I've installed win xp 3 times now,different upgrades my last upgrade was 2 120GB Seagate Serial ATA Harddrives.I did a clean install an went to activate windows an it said I had to call microsoft for a new activation code,is there anyway around this? I do alot of swapping i'm currently waiting for the ATI 9800 Pro I just install the 9700 Pro that I got at a good price.

Nope it is not. You have always to activate your version via Internet or maybe phone.
If you have a regular version of windows you don´t have to worry, they don t ask for personal datas. Ask Rancho, he´s the master of activating software via phone @ microsoft because his "stable" system needs sometime a clean install. LOL

I know there are some other "inofficial ways" but please discuss about them not in this forum.

Thx

Thanks Degger.Does Rancho work for microsoft?I have OEM Version of XP Pro not Boxed hope it doesn't matter? When I call M$ will they give me new activation code? an how many times can I do a clean install with new code?


**** My Rig****
P4 2.5 Ghz
ASUS P4S8X
ATI 9700 Pro 128mb
512 PC2700 Ram
2 Seagate 120 Serial ATA Striped
Audigy 2 Soundcard
Klipsch 5.1 Speakers
Sony WideScreen Flat Panel

Well i haven't had any trouble Re-activating but it might be
a new feature who knows. Rancho doesn't work at microsoft
for as far as i know but he will be able to answer that for you.

Degger, his otherwise "stable" system haha lol

In a nutshell:

There's a point system based on your hardware used to decide whether your RE-installation of Windows XP needs to be activated or not. If you go over a set level of points, it asks you to get a new registration code...which simply means you call them and they give it to you. If you don't change hardware you won't have a problem at all with re-installing, but you can still get by with minor upgrades...

Yup that s true.
After an update of some bugfixes, it asked me too for reactivation by phone because the internet activation did not worked.

I called them, told them the big big number, got the activation key and that s all. Also they asked if if I were interested to get registrated or if I want to be anonym.

Rancho had to call 3 times a day for a office activation (didn´t know why he had to reinstall 3 times a day lol) than they really ask what happened and why calling 3 times and he explained that he has some trouble with his machine and that s it. No problem.

If you are a bit "paranoid" :wink: you can call from a offical phone cell.

Best

actually, there is a way around this, if you format or if you bought a new HD

if you still have the old drive, there's 2 files in C:\WINDOWS\system32 named wpa.dbl and wpa.bak, just copy them to the same location on the new one, this will save the activation, providing nothing has changed.

note that this is system specific, and it wont work if you take it from one pc to another.