-install anytime soon so, once again, many thanks to everyone who
commented on my problems with activation.

Best regards

Dave

 

[Rock]

kurttrail wrote:

Inline responses:

LOL! Nice evasion Rock! How about giving how YOU feel about the
normality and the annoyance factor of the OPs situation, as a fellow
human being.

Aye there's the rub. I'm a fellow rock..it's hard to say what a rock
feels since they tend to keep that tightly bottled up. ;-)

Actually, he shouldn't have had to "PHONE," for activation unless his
hardware was substantially changed. There is something freaky going on
in this thread. Either the OP has changed the requisite amount of
hardware since his previous activation, or PA has gotten a mind of its
own. The 120 day rule is how often you can install XP on substantially
different hardware without having to Phone MS for activation. If XP
hasn't been substantially changed, then Activation should go smoothly
over the internet, no matter is it was less the 120 days.
1.. RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
2.. Processor Type
3.. Processor Serial Number
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

Not enough votes to require phone activation on substantially different
hardware.

"I bought a genuine copy of Windows XP Home Edition (VRMHOEM_EN) last
October
2004 and installed it on my computer. Everything was running smoothly
right
up until the present time when I decided to upgrade my Intel CPU from a
2.40C GHz to a 3.20E GHz and also installed 2 x 512MB DDR 400 RAM."

"I formatted my computer a couple of days ago and installed a fresh copy
of
XP Home and after installation, an automated message appeared on my
computer
saying something like, my hardware had changed and that I needed to
verify
and activate my copy of XP. I fully realise that making major hardware
changes would probably need me to reactivate XP so I clicked on the link
in
the system tray and activated Windows online, without any problems."

So the OP formatted and reactivated over the internet with no problem.

"I then encountered a few niggly problems with the computer and after
sorting
them out, I decided a fresh copy of XP would be best so I reinstalled
Windows using my CD. I then clicked on the activation link and thought
that
activation would be over in a few minutes but how wrong I was."

The only reason the OP should have been forced to phone activate is if
he changed another hardware component between the first reinstall and
the second reinstall a couple of days later. Which could be the case
BUT the OP doesn't mention any hardware change between the two
reinstalls.

But now, if the OP needs to reinstall XP he SHOULD be able to activate
over the internet unless he does more hardware changes, as long as
everything is working right in PAland.

Confused? I must admit, I am a little, and I'm the one explaining it!
And yet MS expects the AVERAGE computer user to know and understand all
the nuances of their PA policies! How unrealistic is that? And the OP
has shown that he has more knowledge about computing that the average
consumer in that he was able to upgrade his processor and RAM!

Actually it is a bit confusing and clearly I was confused about the 120
day issue - since it shouldn't have been triggered without a change in
hardware. Can't say I would want to go through the trouble he did to
get things activated.