Dual Boot XP / Vista -- Reactivation requests

[smlunatick]

Three weeks ago, I have successfully installed Windows Vista Ultimate
SP2 64 bit in a dual-boot configuration with my XP Pro SP3. I have
kept each up to date. Since last Wednesday, September 20, 2009, I was
constant booting into my Vista, This morning, I booted into my XP
section and was promoted to re-activate my XP.

My question: Why did the XP request a "reactivation" and how can I
prevent this?

 

[smlunatick]

Three weeks ago, I have successfully installed Windows Vista Ultimate
SP2 64 bit in a dual-boot configuration with my XP Pro SP3.  I have
kept each up to date.  Since last Wednesday, September 20, 2009, I was
constant booting into my Vista,  This morning, I booted into my XP
section and was promoted to re-activate my XP.

My question:  Why did the XP request a "reactivation" and how can I
prevent this?

My version of XP Pro SP3 is a 32 bit version.

 

[smlunatick]

Activate it, maybe?

If its valid, just do it.

I am afraid that something is causing the "activation" to be lost and
I may need to re-activate every time. It has been posted that at some
point, MS will refuse to activate since they would consider the key to
be used too often.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am afraid that something is causing the "activation" to be lost and
I may need to re-activate every time. It has been posted that at some
point, MS will refuse to activate since they would consider the key to
be used too often.

There is no such thing as using the key too often. You can reactivate
as many times as you need to.

 

[smlunatick]

There is no such thing as using the key too often. You can reactivate
as many times as you need to.

There have been "previous" posts, on the various Windows XP
newsgroups, that users with legit XP license were refused a new
activation, even thought the XP was installed on the exact hardware as
the previous times. Or were those posts in the "urban myth"
categories?

 

[smlunatick]

Nothing I know of causes the activation to be lost.
Did you re-install XP?
If it's retail, as far as I know you can activate it as many times as you
need.
If it was OEM, it has to be on the same machine it came with...not sure
about time or hardware constraints with OEM.

You can wait for another answer, but if it's a legit copy, I wouldn't worry.

Windows XP Pro SP3 OEM was install and happily residing on drive 0 for
years. I then set up the dual-boot three (3) weeks ago. Since
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, I began using my Vista Ultimate SP2 64 bit
a lot. Then, this morning, I started my XP Pro SP3 32 bit and got the
"re-activation" request.

 

[Gordon]

There have been "previous" posts, on the various Windows XP
newsgroups, that users with legit XP license were refused a new
activation, even thought the XP was installed on the exact hardware as
the previous times. Or were those posts in the "urban myth"
categories?

Probably refused automatic internet activation. I've never been refused
telephone activation, even if I've re-activated the same copy on the same
machine days or hours apart...

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

There have been "previous" posts, on the various Windows XP
newsgroups, that users with legit XP license were refused a new
activation, even thought the XP was installed on the exact hardware as
the previous times. Or were those posts in the "urban myth"
categories?

Almost certainly the latter.