Thank you for replying, but I have to be honest. This process below will
take just as long as doing activation online.

"Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
news:OB8JHD3%23FHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> How to get around the activation problems:
> How to format/reinstall Windows without having to Register or Activate.
>
> Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP
>
> Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows XP on
> a system but you did not want to mess around with Microsoft's Product
> Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you do not have to. As long
> as you are not making any hardware alterations, you can back up the
> activation status files before you reformat the hard drive and then
> restore them after you reinstall the operating system.
>
> To perform the backup, follow these steps:
>
> 1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
> 2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.
>
> To perform the restore, follow these steps:
>
> 1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation
> procedure, and restart Windows XP.
> 2. During boot up, press F8 to access the Windows Advanced Options menu.
> 3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option.
> 4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
> 5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to Wpadbl.new
> and Wpabak.new.
> 6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk or CD
> to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
> 7. Restart the system.
>
>
>
> --
> Peter
> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR.
> "Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote in message news:%23fDHK%231%

True ;-)

--
Peter
XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR.
"Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote in message
news:%23Bj95O3%23FHA.2564@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Thank you for replying, but I have to be honest. This process below will
> take just as long as doing activation online.
>
> "Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
> news:OB8JHD3%23FHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> How to get around the activation problems:
>> How to format/reinstall Windows without having to Register or Activate.
>>
>> Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP
>>
>> Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows XP
>> on a system but you did not want to mess around with Microsoft's Product
>> Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you do not have to. As long
>> as you are not making any hardware alterations, you can back up the
>> activation status files before you reformat the hard drive and then
>> restore them after you reinstall the operating system.
>>
>> To perform the backup, follow these steps:
>>
>> 1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.
>>
>> To perform the restore, follow these steps:
>>
>> 1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation
>> procedure, and restart Windows XP.
>> 2. During boot up, press F8 to access the Windows Advanced Options menu.
>> 3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option.
>> 4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to Wpadbl.new
>> and Wpabak.new.
>> 6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk or CD
>> to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 7. Restart the system.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Peter
>> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
>> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR.
>> "Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote in message news:%23fDHK%231%
>
>

In message <e94W350#FHA.2320@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl> "Mark Smith"
<DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote:

>Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
>realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said screw it
>and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for 4 minutes.

That was rather stupid of you. You could have completed activation
within that 4 minute window you were on hold.

--
I've given up on sigs. I just couldn't think of anything clever to say.

I had questions to ask the tech....if you had read the rest of my post. And
how would I know how long it would take seeing as how this was the first
time the process took place?

Keep up the good work with your witty and scholarly replies, okay?

"DevilsPGD" <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net> wrote in > That was rather stupid
of you. You could have completed activation
> within that 4 minute window you were on hold.

"Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote:

>About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
>defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it was fast
>and easy. Well guess what.
>
>I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that before the
>effects could take place I had to reboot. When I rebooted, I got the
>Activation popup saying I my hardware configuration had changed.
>
>Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I don't know
>how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the activation
>automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on dial-up by the way.
>
>Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
>realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said screw it
>and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for 4 minutes. When
>she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb camera. She explained
>that everytime my hardware changed I would have to reactivate.
>
>I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer coming, so I
>had better wait before reactivating now because I don't want to have to go
>through this again when my new hardware arrives from newegg.
>
>She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out my 60
>digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I had to enter
>to reactivate.
>

Have you read the article on activation by the late Alex Nichol MVP at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm ?

That explains how the activation process works, and indicates which
specific hardware components are monitored for changes.

It is important to realize that the hardware changes are cumulative
since the last actual activation, so that it can be a single,
seemingly quite trivial, hardware change such as adding more RAM or
replacing the CDROM drive that can trigger the need to reactivate.

Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

Mark Smith wrote:
> About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
> defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it was
> fast and easy. Well guess what.
>
> I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that before
> the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I rebooted, I got
> the Activation popup saying I my hardware configuration had changed.
>
> Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I
> don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
> activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
> dial-up by the way.
> Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
> realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
> screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for 4
> minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
> camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would have
> to reactivate.

She lied. Activation isn't supposed to work that way, but Activation
doesn't always work the way it is supposed to.

>
> I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer coming,
> so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't want to
> have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives from
> newegg.
> She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out my
> 60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I had
> to enter to reactivate.
>
> This whole process took exactly 10 minutes. And I am going to have to
> go through this every time I connect a USB camera? Are you kidding me?
>
> The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it into my USB hub it says
> found new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take effect.
>
> Will MS pay for me to get a card reader so I don't have to keep
> disconnecting my camera? I can't believe I am going to have to go
> through this again when my video card gets here. I am going to make
> damn sure I do the DVD writer at the same time.
>
> How much money is MS saving by doing this activation?

