Hardware changes requiring re-activation

[Ron Martell]

You shouldn't need to re-activate, but then again a simple change of RAM
shouldn't have required it either.

Sometimes PA doesn't work as it is supposed to, and RAM changes seem to
be a common trigger to PA failing to work as it is supposed to.

For some explanations on how XP is supposed to work:

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx

RAM quantity is one of the monitored items for activation, and the
total changes are cumulative so if there has been previous changes to
the monitored items then a subsequent change in the amount of RAM
could be sufficient to put the cumulative changes beyond the trigger
value for reactivation.

But I do agree that there seems to be an inordinate number of posts
where the problem seems to be that adding RAM resulted in a need to
reactivate.


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

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[ClippertyClop]

ClippertyClop wrote:




The borrowed CD can be used but they must provide their own license Key.
It's the key that has value not the CD. I don't understand why you
can't understand this.

Because I don't understand where I get the license key details from.

 

[kurttrail]

Because I don't understand where I get the license key details from.

From the sticker on your computer, if it is an copy of XP that was
pre-installed with the computer.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[ClippertyClop]

There are several different sub-species of OEM disks, such as:
- generic OEM CDs supplied by Microsoft to the smaller manufacturers
and assemblers. These CDs have only the Microsoft name and logo on
them and are marked "for sale or distribution with a new computer
system only" or words to that effect.
- customized OEM CDs created by the major computer manufacturers under
license from Microsoft. These have the name and logo of the OEM
printed on the CD, usually have custom drivers added for that
manufacturer's specific hardware, and may not include some of the
option Windows components. These CDs may also be "BIOS Locked".
- System Recovery CDs created by the major computer manufacturers.
These CDs do not contain the individual Windows files and the
installation programs that are found on a regular CDs. Instead they
contain a compressed Disk Image of the finished installed Windows on
that specific hardware, plus a utility to copy that image onto the
hard drive. System Recovery CD images are generally BIOS locked.

I think I have one of those. My Windows CD is referred to as a 'recovery
disk', and will only work on my machine (NEC). Once tried to do an
install with it onto another unbranded PC, but got an error message
saying that the machine was not recognised as a computer, or similar.

Note that many manufacturers, including Dell, are no longer providing
CDs with new systems but instead are putting the "System Recover"
image onto the hard drive in a hidden hard drive partition which can
be accessed through a special function in the BIOS setup.

I've seen that with Compaq machines. What do you do if, eg you want to
extract the NTbackup tool while running normal XP, which isn't loaded
with an install? I thought you could not access this hidden partition if
at all without some specialised software, apparently. It will only
install just after POST (F10 key IIRC). Where is the special function
you mention located in CMOS?

BIOS Locked OEM versions, which includes those provided by most major
computer manufacturers, are designed to be self-activating provided
the computer BIOS in the computer they are installed on is the proper
version for that specific OEM. Prior to March 1, 2005 if a BIOS
Locked OEM version was installed on a computer from a different
manufacturer then it reverted to being a normal OEM version requiring
activation. Since March 1, 2005 these BIOS Locked OEM versions will
no longer activate over the Internet if they are installed on a
different computer, and telephone activation requests will be
declined.

Not quite. If it's a BIOS locked version, surely that means it wouldn't
install on another machine in the first instance, unless it included an
identical BIOS, or have I got that wrong?

 

[ClippertyClop]

From the sticker on your computer, if it is an copy of XP that was
pre-installed with the computer.

No sticker on this PC.

 

[kurttrail]

No sticker on this PC.

Was XP Pre-Installed on your computer by the OEM? If it was, then you
should have gotten a Product Key as part of the package. If you didn't
get a Product Key, then you got ripped off.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Ron Martell]

Not quite. If it's a BIOS locked version, surely that means it wouldn't
install on another machine in the first instance, unless it included an
identical BIOS, or have I got that wrong?

If it is a "disk image" of the installed factory-fresh Windows then it
probably won't work on any other hardware, because the install
procedures customize the end result to suit the specific hardware in
the computer.

If it is an actual Windows Installation CD but one which uses the SLP
or "BIOS Locking" procedure then it will install on other hardware,
but may be lacking the drivers needed for some items, and it will
require activation in the normal manner. However as of 1 March 2005
Microsoft has modified the activation programs so that the product key
sequences allocated to OEMs who use BIOS Locking will no longer
activate over the Internet, and telephone activations for these
versions will normally be refused.

This change was instituted reportedly because of fairly substantial
abuse of the BIOS Locked install CDs as some users were installing
them on another PC, which would then activate over the Internet, so as
to get two machines running XP with only one license.


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

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm