FAQ's About Windows XP Activation

[Steve R Jones]

Thought this would caome in handy since there are so many questions about Windows XP activation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Microsoft Product Activation (http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q302/8/78.ASP) (from MS)



This article is also pretty interesting:
What is product activation?
http://j-walk.com/ss/excel/activation.htm

[muchmark]

Bottom line? If somebody wants to steal software, they will. This has always been true, and it will remain true. Product activation may deter a few, but it will have no significant net effect on piracy.

So why the rigmaroll ?

This leads to the ultimate question, Why are they doing this? The simple answer: A company that has a monopoly can do whatever they want, without regard to customer inconvenience and negative publicity.


here here

[earnie86]

Yes product aggravation is an inconvenience for the honest consumer, and the subject of a plethora of questions. But the fact that XP is the best average consumer OS, and M$ has a monopoly due to that fact, will be the reason that millions of people will put up with it.

[NDC]

I would also like to add...

Windows XP Comparison Guide (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp)

[skybolt_1]

Product activation is overrated. First of all, its not really all that bad. I have swapped out hard drives, and some other pieces of hardware without having any red flags raised by my (legal) copy of XP Home. However, if you are the type of person who swaps things out on a daily basis, then I suggest that you go looking for a copy of XP Corporate, which is being neither advertised nor, as it seems, highlighted in the media. This version looks and works the exact same way as Professional, but there is one major difference, in that there simply is no product activation. They just left it out!

So for those of you who are the paranoid types or just have to constantly be changing your machines parts, I highly reccommend you go out and find yourself a copy of Corporate.

skybolt_1

[MrElusive]

also known on the web as the 'Dell Edition'

[Lycia]

Originally posted by MrElusive
also known on the web as the 'Dell Edition'

Actually, no. The Dell Edition is just that. A version of XP for Dell computers that some one leaked. WindowsXP Corporate is a Microsoft Product. It works like Windows2K Professional and previous versions of Windows.

[Kurylo]

I've tried to activate my M$ WinXP by a method I've found at one place. And it succeeded! That's interesting, how easily it can be cracked. Like a glass.

[BL00EY!]

While I understand that microsoft wan'ts to cut down on piracy all activation does is cut out the non-serious "warez" users. Someone unwilling to take the time or effort or has the skill and patients to look for a crack and then apply it. I myself have tried out various programs using a warezed version or a serial. I ALWAYS buy anything i'm going to keep and or use for an extended period of time.
After all, i don't buy a car without a test drive...:)


"trippin' the beer fantastic..."

BL00EY!

[Spattison]

I have a burned copy of XP pro at home that someone gave me. I loaded it on my pc once to check out the OS. I didnt have to register or activate my copy. I am however going to go out and buy another copy of it to reigister.

[Jimstep]

Does anyone remember back in the old days when IBM use to give you the software as part of buying the hardware. Of course you had to have a mainframe to run the software.

I understand Microsoft wanting to protect its interests. But, $200 for a pc operating system is very high. I own five computers. I am not going to spend $1000 just to operate the computers. It is not worth it.

The XP activation policy is going to make me think real hard about another operating system, such as Linux, to run my systems.

[Wilan Wong]

Well.. there are more and more cracked version of Windows XP that is already cracked for you, and this means many people can install Windows XP without a product activation.. which really defeats the point of product activation when it really doesn't benefit anyone, since a large potion of warez can easily crack it already, and it serves as an inconveience for honest consumers.

[BobViper]

ALOHA

Xp Corporate! The only way to eXPerience XP!

[Colonel Casio]

Does Product Activation work the same way with individual Office Apps? If different, how so? If you you do not wish to be bothered with Product Activation then buy W2K Pro. I've upgraded to it from W98 FE & absolutely love it. It has been 110% ROCK SOLID!!!

[Aarmenaa]

I understand Microsoft wanting to protect its interests. But, $200 for a pc operating system is very high. I own five computers. I am not going to spend $1000 just to operate the computers. It is not worth it.

