Windows Product Activation with new HD

[HKEK]

When I last replaced my hard and re-installed XP, I was unable to
activate over the internet apparently because this was the second (or
third) time that I had installed XP on this computer. When I activated
over the telephone, I read a sequence of numbers and was then given
another sequence of numbers to enter into the activation screen.

I now want to do a clean install of XP on this machine using the same
HD. Will I again need to call or is there some file that I can save, or
can I retrieve that number sequence from the registry and re-enter it
at the same screen agin? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Use the original Product Key. If you are unable to activate
via the internet, you'll have to use the "activate by phone"
procedure to obtain a new activation code. There is no file
to save when performing a "clean install" as it won't work.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

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:

| When I last replaced my hard and re-installed XP, I was unable to
| activate over the internet apparently because this was the second (or
| third) time that I had installed XP on this computer. When I activated
| over the telephone, I read a sequence of numbers and was then given
| another sequence of numbers to enter into the activation screen.
|
| I now want to do a clean install of XP on this machine using the same
| HD. Will I again need to call or is there some file that I can save, or
| can I retrieve that number sequence from the registry and re-enter it
| at the same screen agin? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[darkrats]

Is it not true, then, that you can save the "wpa.dbl" file prior to
reformatting, and use that to by-pass the activation process (assuming
everything on your machine stays exactly the same)?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Once formatted Windows itself is changed and not the same.
This is a myth that this will work after formatting.

Also see:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm
Hint #3 near the middle of the page.

 

[Alex Nichol]

When I last replaced my hard and re-installed XP, I was unable to
activate over the internet apparently because this was the second (or
third) time that I had installed XP on this computer. When I activated
over the telephone, I read a sequence of numbers and was then given
another sequence of numbers to enter into the activation screen.

I now want to do a clean install of XP on this machine using the same
HD. Will I again need to call or is there some file that I can save, or
can I retrieve that number sequence from the registry and re-enter it
at the same screen agin? Thanks in advance for your help.

If you do a clean install, you will have the usual thirty days grace
before activating. If the last phone activation was correctly
implemented at the center this should go through on the net
The sequence you were given was unique to that occasion - contains date
the activation was done, so it is not useful, Same applies to the
wpa,dbl file should anyone suggest saving it; it would not work after a
clean install - only a repair one

 

[Steve N.]

HKEK wrote:




If you do a clean install, you will have the usual thirty days grace
before activating. If the last phone activation was correctly
implemented at the center this should go through on the net
The sequence you were given was unique to that occasion - contains date
the activation was done, so it is not useful, Same applies to the
wpa,dbl file should anyone suggest saving it; it would not work after a
clean install - only a repair one

Alex you always do such a good job explaining things. Maybe you can
explain this. The activation FAQs at MS say in plain English that there
is no limit to the amount of times Windows can be activated on the same
machine, why then if a re-install occurs within 120 days the OS
invariably reports that "Windows has been activated too many times"?

Also, explain this if you can. I replaced a hard drive and re-installed
XP Pro a few weeks after the 1st installation. Of course being a clean
install it had to be actvated. I got the "Windows has been activated too
many times" message and to use phone activation. It was late, I was
tired so I chose not to do that at that time and just shut the machine
down. The next morning I fired it up and it activated just fine over the
internet.

I've also read the details on how hardware changes effect OEM activation
status, changing just a hard drive only counts for two votes (drive
itself and the volume serial #) and supposedly it takes more than three
votes out of ten to have changed in order to trigger re-activation.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Windows XP activations are stored for 120 days. When you request a web
activation, it checks to see if this is is listed in the "master" file. If
it finds it, the software is "dumb-enough" to think you are trying to set up
a second PC, so your Windows activation screen will display this message.

