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I have a legit XP Home copy, and I just validated it. If I reformat my hard drive, will I have to buy another new XP disk or can I still use the original one?
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Providing the hardware hasn't changed, you wont even have to call MS. You can activiate over the Internet jsut the same as for a new installation.
Stuart
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A hdd is not part of the windows activation checklist. Go for it! But if you try to stick that old one in a different machine with xp on it you may get jammed a bit.
In The Matters Of Style,
swim with the current;
in matters of principle,
Stand Like A Rock
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In response to -
"Name: StuartS
Date: August 15, 2006 at 19:50:32 Pacific
Subject: Quick Genuine Advantage Question
Reply:
Providing the hardware hasn't changed, you wont even have to call MS. You can activiate over the Internet jsut the same as for a new installation."Microsoft has changed something. I got a new motherboard, and the 64 bit version of windows. Well,, I screwed up some of the drivers,, namely the nvidia firewall (,, have to turn off windows firewall,, or will freeze the machine) to make a long story short, by the second or third rebuild on the new windows xp64 in a three day period,, I had to call. To this day, I still have to call every time I install win64. By the way,, its still the same machine,,, no new hardware.
If your not learning,, your just sitting there
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I guess I can't keep that hard drive that's activated, and put the new one in and use the same key... stupid M$
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I don't know why you can't change out the hdd and reinstall a fresh copy of the program and use the same windows activation key.
As I said before the hdd is not one of the checked items during the activation check, so the system really doesn't know that you swapped hdd.
If you swap more than a hdd at the same time then there is a strong possibility that you will have to make a call to M$ to get it activated
Now all that is conditional that you have a legitimate copy of the activation code and not borrowed from someone else.
Another option would be to go to the manufacturer's web site and download the uttility disk and follow the instructions to slave the drive and then copy the complete data of the old drive over to the new drive.
To temperal72,
there is good reason not to rush to activation after an installation....wait it out till you know it is correctly installed before activating the key and you don't have to worry about that..
People just seem to rush everything and somethings don't need to be rushed.
In The Matters Of Style,
swim with the current;
in matters of principle,
Stand Like A Rock
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>> To this day, I still have to call every time I install win64. <<
The same copy being activated three times in three days has alerted MS to the fact that someone might be trying to install it on three different machines. It is not something you would normally do.
As lurkswithin says, wait until you have a stable working system - you do have 30 days.
Stuart
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What would happen if I reinstalled XP on the new HDD, but added more ram and a new video card a few weeks after?
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Actually the hard disk is one of the checked items. When Windows checkes the hardware, it allocates points for each item that is different. Most hardware items get one point, except the NIC if is there is one which gets three. It's the only item that can be positively identified beyond any doubt.
If the points count comes to four or more then a new activation key is required. This is for a standard desktop, the rules are slightly different for a laptop and docking station. Its all there in the MS web site if you take the time to read it.
This means that changing just the hard disk should not require phone call the MS. Changing the NIC and one other item will. Changing the hard disk, memory and video card simultaneously should not cause a problem. But, as with all hardware upgrades, do one at a time so that if a problem does arise, you have a better idea of what is causing it.
Then after 120 days, the whole thing is reset and you can start again.
Stuart
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