Windows XP OEM and SP2 activation

[Nikhil Bendre]

Hi,

My firm has purchased compaq pcs with pre-installed Windows XP Pro in 2002.
I have just installed SP2 on one pc. After first restart Windows asked me to
activate in 30 days. If I resinstall Windows using Compaq CD it does not
require activation. The problem is that there are quite a few nos of pcs and
i would have to reactivate each of them in case sp2 is updated on all of
these. Any workaround from MS or should I request for Windows XP including
SP2 from Compaq.

With Regards,
Nikhil Bendre

 

[CS]

Hi,

My firm has purchased compaq pcs with pre-installed Windows XP Pro in 2002.
I have just installed SP2 on one pc. After first restart Windows asked me to
activate in 30 days. If I resinstall Windows using Compaq CD it does not
require activation. The problem is that there are quite a few nos of pcs and
i would have to reactivate each of them in case sp2 is updated on all of
these. Any workaround from MS or should I request for Windows XP including
SP2 from Compaq.

With Regards,
Nikhil Bendre

Compaq machines are very proprietary. Contact HP support and ask them
if they have a version of SP2 available instead of the downloadable
version from Microsoft. What they may have is a version of XP that
already includes SP2. However, any update will probably have to be
purchased from them. Make sure your company is willing to spend the
money first.

 

[LAD]

Why not to use Linux or even Unix?

Today PCs should be able to handle Unix.

Salutations

LAD

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Proprietary or not, you do not get SP-2 from the computer
manufacturer.
Microsoft is the ONLY legitimate source for Windows Service Packs.
The manufacturer may make a patch to facilitate the installation of
SP-2, but that is not the same as SP-2.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Contact Compaq to see if there are issues with your specific model and
configuration with SP-2.
If there are none, you may have an isolated problem not indicative of
all your computers.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Proprietary or not, you do not get SP-2 from the computer
manufacturer.
Microsoft is the ONLY legitimate source for Windows Service Packs.
The manufacturer may make a patch to facilitate the installation of
SP-2, but that is not the same as SP-2.

But HP/Compaq *do* have some things that need doing before applying SP2.

And we see various people saying trouble with the 'activation baloon'
coming up after SP2 - it would be interesting to know if all of these
are HP/Compaq