 

[Graphic Queen]

Alex you always do such a good job explaining things. Maybe you can
explain this. The activation FAQs at MS say in plain English that there
is no limit to the amount of times Windows can be activated on the same
machine, why then if a re-install occurs within 120 days the OS
invariably reports that "Windows has been activated too many times"?

hmmmmmmmmmm That makes me wonder then. Just the other day I
reformatted my partition that had XP on it. Then of course I
reinstalled XP Home back doing a clean reinstall. I ended up doing
this three different times in the same day because of something
specific I wanted. I never had any problem at all activating each time
I reinstalled the software.

 

[Graphic Queen]

Windows XP activations are stored for 120 days. When you request a web
activation, it checks to see if this is is listed in the "master" file. If
it finds it, the software is "dumb-enough" to think you are trying to set up
a second PC, so your Windows activation screen will display this message.

That is not true.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

You activated with the same hardware so it was recognized as the same
computer.

However if you reinstall, it may be a good idea to wait about 3 weeks before
activating.
This give you enough time to verify everything works but still enough time
to solve a problem if one materializes when you attempt to activate.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Alex you always do such a good job explaining things. Maybe you can
explain this. The activation FAQs at MS say in plain English that there
is no limit to the amount of times Windows can be activated on the same
machine, why then if a re-install occurs within 120 days the OS
invariably reports that "Windows has been activated too many times"?

It is rather as poorly worded message, but the reason is that if the
activation system sees different hardware, it presumes you are trying to
install on a different machine - not allowed under the license - so you
have already activated the max number of times allowed. You then have
to do it by phone to explain circumstances - any reasonable explanation
accepted as long as you assure that you are *not* trying to install on
multiple machines.

The 120 day was introduced for the benefit of those who regularly update
hardware and would otherwise be running into this problem frequently.
But it is not a legitimate let out for installing to a second machine

 

[Steve N.]

Steve N. wrote:




It is rather as poorly worded message, but the reason is that if the
activation system sees different hardware, it presumes you are trying to
install on a different machine - not allowed under the license - so you
have already activated the max number of times allowed.

I understand that Alex, but what I don't understand is why it determined
that it was different enough hardware when all that changed was the hard
drive which is only worth two "votes" and according to Microsoft you can
change up to three "votes" without having to re-activate over the phone.
Of course I understand that the fresh install required activation, but
with only two votes having changed since it was last activated it should
have gone through online and not issue that dumb message, and it did
activate online the next day without a problem. Is this whole product
activation scheme really that flakey?

You then have
to do it by phone to explain circumstances - any reasonable explanation
accepted as long as you assure that you are *not* trying to install on
multiple machines.

The 120 day was introduced for the benefit of those who regularly update
hardware and would otherwise be running into this problem frequently.
But it is not a legitimate let out for installing to a second machine

I understand this also.

Thanks
Steve

 

[Alex Nichol]

I understand that Alex, but what I don't understand is why it determined
that it was different enough hardware when all that changed was the hard
drive which is only worth two "votes" and according to Microsoft you can
change up to three "votes" without having to re-activate over the phone.

One can slip and lose votes - permanently - if you disable a device and
reboot. This happened to me once when I disabled my NIC, when setting
up a WiFi. Disabled, rebooted and all its three votes had gone, and I
got a request to reactivate. With SP1 there was no trouble; activated
again on the net with no trouble once it was back in business

 

[R. McCarty]

I've been helping folks remove/migrate away from Symantec/Norton
products over the past few weeks. I've now seen 2 instances where
removing NIS-2xxxx has triggered a re-activation on reboot. Still don't
quite understand that at all, as it shouldn't factor into the boot up check.

 

[Steve N.]

Steve N. wrote:




One can slip and lose votes - permanently - if you disable a device and
reboot. This happened to me once when I disabled my NIC, when setting
up a WiFi. Disabled, rebooted and all its three votes had gone, and I
got a request to reactivate. With SP1 there was no trouble; activated
again on the net with no trouble once it was back in business

I can understand how that would be with a NIC since it has 3 votes, but
in my case no other hardware or settings were changed, just the hard
drive and a fresh install of XP Pro SP1, but perhaps it may have been a
driver initialization issue. I have seen some hardware drivers (like
video) not initialize completely until after two restarts following
their installation.

Steve