xp activation

[raftero]

i ran into a problem with my setup, for some reason i lost the ability to set up the dialing for access to internet,restore wouldn't work so i reformatted and installed,i know there has been a lot of discussion about activation if this is done so i was a little worried that i would have to contact microsoft but after i determined everything was working i activated and no problem.i had read here it would work and it did.maybe BILL isn't so bad afterall HA

[LawyerRon]

raftero
I don't know the answer to your question but I need the same info:
We built a machine for a friend about a week ago and he took it home and promply downloaded a virus off of Imesh. He wants to reformat the hard drive. He then asked me about activation, so I'm looking into it. I've heard all you do is contact MS and they give you a code or something to that effect.

[Paul Victorey]

If the machine is the same, hardware-wise, it should activate without a problem.

If not, it's a 5 minute phone call.

[LawyerRon]

Thanks Paul.

[raftero]

i guess i wasn't to clear,i reformatted etc and just used the online activation and it worked no problem,it was the same computer,no need to call microsoft.

[not important]

I've reactivated several times. I just use the Online avtivation. No problems.

[Paul Victorey]

Originally posted by raftero i guess i wasn't to clear,i reformatted etc and just used the online activation and it worked no problem,it was the same computer,no need to call microsoft.

Yeah, I was answering Ron's question. So long as the computer is, on a hardware level, the same (or similar enough), then you don't need any special reactivation, the automatic activation will work. If the machine is substantially different, you need to call for reactivation, which is quite easy to do, takes about 5 mins. They do ask why you need the code (I answered that we were installing an old copy of XP on a new machine), they asked if we had removed XP from the other machine (we had), they gave us a code and all was good.

And hey, Ron, you're a lawyer, can't you talk your way out of any scenario?

[LawyerRon]

"And hey, Ron, you're a lawyer, can't you talk your way out of any scenario? "

Yeah Paul, when I'm being paid!