Uninstall / Reinstall Activation

[Guest]

If I uninstall windows XP Pro then install it on the same computer, will I
have to purchase another activation key?

 

[Curt]

No. You will, however, have to reactivate.

Curt.

 

[george]

If I uninstall windows XP Pro then install it on the same computer, will I
have to purchase another activation key?

Not necessarily.

If you are really installing it afresh on the exact same hardware setup,
then have a look at http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm (Hint no.2 and 3 on the
page) and before whiping the machine take a backup of the files mentioned in
the Hints: wpa.dbl and wpa.bak.
After install put those files back in their original place and you're done.
ie. your again activated as you were before.
This is not something to avoid activation or circumvent activation.
It is just putting your old activation info back on the same machine.

george

 

[Bruce Chambers]

If I uninstall windows XP Pro then install it on the same computer, will I
have to purchase another activation key?

No, of course not. Where could you have gotten such an idea?

There's no limit to the number of times you can reinstall and
activate the same WinXP license on the same PC. Nor is there ever a
charge. Nor does a Product Key (so long as it's not an evaluation
license) ever expire. 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

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Not necessarily.

You mean, "Not at all, under any circumstances."

If you are really installing it afresh on the exact same hardware setup,
then have a look at http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm (Hint no.2 and 3 on the
page) and before whiping the machine take a backup of the files mentioned in
the Hints: wpa.dbl and wpa.bak.
After install put those files back in their original place and you're done.
ie. your again activated as you were before.

If you had actually read the web site you've used as a reference, you'd
have known that the technique you're recommending doesn't work for a
clean installation. It's useful only after a repair installation.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Thorsten Matzner]

If I uninstall windows XP Pro then install it on the same computer, will I
have to purchase another activation key?

No. But you will have to re-activate with the same key.
"Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft Product Activation"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302878)