XP Activation--can it be changed to another computer?

[Tina]

I purchased a Gateway laptop this past August, wich comes
with Windows XP Home Ed. pre-activated, and requiring no
further activation according to info available from MS.
My problem is that I activated the copy of Windows XP
Home Ed. that came with my Gateway laptop
on my DESKTOP computer after it crashed from a virus. I
didn't know what activation was, I just followed the
directions when the wizard said to activate, I
activated. Then, my husband put the same XP Home CD back
into the LAPTOP to try to change the languages that can
be used with it. But, after putting in the XP Home CD,
the laptop now says I must activate Windows before
continuing. It also doesn't not allow an online
activation, probably because according to the information
on the CD now, this version of XP has already been
activated on another computer.
So my problem is that now my laptop doesn't work. I turn
it on and automatically the screen for activating Windows
comes up and the system shuts down if I click to activate
windows later. There is a screen for activating by
telephone, but the telephone number it gives me for my
location, which is now Egypt, is not a working number. I
need the laptop much more than I need the desktop and
want to make the Windows XP workable on my laptop again.
So what can I do?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Bob Harris]

You can not activate one copy of XP home edition on more than one PC. Even
if you got a working phone number for Microsoft they would nver permit you
to do this.

Since you have two PCs, you need two copies of XP. Buy a second copy of XP.

By the way, you were lucky that the copy that came with the Gateway PC
worked on the other PC. OEM software is often specific to the PC with which
it was purchased, and should generally not be used on other PCs.