XP reactivation???

[Ghidrah]

I lit up the pile this evening and got a message from the XP stating that there has been significant changes in the system and requires me to reactivate and reregister the OS within 3 days. Out of confusion and the need to have use of the pile on a daily basis, I followed the instructions.

I've been running XP Pro since 9/10/03. In that year plus, I doubled the DDR ram a few weeks after starting XP.
6/04, I added the USB HP digital camera.
3 weeks ago I added the USB Silver river external HDD to it.

I did try installing XPsp2 twice since it became available, but it conflicted with my NIS/04 and the HP camera software, no matter what both companies suggested I do, so I uninstalled sp2.

I thought XP was only concerned with hardware installations not software. Anyone know what's what?
Also, is there an email address that one could use contact MS with questions regarding issues like mine?

[Panama Red]

Just call MS on their 800 number and reactive over the phone.

[Ghidrah]

As I mentioned in the first post, I reactivated and reregistered the OS through the prompt. As for the 800 # I don't recall it showing up on the prompts.
I don't have a prob reactivating the OS, I was concerned and confused as to why I got the message in the first place. I was under the assumption that every time you turn your pile on and access the web, your pile sends data to MS to verify the hardware config against previous configs to catch pirating.

Has anyone else at PCM had this happen to them?

[TwoRails]

Ya, mine needed re-registration for no-apparent reason. I hadn't updated for months when I got the message. I think XP just gets confused...

[Pounder]

I added sata drive about 3 mo. ago, in the every day playing with my puter stuff I put a different pc on my main monitor, one that I bought at a computer parts show. It is a 21" sun that I was never happy with. When I put the different pc on it the picture was awesome. In a conversation with PR he said it might be my video drivers. So getting to the reactivation I uninstalled my video card drivers and then reinstalled them. After a reboot I recieved the warning to reactivate in three days, I had to call Microsoft and had to rattle off 9 sets of 6 digit numbers (to a machine) then was informed I had to talk to a representative and repeat all the numbers again. I was not real happy, I asked to talk to the complaint dept and she told me they didn't have one to personally talk to but she could give me a email address. I hung up ! I think a person should be able to change hardware to thier hearts content without all that hassle !!!!

[Pounder]

thanks Jon

[TwoRails]

Pounder brings up an interesting thought: I wonder if un-re-installing drivers and the like "counts" towards the reactivation limit.... ?? I wouldn' think so.

[Pounder]

thats why I got so upset I didn't change any hardware

[glc]

I had this happen out of the clear blue sky to a customer the other day. It reactivated online no problem. No clue as to the "why" it happened. There have been absolutely no hardware or software changes on this machine since the original XP install other than automatic windows and antivirus updates, and it does not have SP2.