rumor

[bob]

i heard a rumor awhile ago that you had to call microsoft to activate
your copy of windows xp or something. is this true?

if i have to reinstall, i don't want to have to go through this
rigmarole.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Please see the following article:

"Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP"
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

--


Will Denny
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Alias]

i heard a rumor awhile ago that you had to call microsoft to activate
your copy of windows xp or something. is this true?
Sometimes.

if i have to reinstall, i don't want to have to go through this
rigmarole.

If you haven't changed a lot of hardware or if it's been over 120 days
since you changed any hardware, you will be able to activate online. If
you have a name brand computer like Dell, HP or Gateway, if you
reinstall, you will not have to activate online or by using the phone.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Paul Smith]

i heard a rumor awhile ago that you had to call microsoft to activate
your copy of windows xp or something. is this true?

if i have to reinstall, i don't want to have to go through this
rigmarole.

Sometimes. If you're just reinstalling you should be fine, it only really
triggers if you're swapping a lot of hardware around too. Check out the
link Will provided.

But from personal experience, I'm constantly adding new stuff to my system
and swapping things around, only once after making some changes in over 4
years has it ever asked me to activate - and that was over the internet.

A lot of the activation stuff was blown out of all proportion, even I was
expecting it to be a pain in the rear when they announced it as I'm always
tinkering with hardware, but they managed it quite well.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove 'nospam.' to reply by e-mail*

 

[bob]

is this true of both the home and pro version? i heard the pro version
didn't have this.

 

[Alias]

Sometimes. If you're just reinstalling you should be fine, it only really
triggers if you're swapping a lot of hardware around too. Check out the
link Will provided.

But from personal experience, I'm constantly adding new stuff to my system
and swapping things around, only once after making some changes in over 4
years has it ever asked me to activate - and that was over the internet.

A lot of the activation stuff was blown out of all proportion, even I was
expecting it to be a pain in the rear when they announced it as I'm always
tinkering with hardware, but they managed it quite well.

Managed to inconvenience paying customers quite well? It hasn't affected
the crackers/pirates one iota. As far as I can tell, it is totally
worthless and the ONLY thing it can do is inconvenience paying
customers. Not to mention that assuming a paying customer is quilty of
piracy until he or she proves otherwise is an insult. And to do it
twice, once with activation and again with the Windows Genuine Advantage
is a double insult.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Alias]

is this true of both the home and pro version? i heard the pro version
didn't have this.

All flavors of XP have both Product Activation and Windows Genuine
Advantage. If you don't know what Windows Genuine Advantage is, go to
Windows Update and try to get the latest updates.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Bob I]

Yes it's a rumor. IF the internet activation fails you HAVE to call.

 

[Bob I]

Another rumor, and incorrect.

 

[Lester Stiefel]

Yes it's a rumor. IF the internet activation fails you HAVE to call.

Activation by phone is required if you have maxed out your
product key, by doing multiple reinstalls. the reinstalls
could be 'cause of virus or Trojans, if you're unlucky.
That' happened in my case. Noe M$ doesn't ask why anymore.
They know what issues I face, being defective software to
bugs- virus- trojanware. You name it, I've had it!!

 

[Alias]

Activation by phone is required if you have maxed out your product key,
by doing multiple reinstalls.

False. There is no such thing as "maxing out your product key".

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Plato]

i heard a rumor awhile ago that you had to call microsoft to activate
your copy of windows xp or something. is this true?

if i have to reinstall, i don't want to have to go through this
rigmarole.

No big deal if you have to. I've NEVER had a problem.

 

[Alias]

No big deal if you have to. I've NEVER had a problem.

The fact that one might have to is a problem with me. I paid for the
licence and I want to use it, not talk to someone about typing numbers
into a field so I can continue to use what I already paid for. It's an
insult.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Plato]

The fact that one might have to is a problem with me. I paid for the
licence and I want to use it, not talk to someone about typing numbers
into a field so I can continue to use what I already paid for. It's an
insult.

Perhaps. I suppose one could use another OS if they wanted to. Perhaps
an OS that one wouldn't be insulted with. Just a guess, I guess.

 

[bob]

anyhow, so you can definitely use it completely for 30 days with no
trouble?

also, why don't you have to do this with dell?

 

[Alias]

Perhaps. I suppose one could use another OS if they wanted to. Perhaps
an OS that one wouldn't be insulted with. Just a guess, I guess.

I don't want to use another OS. The OS is not insulting, the people who
are requiring activation are.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Alias]

anyhow, so you can definitely use it completely for 30 days with no
trouble?
Yes.

also, why don't you have to do this with dell?

The activation is built in.

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

i heard a rumor awhile ago that you had to call microsoft to activate
your copy of windows xp or something. is this true?

if i have to reinstall, i don't want to have to go through this
rigmarole.

If it's been more than 120 days since you last activated that specific
Product Key, you'll most likely be able to activate via the Internet
without problem. If it's been less, you might have to make a 5 minute
phone call.

Here are the facts pertaining to activation:

Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/

Windows Product Activation (WPA)
http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

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