activation

[Guest]

Six months ago I installed a new hard drive on my computer, which I was using
as my primary bootable drive, while using my original drive (still bootable
but not primary), as a backup drive, since I had problems with it as my
system drive. Then, lately, I had to reformat my new drive due to a virus.
Then I srtarted to have problems: Twice my computer shut down and rebooted
itsself on my "original drive." Twice I fixed the problem, by rebooting with
my new drive, before realizing that it coiuld be a problem of activation ( I
am still guessing)
Here is my question: who should I contact to regulate my XP situation with
Mictosoft. Twice I had to restore my computer as it was when I bought it
(Without loosing my data) and twice I skip the activation process. This is
what I want to resolve. Did I have to reactivate XP every times I install it?
And, beside, now I don't know which drive was my original, they are both the
same size.
Gaudwin
I guess that "XP" means "eXPire if not activated."

 

[Ron Martell]

Six months ago I installed a new hard drive on my computer, which I was using
as my primary bootable drive, while using my original drive (still bootable
but not primary), as a backup drive, since I had problems with it as my
system drive. Then, lately, I had to reformat my new drive due to a virus.
Then I srtarted to have problems: Twice my computer shut down and rebooted
itsself on my "original drive." Twice I fixed the problem, by rebooting with
my new drive, before realizing that it coiuld be a problem of activation ( I
am still guessing)
Here is my question: who should I contact to regulate my XP situation with
Mictosoft. Twice I had to restore my computer as it was when I bought it
(Without loosing my data) and twice I skip the activation process. This is
what I want to resolve. Did I have to reactivate XP every times I install it?
And, beside, now I don't know which drive was my original, they are both the
same size.
Gaudwin
I guess that "XP" means "eXPire if not activated."

Problems with hard drives such as you describe have absolutely nothing
to do with Windows Activation. You need to download the diagnostic
utility from the hard drive manufacturer's web site and run that to
check out each of your drives for possible defects.

If there was an Activation related issue with your computer it would
start to boot into Windows XP and then stop with a specific error
message telling you quite clearly that there was a problem with the
activation status and describing what is needed in order to fix the
problem.

Activation does not expire. However the activation control files on
the computer will be destroyed by reformatting or reinstalling and
this will require reactivation. There is no limit to the number of
times Windows XP can be activated on the same hardware. However if
there are a large number of activation requests for the same license
in a relatively short periond of time then you may be requested to use
a manual activation procedure instead of the automatic Internet
method.

Hope this explains the situation.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."