Will removal of NIC force new product activation?

[Old Geezer]

I built a new computer and installed WinXP Home. The motherboard has
Ethernet built in, but I added a NIC because my original plan was to use
WinXP's ICS and a hub to connect to other computers, which together with the
cable modem would of course require two Ethernet connections on the gateway
machine. I was careful to install the NIC before product activation.

However, I have changed my mind and now intend to use a router, so I will
only need one Ethernet connection. My question is, will removing the now
redundant NIC make it necessary to re-activate WinXP?

I have read Alex Nichol's excellent online guide to Windows Product
Activation but am still unclear about this. He writes that the WPA system
"calculates and records a number based on the first device of each type that
was found during setup"--but how do I know which is the "first device," that
built into the motherboard or the NIC in the expansion slot? I activated by
telephone *before* putting this machine online, which I did through the NIC.
Now that I know I don't need the NIC I'm thinking of removing it and
switching the cable modem to the built-in Ethernet port. I have downloaded
and run XPInfo which reports "Fully licensed" and checks the MAC value as
okay, but doesn't say which device it's reporting on. Do I get my three NIC
"Yes" votes if it's the built-in Ethernet port, even though that isn't what
I'm using at present? IOW, if WPA first used the built-in to establish its
number, did anything change once I started using the NIC for my Internet
connection?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Q. "My question is, will removing the now redundant NIC make
it necessary to re-activate WinXP?"

A. No.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I built a new computer and installed WinXP Home. The motherboard has
| Ethernet built in, but I added a NIC because my original plan was to use
| WinXP's ICS and a hub to connect to other computers, which together with the
| cable modem would of course require two Ethernet connections on the gateway
| machine. I was careful to install the NIC before product activation.
|
| However, I have changed my mind and now intend to use a router, so I will
| only need one Ethernet connection. My question is, will removing the now
| redundant NIC make it necessary to re-activate WinXP?
|
| I have read Alex Nichol's excellent online guide to Windows Product
| Activation but am still unclear about this. He writes that the WPA system
| "calculates and records a number based on the first device of each type that
| was found during setup"--but how do I know which is the "first device," that
| built into the motherboard or the NIC in the expansion slot? I activated by
| telephone *before* putting this machine online, which I did through the NIC.
| Now that I know I don't need the NIC I'm thinking of removing it and
| switching the cable modem to the built-in Ethernet port. I have downloaded
| and run XPInfo which reports "Fully licensed" and checks the MAC value as
| okay, but doesn't say which device it's reporting on. Do I get my three NIC
| "Yes" votes if it's the built-in Ethernet port, even though that isn't what
| I'm using at present? IOW, if WPA first used the built-in to establish its
| number, did anything change once I started using the NIC for my Internet
| connection?

 

[kurttrail]

Q. "My question is, will removing the now redundant NIC make
it necessary to re-activate WinXP?"

A. No.

It's not supposed to, but PA doesn't always work the way it is supposed.
If PA is triggered then phone activation may be required.

--
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"