XP Pro OEM

[Bob I]

It's probably waiting for the "Intel bus"! <VBG>

 

[Doofusbrain]

It'll trigger, but reactivating will not be a problem.


Not sure what you mean here. If you are thinking of installing WinXP and
selling the system with it, then you are responsible for supplying the media
disks with the system. You will need a new set for each machine you build
and sell. In these cases, an OEM version for each would be more apropos, as
the end buyer is unlikely to be making major changes. You cannot use the
same retail or OEM single license disk to install to multiple machines for
redistribution. If you are just reselling the hardware after you're done
with it, and not the OS with it, then a single retail copy of WinXP for your
own use is fine. Whether or not re-activation requires a phone call will
depend on the frequency of your installations. The activation database
resets after 120 days, so if your activations are more than 4 months apart
it is unlikely that you will need to phone them in. Even if you do have to
phone it in, there is no problem in moving the regular retail version to new
hardware, with an OEM version it will likely eventually be denied as they
are generally permanently tied to the first system they are activated on.

Yes to the second part, of keeping a copy of XP and rotating hardware.
I build my own PCs. I part out the PCs and each component has a date
with ebay at some point. I generally screw around with hardware less
than four months apart though. So if I Activate a copy of Retail
today, the databsse resets in February?

On ebay I look for "Full retail SP2" of XP professional. What do I
find? Jerkoffs with "Full OEM retail" int eh tital. God, that pisses
me off.
How can they get away with that?

 

[Steve N.]

Maybe the "trolls" who push the OEM version will pay
for your next license when you change the motherboard
to a different model.... the choice is yours and you
have been properly advised of the pitfalls.

There you go calling me a troll again. Grow up, you slanderous chump.

Steve

 

[Steve N.]

Who are you calling a troll?

Anyone who disagrees with him, trys to correct him, etc.

Not by you. You have lied

That's what he does; all liars lie.

Steve

.. Do you consider that troll behaviour, lying?

 

[plew]

With the retail version, if I swap out my motherboard I won't trigger
the activation?
I'm thinking of just getting a copy of the Retail version, and
constantly selling of PCs (after I wipe them of course) and
reinstalling. Will I have to call MS to do that?
Is the activation more easily "triggered" in the OEM version than the
retail?

If I recall correctly, having the same ethernet card would override a
trigger to force a re-activation; probably would require the waste of
a pci slot.

 

[Doofusbrain]

If I recall correctly, having the same ethernet card would override a
trigger to force a re-activation; probably would require the waste of
a pci slot.

What are you talking about?

 

[plew]

What are you talking about?

Check with the past postings on this newsgroup. Someone posted the
algorithym that the m$ trojan uses for the "points" checking when
winxp is boot; a number of points is assigned for each hardware
controller(?) with the points assigned to the nic being the highest.

Changing a harddrive is not recognized as a hardware change if the
same controller is used, e.g. same motherboard.

 

[Steve N.]

Check with the past postings on this newsgroup. Someone posted the
algorithym that the m$ trojan uses for the "points" checking when
winxp is boot; a number of points is assigned for each hardware
controller(?) with the points assigned to the nic being the highest.

Changing a harddrive is not recognized as a hardware change if the
same controller is used, e.g. same motherboard.

from:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp

************************************************
Can hardware components be changed and upgraded?

Product Activation is able to tolerate a certain degree of change in a
hardware configuration by allowing a current hash value to have a degree
of difference from the hash value that was originally activated. As a
result, users can change their hardware without the product believing it
is on a different PC than the one it was activated on. If the user
completely overhauls the hardware making substantial hardware changes
(even over long periods of time), reactivation may be required. In that
case, users may need to contact to contact a Microsoft customer service
representative by telephone to reactivate.


How does product activation determine tolerance? In other words, how
many components of the PC must change before I am required to reactivate?

Common changes to hardware such as upgrading a video card, adding a
second hard disk drive, adding RAM or upgrading a CD-ROM device will not
require the system to be reactivated.

Specifically, product activation determines tolerance through a voting
mechanism. There are 10 hardware characteristics used in creating the
hardware hash. Each characteristic is worth one vote, except the network
card which is worth three votes. When thinking of tolerance, it's
easiest to think about what has not changed instead of what has changed.
When the current hardware hash is compared to the original hardware
hash, there must be 7 or more matching points for the two hardware
hashes to be considered in tolerance. If the network card is the same,
then only 4 additional characteristics must match (because the network
card is worth 3, for a total of 7). If the network card is not the same,
then a total of 7 characteristics other than the network card must be
the same. If the device is a laptop (specifically a dockable device),
additional tolerance is allotted and there need be only 4 or more
matching points. Therefore, if the device is dockable and the network
card is the same, only one other characteristic must be the same for a
total vote of 4. If the device is dockable and the network card is not
the same, then a total of 4 characteristics other than the network card
must be the same.



Are the changes cumulative? In other words, if I change one component
today and one tomorrow, is that two component changes?

