XP Activation manditory, why?

[Gary Wardell]

Hi,

It was my understanding that I could run the MSDN version of XP Pro for a
couple months for testing without activating it. But XP keeps nagging me to
activate every time I boot it.

Then when I try to install IE7 the IE7 setup refuses to run because XP isn't
activated.

What gives?

This is a temporary test machine, why should I waste one of my activations
on it only to blow it away in a few months.

Gary

 

[Shenan Stanley]

It was my understanding that I could run the MSDN version of XP Pro
for a couple months for testing without activating it. But XP
keeps nagging me to activate every time I boot it.

Then when I try to install IE7 the IE7 setup refuses to run because
XP isn't activated.

What gives?

This is a temporary test machine, why should I waste one of my
activations on it only to blow it away in a few months.

You did/do not understand how MSDN licenses work.
They have always worked the same way - activation was still a requirement
for software - MSDN or not...

 

[Jason Tsang]

There's a difference between having an activated version of Windows, and not
needing to activate it for x number of days.

You need to have an activated copy of Windows XP to install IE7 for Windows
XP.
MSDN does not mean that you don't have to activate to get 'all' the benefits
of activation. it simply allows you 60 days to activate.


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Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP

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