I would guess that it costs MS and its stockholders more than it saves
from piracy.

> I am telling
> you that I am actually thinking about getting an illegal copy of XP
> now!!!!!

Many people use the "Corp Edition" to bypass PA problems, even though
they own a legit copy.

> When I bought this XP from Circuit City, you guys should have had this
> disclaimer on it:
>
> WARNING: Microsoft now makes it very inconvenient for you to use XP
> if you are going to build your own computer.

And actually have the truth on the box?! ROFL!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

BigJIm wrote:
> Bull Shit

We have a deep thinker here!

> "Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote in message
> news:e94W350%23FHA.2320@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>> About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
>> defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it
>> was fast and easy. Well guess what.
>>
>> I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that
>> before the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I
>> rebooted, I got the Activation popup saying I my hardware
>> configuration had changed. Before that I switched HDD's around and
>> put in a new cd drive. I
>> don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
>> activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
>> dial-up by the way. Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my
>> activations. I then
>> realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
>> screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for
>> 4 minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
>> camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would
>> have to reactivate. I told her I had a new video card coming and a
>> new DVD writer
>> coming, so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't
>> want to have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives
>> from newegg. She said I could not wait and that I was going to have
>> to call out
>> my 60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I
>> had to enter to reactivate.
>>
>> This whole process took exactly 10 minutes. And I am going to have
>> to go through this every time I connect a USB camera? Are you
>> kidding me? The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it into my USB
>> hub it says
>> found new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take
>> effect. Will MS pay for me to get a card reader so I don't have to
>> keep
>> disconnecting my camera? I can't believe I am going to have to go
>> through this again when my video card gets here. I am going to make
>> damn sure I do the DVD writer at the same time.
>>
>> How much money is MS saving by doing this activation? I am telling
>> you that I am actually thinking about getting an illegal copy of XP
>> now!!!!! When I bought this XP from Circuit City, you guys should
>> have had
>> this disclaimer on it:
>>
>> WARNING: Microsoft now makes it very inconvenient for you to use XP
>> if you are going to build your own computer.



--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

Mark Smith wrote:
> Thank you for replying, but I have to be honest. This process below
> will take just as long as doing activation online.
>
> "Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
> news:OB8JHD3%23FHA.360@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> How to get around the activation problems:
>> How to format/reinstall Windows without having to Register or
>> Activate. Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP
>>
>> Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows
>> XP on a system but you did not want to mess around with Microsoft's
>> Product Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you do not have
>> to. As long as you are not making any hardware alterations, you can
>> back up the activation status files before you reformat the hard
>> drive and then restore them after you reinstall the operating system.
>>
>> To perform the backup, follow these steps:
>>
>> 1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.
>>
>> To perform the restore, follow these steps:
>>
>> 1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation
>> procedure, and restart Windows XP.
>> 2. During boot up, press F8 to access the Windows Advanced Options
>> menu. 3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option.
>> 4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to
>> Wpadbl.new and Wpabak.new.
>> 6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk
>> or CD to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
>> 7. Restart the system.
>>
>>
>>

And it only works if the hardware stays exactly the same!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

Ron Martell wrote:
> "Mark Smith" <DontEmailMe@cnn.com> wrote:
>
>> About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
>> defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it
>> was fast and easy. Well guess what.
>>
>> I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that
>> before the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I
>> rebooted, I got the Activation popup saying I my hardware
>> configuration had changed.
>>
>> Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I
>> don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
>> activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
>> dial-up by the way.
>>
>> Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
>> realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
>> screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for
>> 4 minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
>> camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would
>> have to reactivate.
>>
>> I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer
>> coming, so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't
>> want to have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives
>> from newegg.
>>
>> She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out
>> my 60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I
>> had to enter to reactivate.
>>
>
> Have you read the article on activation by the late Alex Nichol MVP at
> http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm ?
>
> That explains how the activation process works, and indicates which
> specific hardware components are monitored for changes.
>
> It is important to realize that the hardware changes are cumulative
> since the last actual activation, so that it can be a single,
> seemingly quite trivial, hardware change such as adding more RAM or
> replacing the CDROM drive that can trigger the need to reactivate.
>
> Good luck
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

And the one thing that is missing in that article is the acknowlegement
that PA doesn't always work the way it is supposed to.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

"kurttrail" <dontemailme@anywhereintheknowuniverse.org> wrote in message
news:OUueg84%23FHA.228@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Mark Smith wrote:
>
> Many people use the "Corp Edition" to bypass PA problems, even though they
> own a legit copy.
>

Wait a minute. You telling me if I have XP Pro I don't have to fool with
this activation?