The changes are cumulative; however, if a user is asked to reactivate,
the hardware profile is reset to that new configuration.


What are the 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware
hash?

The 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware hash are:
Display Adapter, SCSI Adapter, IDE Adapter, Network Adapter MAC Address,
RAM Amount Range (i.e. 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc), Processor Type, Processor
Serial Number, Hard Drive Device, Hard Drive Volume Serial Number,
CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM.
*************************************


Hope that helps clarify how it is _suppposed_ to work. Of course, as
many of us have seen it is flawed and merely updateing a video driver
has been known to trigger reactivation.

Steve

 

[Alias]

from:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp

************************************************
Can hardware components be changed and upgraded?

Product Activation is able to tolerate a certain degree of change in a
hardware configuration by allowing a current hash value to have a degree
of difference from the hash value that was originally activated. As a
result, users can change their hardware without the product believing it
is on a different PC than the one it was activated on. If the user
completely overhauls the hardware making substantial hardware changes
(even over long periods of time), reactivation may be required. In that
case, users may need to contact to contact a Microsoft customer service
representative by telephone to reactivate.


How does product activation determine tolerance? In other words, how many
components of the PC must change before I am required to reactivate?

Common changes to hardware such as upgrading a video card, adding a second
hard disk drive, adding RAM or upgrading a CD-ROM device will not require
the system to be reactivated.

Specifically, product activation determines tolerance through a voting
mechanism. There are 10 hardware characteristics used in creating the
hardware hash. Each characteristic is worth one vote, except the network
card which is worth three votes. When thinking of tolerance, it's easiest
to think about what has not changed instead of what has changed. When the
current hardware hash is compared to the original hardware hash, there
must be 7 or more matching points for the two hardware hashes to be
considered in tolerance. If the network card is the same, then only 4
additional characteristics must match (because the network card is worth
3, for a total of 7). If the network card is not the same, then a total of
7 characteristics other than the network card must be the same. If the
device is a laptop (specifically a dockable device), additional tolerance
is allotted and there need be only 4 or more matching points. Therefore,
if the device is dockable and the network card is the same, only one other
characteristic must be the same for a total vote of 4. If the device is
dockable and the network card is not the same, then a total of 4
characteristics other than the network card must be the same.



Are the changes cumulative? In other words, if I change one component
today and one tomorrow, is that two component changes?

The changes are cumulative; however, if a user is asked to reactivate, the
hardware profile is reset to that new configuration.


What are the 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware
hash?

The 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware hash are:
Display Adapter, SCSI Adapter, IDE Adapter, Network Adapter MAC Address,
RAM Amount Range (i.e. 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc), Processor Type, Processor
Serial Number, Hard Drive Device, Hard Drive Volume Serial Number,
CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM.
*************************************


Hope that helps clarify how it is _suppposed_ to work. Of course, as many
of us have seen it is flawed and merely updateing a video driver has been
known to trigger reactivation.

Steve

I wonder why the NIC gets so many points. What does PA do with a computer
that doesn't have one?

Alias

 

[David Candy]

NICs have a unique number to identify them called the MAC address.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Yes to the second part, of keeping a copy of XP and rotating hardware.

I build my own PCs. I part out the PCs and each component has a date
with ebay at some point. I generally screw around with hardware less
than four months apart though. So if I Activate a copy of Retail
today, the databsse resets in February?
Yes.

On ebay I look for "Full retail SP2" of XP professional. What do I
find? Jerkoffs with "Full OEM retail" int eh tital. God, that pisses
me off.
How can they get away with that?

No one polices ebay. And essentially, they are 'retailing' the full OEM
version. It'd be tough to shut it down.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Alias]

And that's why it gets so many points? Please explain. What happens to a
computer that doesn't have one? Not all computers go online.

Alias

"David Candy" <.> wrote

NICs have a unique number to identify them called the MAC address.

 

[David Candy]

You get a random number I suppose. It was all explained years ago exactly how it works.

 

[Doofusbrain]

No one polices ebay. And essentially, they are 'retailing' the full OEM
version. It'd be tough to shut it down.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

I got nailed trying to sell my old Girls Gone Wild DVD. Ebay told me
it was against their little rules.

 

[Doofusbrain]

Who are you calling a troll?

Hey folks... I just got a full retail version of XP (I confirmed with
the part number) for $170 off ebay. Unopened.

 

[Steve N.]

NICs have a unique number to identify them called the MAC address.

So what?

Steve

 

[David Candy]

Nothing else does.

 

[Alias]

So that's the reason is carries so many points? Again, what about a computer
that has no ethercard or modem that is never going online. How does XP make
the hash for a computer like that?

Alias
"David Candy" <.> wrote

Nothing else does.

 

[Steve N.]

Nothing else does.

And that's justification for 3 activation points?

Steve

 

[David Candy]

I told you before it is all public info. You are such a lazy slut. Search yourself mole.