Re: How many times can i install XP on same computer

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

johnsuth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

In <Bqqfe.8996$GQ5.4991@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Steve N."
<me@xxxxxxxx> writes:

Bruce Chambers wrote:


johnsuth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:



My experience is that you are allowed perhaps 2 or 3
Activations before you are refused.  I phone to get the key
(the boxes are not on line), and after the first refusal I
feigned ignorance and pleaded extenuating circumstances to get
an extra activation.




That's incorrect. 

It happens Bruce. WPA is flawed and Windows itself lies to people
saying it has been activated too many times when online activation
fails for whatever reason. Then people have to call in and explain
to some stranger their situation and sometimes try to prove they
are not guilty of software piracy. If the stranger on the other end
doesn't like their explanation then activation can be refused.


There's no limit to the number of times you can reinstall and activate the same WinXP license 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


Those are the Micorsoft version of the facts. That's the way MS
_hopes_ it works but the facts as experienced by end users are
often at variance with what MS says should happen. I have
personally experienced some pretty wierd things with WPA. For
example, after a clean re-install to a new hard drive within a week
of the original activation it tells me to call MS to activate but
the next day it activates online with no problem.

Now with MS disabling valid OEM keys used for mass installations
brand new machines won't activate out of the box unless you change
the key and pray it works. No wonder people are confused.

Steve



I value Bruce's contributions here and don't want to see him looking
silly because he did not have the full facts, so here they are:-

I value his contributions, too, and I did not reply trying to make him look silly. All I am saying is that Windows Product Activation is not perfect, is complicated and doesn't always work as MS says it does. With recent changes in how OEM installs activate it gets even more confusing for people.


Itook over responsibility for a cluster of computers which came with
a cluster of OEM Re-installaion CDs for XP Home.  I keep one CD in my
toolkit with a list of the MS keys on the boxes.  I have used the one
CD and the first key on the list for I think four installs, the last
one requiring the pleading phone call.

One install was where a user had left the organisation and taken the
password with him.  I realise now that there may have been a more
elegant solution, but I did not know that then.  I do anticipate
finding boxes where the user has put a password on the safe mode
owner.  The naive purchaser was not aware of that issue.

I tried to install XP over a failing Me but it refused.  Me failed to
detect that the hard drive was the problem but a third party utility
did.  I bought a new drive and installed XP.

I rarely use Windows at home, but the new job brought the need for a
test box at home, so I installed XP on a 98 box and it went in beside
98, giving me a choice of boot.

That 4GB drive was too small for the job so I bought another drive
and installed XP again.

I can find no disks for computers bought within the last year.  Are
they not supplied anymore?

Yes we are short on licences but I will recommend that we correct
that by getting a site licence and bringing all boxes up to the same
OS.


I understand the difficulties you are describing but if you don't have enough licenses then that is what needs to be corrected.

Steve

.

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