An XP Activation Oddity

[TheGrimmSleeper]

So... I'm putting XP Pro SP2 on my laptop (a clean install on a blank drive), which previously came with an OEM copy of XP Home (and a load of other stuff I don't want). I had previously installed this (full retail) copy of XP on a desktop, but that machine has long since been out of commission. Still, it had been activated so I expected I would have to talk to a Microsoft tech person on the phone to explain that the desktop this copy was associated with wasn't being used any longer and no longer had an active copy of XP.

Strangely, when I went to activate my copy of XP... it just activated. No "hey, waitaminutehere, this copy has been activated once!" or anything. I expected many things to come from this installation, but a smooth activation wasn't one of them.

Is there a length of time put on activations, or was this just a fluke? I used the same CD, same product key, all that stuff. I'm not complaining by any means, but I was curious if that has ever happened to anyone else, or if there is a reason for it I'm unaware of.

 

[Didou]

I think you can install/activate it 3 times before the activation requires a phone call to justify the extra installations.

 

[TheGrimmSleeper]

Didn't know that. With all the horror stories I've heard about installing a copy of XP on a new machine, I was prepared for worst. :approve:

 

[elbtax]

re-activating windows xp all versions

The activation info is maintained in the file Wpa.dbl, which u will find in the windows system32 folder. After u activate, and anytime u had new hardware to your system, back up the file to another disk. Floppy, cd, whatever.
Then if u need to reinstall for any reason, just copy the Wpa.dbl file back to the windows system32 folder. This info came from PC Magazines maintenance and troubleshooting section of the Nov 2002 issue. (I would use up my 3 activates from Microsoft first.)

 

[TheGrimmSleeper]

I knew of that file but the name escaped me. I've backed it up just in case, though. Thanks!