Reactivation

[davo77]

Does anyone know what's up with this message...

"Since Windows was first activated on this computer, the hardware has
changed on the computer. Due to these changes Windows must be reactivated
within 3 days.

Do you want to reactivate now?"

from this my 2nd question would be why is windows so concerned with my
hardware?

 

[M]

Does anyone know what's up with this message...

"Since Windows was first activated on this computer, the hardware has
changed on the computer. Due to these changes Windows must be reactivated
within 3 days.

Do you want to reactivate now?"

from this my 2nd question would be why is windows so concerned with my
hardware?

Because that's Microsoft's way to determine if you've broken their rules
and installed XP on another computer. If you don't reactivate, you'll be
sorry. You may have to phone activate.

M

 

[R. McCarty]

Your computer contains hardware that has "Unique" identifiers. Windows
takes these values and creates a hardware hash value. At each boot of the
PC the current values are compared to the hash at activation time. Different
parts hold a certain number of votes. Network cards (NICs) hold 3 votes.
Other parts hold only a single vote. Over time you can change various parts
and no activation is required. However, when the total vote count reaches
the fallover point the message you received will present itself. Basically
it's
a way for Microsoft to force compliance with the "One License, One PC"
rule of it's End User license agreement.

 

[Ian D]

Does anyone know what's up with this message...

"Since Windows was first activated on this computer, the hardware has
changed on the computer. Due to these changes Windows must be reactivated
within 3 days.

Do you want to reactivate now?"

from this my 2nd question would be why is windows so concerned with my
hardware?

Your hardware has changed enough to cause XP to think
it has been cloned to another PC. If it's been 120 days or
more since the last activation, it will reactivate on-line with
no problem.

 

[smlunatick]

Your hardware has changed enough to cause XP to think
it has been cloned to another PC.  If it's been 120 days or
more since the last activation, it will reactivate on-line with
no problem.

Not if the software is OEM. The 120 day limit appears to not be
active on the OEM version as branded OEM versions were being sold
without the qualify "branded" hardware. A simple phone call usually
works.

 

[Bennett Marco]

Not if the software is OEM. The 120 day limit appears to not be
active on the OEM version as branded OEM versions were being sold
without the qualify "branded" hardware. A simple phone call usually
works.

What are you talking about when you say "OEM"? Are you meaning to say
BRANDED OEM, as in something provided by Dell, HP, etc?

Unbranded OEM - i.e., system builder - versions do not have such a
problem.

 

[smlunatick]

What are you talking about when you say "OEM"?  Are you meaning to say
BRANDED OEM, as in something provided by Dell, HP, etc?

Unbranded OEM - i.e., system builder - versions do not have such a
problem.

YES, several branded (aka label for sale with Dell, Gateway, IBM etc)
were being sold thru sites (eBay) and not with the "qualifying"
hardware. Since "branded" XP are to have "primary" level of support
provided by the "branded" company, Microsoft was "fed up." The
branded version can be tweaked by the "brand" company that Microsoft
would not know about. They then made it so OEM version "re-
activations", or activations (???), be done by phone mainly..

Unbranded system builder version still are to be supported from the
company who built the PC but you "might" get support from Microsoft.

 

[DG]

Unbranded system builder version still are to be supported from the
company who built the PC but you "might" get support from Microsoft.

What does support have to do with activation?

I built my PC myself with various parts, so I am the "company" who built
the PC. I reinstalled XP twice with the unbranded OEM cd that I bought at
the same time I bought the parts (more than 120 days between installs) and
it activated on-line without problem.