XP OEM

[talha_moota]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit? How many times I can activate my
Windows OS? I often need to format my Windows drive.
2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?
3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

 

[Alias]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit? How many times I can activate my
Windows OS? I often need to format my Windows drive.
2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?
3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

There is no limit on how many times you can reinstall XP OEM on the same
machine.

Alias

 

[talha_moota]

can someone please help me in the following

How can I backup my Windows activation key?
3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I
can't
get it back. Why?

 

[David B.]

Write it down and stick it in a safe place.
That would be a question for the mfg, if they didn't include it on their
restore media, it won't get reinstalled.

 

[Big Al]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit? How many times I can activate my
Windows OS? I often need to format my Windows drive.
2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?
3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

The OEM info is written someplace, heck, I don't know or care, but
that's what an OEM does. I've seen an OEM branding software on the
web, I downloaded it years and years ago, probably more for 98, but gave
it to a friend of mine who built and sold PCs. It made his little
store front a bit more professional.
I have an DELL, with OEM restore and I don't see a Dell in the my
computer properties, if that is what you are talking about. But why
does it matter? It don't change the way it works.

And you don't have to backup your key. Your key is your key for that PC
forever. Just write it on the CD or jacket.

Next time you get a PC, and you want that kind of backup detail, you can
get Acronis True Image, and make an image of the hard drive. You can
even preload a few applications and then use that as a restore cd rather
than the manufacturer's. I've done that myself. Load the restore,
add firefox, thunderbird, setup the user, etc etc than make a "virgin
restore" so to say. It saves me the config time. You know, those
little things like color, presentation, settings etc etc etc.

 

[Bob I]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit?

You have a limit of 1.

How many times I can activate my

Windows OS? I often need to format my Windows drive.

As many times as you need to, on the original PC.

2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?

Write it down.

3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

Likely because you are doing the "factory restore". Further info will be
found by asking the manufacturers tech support for the system in question.

 

[Bob I]

be patient, this isn't a chat room.

 

[Big Al]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit? How many times I can activate my
Windows OS? I often need to format my Windows drive.
2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?
3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

Look at this http://www.dx21.com/HOME/ARTICLES/P2P/ARTICLE.ASP?CID=22

 

[smlunatick]

Microsoft has yet to provide an "official" way of backing up the activation
key. Activation key are always "re-generated" when ever a XP installation is
completed.

However, large branded PCs (HP, Lenovo, Dell) then to supply "Recovery" media
to reinstall XP onto the PC. Recovery media is usually an "image" of a
"pre-activated" XP install and may not require an activation when you replace
the "bad" XP on the "destined" PC.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Microsoft has yet to provide an "official" way of backing up the
activation
key. Activation key are always "re-generated" when ever a XP installation
is
completed.

However, large branded PCs (HP, Lenovo, Dell) then to supply "Recovery"
media
to reinstall XP onto the PC. Recovery media is usually an "image" of a
"pre-activated" XP install and may not require an activation when you
replace
the "bad" XP on the "destined" PC.

Many OEM installations don't generate an activation key. They can do this
if certain criteria are met. One, and the most common one, is that the
installation is locked to a specific BIOS, so that if you try to install it
on another machine, it won't work.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I’m using a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional (OEM)
[version 5.1.2600]. So far, I've repeated the Windows Online Product
Key Activation procedure over five times with success and run
Automatic Update (including all Genuine Advantage updates such as
Media Player 11, Windows Defender, etcetera) twice. I want to know:
1How I can check my license limit? How many times I can activate my
Windows OS?

There's no limit to the number of times you can reinstall and
activate the same WinXP license (retail or OEM) 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 often need to format my Windows drive.

Why? There is usually no sound technical reason (other than a physical
hard drive failure) for reinstalling WinXP repeatedly. When properly
maintained, even a Win3.x or Win9x installation could be made to last
for years. WinXP is much more robust than they. What specific problems
are you experiencing that are causing such a drastic action? Wouldn't
it be easier, in the long run, to just fix those, rather than
reinstalling the OS?

2 How can I backup my Windows activation key?

It's printed on the OEM Certificate of Authenticity label that's
affixed to the computer's case. Write it down elsewhere or take a photo
of it, and then store that in a safe place.

3 When we buy a new laptop it shows the brand name in system
properties - Dell, HP, Lenovo, etcetera, but fter reinstalling I can't
get it back. Why?

Have you preserved and then restored the manufacturer-provided
%WinDir%\System32\Oeminfo.ini and %WinDir%\System32\Oemlogo.bmp files?


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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