Reactivating Windows

[Guest]

I am wanting to purchase my own personal copy of XP Home or WMC. I'm pretty
anal about how my computer runs and I reinstall at least once a month. I
know every time I reinstall I'll have to activate Windows. What are the
limitations of activating? Can I only activate so many times before I'm
prevented from doing so? Can I keep activating even though the hardware will
stay the same? I don't want to buy XP if I can't reinstall when I want and
activate it.

 

[Haggis]

I am wanting to purchase my own personal copy of XP Home or WMC. I'm
pretty
anal about how my computer runs and I reinstall at least once a month. I
know every time I reinstall I'll have to activate Windows. What are the
limitations of activating? Can I only activate so many times before I'm
prevented from doing so? Can I keep activating even though the hardware
will
stay the same? I don't want to buy XP if I can't reinstall when I want
and
activate it.

AFAIK there is no limit to activations , only timeframes will give you a
problem ..it may not activate over the internet automatically , you would
then have to phone in.

hint: find and backup your WPA.DBL file after activating ...after your next
re-install , replace the WPA.DBL with your backed up copy.

with all the same hardware , it may think it is still activated ...

hth

 

[LVTravel]

If you really must reinstall once a month, just don't activate. At the end
of the "trial" period XP will stop working and this will be your cue to
reinstall.

Now, if you really want to install and activate, any time you activate
within 180 days of the previous activation, you will have to phone MS to do
it.

For the reinstall problem. With proper firewall and virus protection,
knowledge about what is being installed on the system, reinstallation is not
necessary. I have machines that originally had ME on it which was upgraded
to XP when it first came out and it is still a very stable system (installed
on my C: drive) even though I lost my raid drive (D (one of the striped
drives died) a month ago.

Purchase a good (ghost or the like) program that will make a mirror image of
the built drive and this will solve your reinstall problems.

 

[Guest]

AFAIK there is no limit to activations , only timeframes will give you a
problem ..it may not activate over the internet automatically , you would
then have to phone in.

hint: find and backup your WPA.DBL file after activating ...after your next
re-install , replace the WPA.DBL with your backed up copy.

with all the same hardware , it may think it is still activated ...

hth


Glad to hear that. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Gordon]

I'm pretty anal about how my computer runs and I reinstall at least once
a month.

WHY? there is NO NEED to install re-install once a month. What a WASTE of
time and effort. Learn to do some housekeeping instead.

 

[Gordon]

..

Now, if you really want to install and activate, any time you activate
within 180 days of the previous activation,

It's 120 days actually. and even that doesn't stick sometimes.

 

[LVTravel]

Damn typos. Got a bum right hand and sometimes the numeric keypad just
won't cooperate.

 

[Tim Judd]

I am wanting to purchase my own personal copy of XP Home or WMC. I'm pretty
anal about how my computer runs and I reinstall at least once a month. I
know every time I reinstall I'll have to activate Windows. What are the
limitations of activating? Can I only activate so many times before I'm
prevented from doing so? Can I keep activating even though the hardware will
stay the same? I don't want to buy XP if I can't reinstall when I want and
activate it.

don't activate it. LOL

windows will work for 30 days before forcing activation. once it forces
it, reinstall!

Ya won't have to deal with the f*ing go**amn motherf*ing bulls*it
microsoft puts their customers though.. ignore it, feel the power!

The CORPORATE version of XP, doensn't require activation. By using
simple search terms (ahem: setupp.ini), you can make a custom CD (from
your purchased copy) that behaves like corporate (not requiring
activation) that accepts a retail key (I successfully did that last
week). I haven't ever done it with WMCE -- it's a variant of Home Ed
though, so keep that in mind.

I plan to keep those files on archive; it worked WONDERFUL!

<sidetrack>
mumble..mumble..mumble.. f*ing microsoft
</sidetrack>

good luck!

 

[Tim Judd]

If you really must reinstall once a month, just don't activate. At the end
of the "trial" period XP will stop working and this will be your cue to
reinstall.

Now, if you really want to install and activate, any time you activate
within 180 days of the previous activation, you will have to phone MS to do
it.

For the reinstall problem. With proper firewall and virus protection,
knowledge about what is being installed on the system, reinstallation is not
necessary. I have machines that originally had ME on it which was upgraded
to XP when it first came out and it is still a very stable system (installed
on my C: drive) even though I lost my raid drive (D (one of the striped
drives died) a month ago.

Purchase a good (ghost or the like) program that will make a mirror image of
the built drive and this will solve your reinstall problems.

BUT!!! activate it before ghosting it. not activating it before
ghosting will render the image useless once the 30 days past
installation are up. (even if it's on archive on some disk).

 

[Tim Judd]

WHY? there is NO NEED to install re-install once a month. What a WASTE of
time and effort. Learn to do some housekeeping instead.

Windows will degrade itself with time. it's exponential too.. after 6
months to a year, I forcefully reinstall. I just did last night!

going for a month and reinstalling is excessive, but it's what he wants,
let him do it.

Housekeeping is useless in the long run. Windows will degrade itself
even if all you do is startup/shutdown ONLY! No applications, no
installs, no uninstalls..

Throw Windows Update on there, and it's either going to prolong it maybe
a little bit, or degrade it more. It depends on the environment in
which it runs.

Let the OP do what he asked for. Don't talk bad about him -- because he
chooses to run windows the way he wants.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Windows will degrade itself with time. it's exponential too..

Not at all, true. The only degradation that occurs is if its been very
sloppily maintained.

after
6 months to a year, I forcefully reinstall. I just did last night!

Your choice, of course. I have run every version of Windows since 3.0
(except Me), each from around the time it was released until it was
superseded, never reinstalled any of them, and never had a problem that I
couldn't fix.

going for a month and reinstalling is excessive, but it's what he
wants, let him do it.

It's *enormously* excessive. But none of us get to make choices for him. He
can do whatever he wants, and none of us has the option to let him do it or
let him not do it.

All any of us can do is offer advice, and he, you, or anyone else, has the
option to accept it or not.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Windows will degrade itself with time.

Not if it's properly maintained.

it's exponential too.. after 6
months to a year, I forcefully reinstall. I just did last night!

Completely unnecessary, but if that's how you like spending your time,
go ahead.

going for a month and reinstalling is excessive, but it's what he wants,
let him do it.

Yes, it's the OP's choice, although I really think he needs to find a
different hobby; he's causing unnecessary wear & tear on his hard drive.

Housekeeping is useless in the long run. Windows will degrade itself
even if all you do is startup/shutdown ONLY! No applications, no
installs, no uninstalls..

That is completely wrong. Such a claim borders on the ludicrous, in fact.





--

Bruce Chambers

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[LVTravel]

BUT!!! activate it before ghosting it. not activating it before ghosting
will render the image useless once the 30 days past installation are up.
(even if it's on archive on some disk).

You are correct about activating and then ghosting. Thanks for continuing
my thoughts.

 

[Gordon]

Damn typos. Got a bum right hand and sometimes the numeric keypad just
won't cooperate.

ROTFL!