WinXP Cdkey usage?

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I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year. It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times. Where can I turn to to get
more installs/registrations of this key? I've spent some time on MS site, and
I cant find info on this.

I'd rather not shell out another $299 for another copy, since I plan on
getting Vista in late 2007

This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like changing
oil in my car.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.
 
Ganjookie said:
I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year. It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times. Where can I turn to to get
more installs/registrations of this key? I've spent some time on MS site, and
I cant find info on this.

I'd rather not shell out another $299 for another copy, since I plan on
getting Vista in late 2007

This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like changing
oil in my car.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Do the telephone activation. There is no reason to buy another
copy of Windows XP if the current one is being used legitimately,
as specified by Microsoft.
 
I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year. It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times. Where can I turn to to get
more installs/registrations of this key? I've spent some time on MS site,
and
I cant find info on this.

I'd rather not shell out another $299 for another copy, since I plan on
getting Vista in late 2007

This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like
changing
oil in my car.

There is no mechanism to do this, nor is it needed. You can activate an OEM
copy of the OS on the same computer system as many times as you want. OEM
copies cannot be transferred to a different computer.

Retail systems can be activated on any computer, as many times as you like,
as long as it's only installed on one computer at a time. If it won't
activate over the internet you'll need to to call in for activation.

Why are you reinstalling every 6 -12months? A properly maintained system
coupled with a drive imaging program to save a compressed image of the drive
to external media should not need this.
 
Ganjookie said:
I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year.


Your choice, of course, but I never understand people who do that. If you
are even moderately careful maintaining Windows, it *never* needs to be
reinstalled. I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98,
Windows 2000, Windows XP, and now Windows Vista, each for the period of time
before the next version came out, and each on at least two, and more
recently three, machines here. I have never reinstalled any of them, and I
have never had anything more than an occasional minor problem.


It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times.


No, there's no such thing as "too many times." The message is very
misleading

Where can I turn to
to get more installs/registrations of this key? I've spent some time
on MS site, and I cant find info on this.


Simply call the 800 number you are given and reactivate by voice call. It's
quick and easy.

I'd rather not shell ou shell out another $299 for another copy, since I
plan
on getting Vista in late 2007


It has nothing to do with Vista. There is no requirement for you to buy
another copy whether or not you plan on getting Vista.

This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like
changing oil in my car.


The oil in your car *needs* to be changed periodically. Windows does *not*
need to be reinstalled periodically.
 
The Activation Wizard should display a toll free number that you can call to
contact a service rep.

JS
 
Ghostrider said:
Do the telephone activation. There is no reason to buy another
copy of Windows XP if the current one is being used legitimately,
as specified by Microsoft.

Negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full :D

hehe ok thanks for the tip
 
Ganjookie said:
I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year. It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times. Where can I turn to to get
more installs/registrations of this key? I've spent some time on MS site, and
I cant find info on this.

I'd rather not shell out another $299 for another copy, since I plan on
getting Vista in late 2007

This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like changing
oil in my car.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Why do you reformat and reinstall so often? That is highly unusual
behavior and is certainly not something that is actually required.

Periodic routine housekeeping (uninstalling unused software, cleaning
up leftover TEMP files, monthly defrag, etc) and basic "safe hex"
usage practices should keep your operating system installation viable
and performing optimally until the product support life expires, and
perhaps even a few years beyond that.

But you should not have to purchase another license for XP. Your
abnormal pattern with respect to installs will probably bring up some
warning flags at Microsoft, as the tendency would be to suspect that
more than one computer was involved due to the high frequency of
installations, and therefore you may have to use the telephone
activation procedure instead of the automatic online activation.

So just follow the "activate by telephone instructions on your screen.
And perhaps in future you might want to try keeping your installed
Windows viable for a longer period of time. By way of contrast, the
last time I did a clean install on my production system was with
Windows for Workgroups in 1993. Everything since has been an upgrade,
including multiple changes of every hardware component except perhaps
the power cord and through 7 different versions of Windows.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Ganjookie said:
I usually reinstall windows every 6months-1year.


I've heard of stranger hobbies.

It seems that I have
installed this particular copy too many times.


Not possible, unless you're trying to use the same key on multiple
computers, simultaneously.

Are you receiving a error message saying that your copy had been
installed too many times? If so, be aware that the error message you
received is somewhat misleading. What it really means is that you've
activated "via the Internet too many times within the last 120 days."
Because there is usually no sound technical reason for reinstalling and
re-activating WinXP so frequently, the automatic presumption is that the
OS is being installed on multiple machines. I really think Microsoft
should fix this message, but it is, in reality, a relatively minor
"cosmetic" issue, so they're probably giving more weight to some silly
cost-benefit analysis more than they are their customers' occasional
confusion.

Where can I turn to to get
more installs/registrations of this key?


Nowhere, as there's absolutely no need to do so.

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

I've spent some time on MS site, and
I cant find info on this.

Not surprising. It is, after all, a non-issue.

I'd rather not shell out another $299 for another copy, since I plan on
getting Vista in late 2007

Nor do you need to purchase another license. Again, why would this
tought even occur to you?
This is for home use, on 1 PC. I just reformat and reinstall like changing
oil in my car.

Not the best of analogies. That there are sound technical reasons for
periodically changing an engine's oil. The same can't be said of WinXP.
However, it's your time to spend as you like, and, as I've said, I've
heard of stranger hobbies.


--

Bruce Chambers

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