I have at least five computers that are capable of running Windows XP- maybe more! There is corporate liscense argeements, which means that it doesn't cost quite so much, and there's no activation, but it's still much more expensive that it needs to be. I remember running around with my one copy of Windows 98 SE, and just loading it on every computer I owned- for less that a hundred bucks! I would have payed at least twice that or more to do it the "honest" way. It's not the privicy issues that get me-go through everything on my system, my files, everything- I have nothing to hide, but mess with my money, and we have a problem!:D Who else feels this way?

-Aarmenaa

[BobViper]

ALOHA
Yes price IS Ridiculous:rolleyes: !

They spend a Lot of money with product Activation when
All they had to do was Charge A Far price!Then they wouldn't
have needed to worry about Piracey so much!

If Ms only understood they Help to feed The dark Side of Computers!

HowEver I Won't Give Up My Freedom as easily as "Aarmenaa"
seems to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aloha~BobViper

[ShadowBlaster]

Well.... it was only one week since Win XP was released... I remember reading at www.cdfreaks.com that at that moment, no one had yet cracked Win XP...... hahaha, I was already running it :D ... it was Win XP Professional, and somehow there was no Activation feature... it was already cracked!!!
We at Mexico might live at the third world, but, there are no such thing as protection for us... we do it always first :D

[BobViper]

ALOHA~ShadowBlaster

Sorry to Burst your Pirating Bubble~

"We at Mexico might live at the third world, but, there are no such thing as protection for us... we do it always first"

All you did was Steal one of the First copies of Xp Pro Corporate Edition Which Has NO Activation:D !

So much for Third World Firsts:rolleyes: !!

ALOHA

[Monster1]

I really dont understand what the big problem is with the activation required via the home edition....

I remember playing the old kings quest on my 286 and about every 15 mins (not really 15 but..) it would ask me what word was on page 15 in the 2nd paragraph in the instruction manual..and if you did'nt put in the right word you were done playing or at least untill you got a copy of the manual


Now that was aggravating

[Nukes]

Day of the tentacle, when u couldn't see the diagrams properley in the manual. U just write out a list of what it asks for.

[araaraara]

How 'bout the original version of "Indy Car Racing"? This old 286 game asked for a word from the manual everytime you started it, such a pain. My dad copied the 3 floppies from a friend and he also copied the entire manual! We've still got it kicking around the house somewhere...

[Monster1]

Thats right..so stop your *****in. LOL

[araaraara]

Doesn't Micro****s license to print/(steal our) money expire soon?

[Keithpup]

:D
SO far I have been fairly happy with 2000 + bubbles... at least as compared to older wind0ze OS's. The real problem I am waiting for is with big operations like us where we re image PC's every time a new user or moved user takes a PC.
I am waiting for some sort of problem based on the idea that we have XXXX licenses and XXXX workstations, but have "installed or activated" the XXXX number of workstation s a lot of times.
.....
.....
....
:cool:

[Keithpup]

Hey that game sounds like Masters of Orion, same deal,.,,, got to be a pain in the Anus.:rolleyes:

[slingshot]

I have reloaded XP Home numerous times on the same system and have activated online without a problem each time!

I recently replaced my motherboard and cpu and did a clean install!

When I tried to activate it caught it right away! I had to call MS and get a new ID number!

Only took about three minutes, No biggy!

ss

[Ammok]

Ive got XP pro and wish I had stayed with Win2k.

Is there a way back? Anyone? Help..........

[Spattison]

I think can uninstall XP back to the origonal OS providing you didnt delete the back up of your old OS that XP generates.

[rwnancar]

MS wants the users to get used to dialing home all the time, so that when they starting RENTING their programs by the month or day no will *****. We can already see how many people have rolled over.

[Ammok]

Spatty,

Know how I would find out if the old back up was there?

Cheers.