Activating Win XP
 

I bought a new desktop last week which came without an operating system as i didn't want to pay £70 for XP pro when i have a genuine CD, etc from my previous system.
I installed it and everything is running sweet exept for the reminder which keeps asking me to activate it. I tried the code but it doesn't work (is it because i used the code on my old machine?)

What happens when the 30 days is up? will it still work (some1 told me the system will shut down)?

I don't see why i'd have to buy another XP pack when i have a previously bought 1 already

help....

It's all to do with licensing. 1 x copy XP for 1 x PC.
You can still register it on-line but don't try to use both at the same time as the other copy.

The activation code is based on the hardware it is installed on. You should be able to reactivate via the internet or phone up again and get a different code.

This is all assuming it is a retail copy of XP in a box etc..

OEM copies which will have a genuine authenticity stuck on the pc's don't count as they are sold with that machine only and technically you cannot transfer it to another.

This is what i have - does this mean it'll shut down on my new computer?

It means that legally you cannot transfer the old XP Pro licence to your new PC, so after 30 days the copy will stop working on your new PC (because you will not be able to legally licence it) which will mean a trip down to PC World to buy a boxed XP Pro kit for just under three hundred quid :eek:

If you get the choice, buy the OEM software when you get the new hardware as it is usually massively discounted (or some might say, anti-competitively pre-installed) ;)

mb

Ring MS and tell them you have installed new hardware and they will ask you for keys etc and they will provide you with a new one that will work. 1 license for 1 computer is utter crap really when my PC has been rebuilt and upgraded upteen times in its life.

Well the other option is to move away from Microsoft and install a copy of LINUX. It's free and runs most of the good stuff, apart from MS Office. But you can get free versions of something similar.

Although MS are pretty lenient, they don't just hand out new keys willy-nilly.

As this is a completely new system, none of the security identifiers will match on the new key you have to read out to the nice lady in India, so 'I just upgraded my motherboard' probably won't cut it.

For the life of me I cannot understand why punters are so tight when it comes to genuine licencing. Is £60 for an OEM XP Home too much to pay considering the hassle it will spare you in the long run?

If I purchased XP everytime I have put a new motherboard or grapics/ hard drive in I would have about 30 copies of XP now.......is that fair ?

this is where Select Keys come in handy :)*



*i in no way condone piracy, but they are handy for unattended scripted xp installs on 30 machines at a time

Don't suppose you know where to 'obtain; these select keys.

I do have one for when I'm rolling out computers ( an older one) - just like you because it's easier for unattended installs etc. Each computer has it's own XP license though.

All well and good getting a hacked key but chances are windows update will not work leaving your system wide open.

Yup, Open Office. Very good, opens all the Word and Excel documents I've ever asked it too. Seems to run a lot quicker than the bloatware that is Office.

With regards to keys, how about "Windows XP Pro Corporate". Does not require activation as it's for corporate use, where you don't want to have to activate every single install of windows. If you were to use a dodgy key then it would install, you'd not need to activate, but, you won't be able to use Windows Update, as the Windows Genuine Advantage check will check the key, find out it's dodgy and then refuse to run.

I would assume ;) there are ways round this however.

And LINUX should run faster than Windows as well. And you get a nicer Windows interface. :luxhello:

I like *nix but I don't run it as a desktop solution, only as a server solution, and then only really for testing purposes (need to make sure the various AFP solutions for various server platforms does not break our software).

Apart from Office, there aren't too many apps that you'd want/need to run where there isn't a decent *nix version. The main thing would, however, be gaming. So if you're into games, *nix might not be for you.
Then again, if you're going the *nix route, dual boot the box with *nix and XP and scour the net for ways to bypass the aforementioned key/WGA issues ;)

Purchase 1x "retail" boxed copy of xp?

I think your talking about Mainstream UNIX such as AIX, SOLARIS and HP-UX. :wonder:

LINUX is just as good as a Client solution as well as a good Server solution. Besides there are many variants about (Free to download and use :luxhello: ). Okay if you play games then it may not be the ideal solution. But for mainstream office then you have a chance. And besides you can get lots of free legit software for it.

I have :)

There's a really easy workaround to that issue though :)

HA! You also forgot to mention any of the latest games :lol1:

HA! But I did mention this in my last post:

:luxhello:

computer manufacturers are given select keys to allow them to put on any MS software including applications and operating systems (not sure about games) onto any machine. you need a friendly manufacturer to let you have theirs (not very likely).

all the updates work fine on any installs i have done. our machines in work are XP pro desktops linked to WIN2K server. any boxes i do have office 2003 minimum on them, while some may have MS Access, Project and Autoroute as well.

This is very simple..........

Just try to activate your installed copy of XP (you can re-activate XP after 129 days of the previous activation). If you get a nice little message saying "thank you your software is now activated" etc etc then jobs a good'n.

If that doesn't work or you have activated that number within the last 129 days then simply use the "activate by telephone method” and type in your numbers as instructed on screen, it will fail because it’s already been activated and put you through to a "human".
When they come on the phone just tell them you have had to re-install and need to re-activate (they usually don't even ask, 1st thing they normally say is "please read out your number" etc).

They will then read you a number back, which you will type in, and your install will then be activated, job done!

It's all a load of sh!te really. I use to work for a hardware company where we would have to re-load peoples systems etc after replacing components/hardware failures and such, not once did MS ask the reason for re-activation.

We do this all the time @ work.

We build new forensic machines from the best bits of old disclaimed hardware, and use the XP licences that are usually stuck to the cases.

If it doesn't automatically activate, a quick telephone call to the "Activate by Phone" call centre fixes it.