Windows XP Re-Activation

I recently replaced my motherboard and processor and had to re-activate Windows XP. I then loaded all of my additional software and data. At completion I made a image of the hard drive using TI and stored the image to a external hard drive. Question: If I perform a image restore to the original hard drive, will I have to re-activate Windows XP again or is the previous activation already a part of the disk image? Thanks in advance!!

Bill

 

If you don't change your hardware configuration, you should not have to re-activate.

 

If you restore to the original or even a new replacement hdrive alone, you should not have to reactivate.
Sounds like you have the full retail version of xp, so activation should be as painless as possible even if required.

 

Yes, I do have a retail version of Windows XP and Microsoft does make re-activation a very painless process but I did have to make a telephone call to them once to obtain a re-activation code but this was after multiple re-activations due to faulty or upgraded hard ware. They explained that their re-activation policy is not based on the replacement of any particular piece of hardware but a new motherboard and, sometimes a processor or video card, can trigger a re-activation requirement. I was just wondering if the activation code is stored in the image since it is an exact copy of the original. Just one more piece of the puzzle that I'm trying to understand. Thanks!!

 

I've been swapping so much hardware around lately, I've gotten pretty good at typing dictated activation codes !

 

Different types of hardware have different assigned "point values", as I understand. Once you make enough hardware changes such that you reach a certain point value threshold since the previous activation, reactivation is required. The data associated with the configuration and activation code should be stored in the backup image, so it shouldn't be a problem. I believe hard disk changes are a low point value, IIRC, so if you need to restore to a new HD, you shouldn't need to reactivate unless other hardware has also changed in the interim resulting in reaching the threshold point value.

Hopefully someone else can confirm, as this is info I recalled reading from the MS knowledge base or similar a long time ago.

Doug

 

I'll confirm that Doug as I read about this some time back also. No way I can be any more quantitative about it than you though.

 

No, you will not have to reactivate. I have restored images many times using Powerquest Drive Image 7 and once using TI 9. I have never had to reactivate after a restore.

 

This Chapter by <Que Publishing> provides an insight into Windows product activation. Anyone interested in the detailed technical lowdown on Windows XP Product Activation may wish to check out this Paper at http://www.licenturion.com/xp/ titled <Inside Windows Product Activation>.

Regards

 

I'd suggest reviewing the Aumha.org: Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP page - it provides full details without you having to download a text file.

 

Activation is based on the "ID" numbers of various hardware items at boot time. If enough items on the hardware list are changed within a given space of time (like 3 items within two months or some such arbitrary thing), then reactivation is required. The phone method is necessary if you reactivative more than some small number of times o rif you don't have a web connection. The phone method is a real pita. Activation is pita. They can't deny you activation -- you don't have to justify why you need it; they owe it to you since you bought the license to use the software. But they sort of actd like they have to approve or disapprove activation when you call. It's just a way to make it enough of a pita that you won't put the same copy on scads of diff PCs. It's purely for MS's revenue protection.

Symantec has gone over to product activation also, which is one of the three reasons I stopped buying symantec products. Users certainly don't need that cr-p.

sh

 

Adobe uses it for Photoshop and according to my friend it is much tighter regarding changed hardware than XP is. I bought a music scoring program that has a form of activation and I'm sure there are others. The reality is that it is going to be come more prevalent, not less.

I can't say that activation has caused me any trouble within the license rules.

 

Thanks for everyone's responses. The information contained in the reading links were very helpful. "Point Values" and ID numbers make the activation process much easier to understand although, like crofftk said, us tweakers and "early adopters" of the latest and greatest hardware experience the re-activation process quite often. I wanted to make sure, as shieber stated, that Microsoft won't give me, or other licensed users, a hard time every so often.

Thanks again!!!

 

Activation (which is really hardware-specific enabling) won't cause problems if you don't change hardware very often -- the matter of Symantec's repeated activation problems notwithstanding -- *and* provided that you can activate on-line. The telephone-type this 20-digit number routine is something else.

It's not like getting a key-number to unlock a program -- the activation is unlocking the software to run only on specific hardware.

If you do have to go through the phone-in activation. . .ugh! You have to do it a couple of times to appreciate how annoying a chore it is for something you have paid for.

Nothing inthe license says you can only install x-many times or y-many times per month or week or year. That might be coming next in future licenses but so far, the limit is only the number of machines. If you want to swap harddrives 'til the cows come home, you can do that, they can't refuse you -- but you have to do the activation dance.

I think Lotus 123's copy protection scheme was less annoying.