Comments on: How to avoid having to reactivate Windows XP after fresh install

By: Pastor Carl Johnson

Pastor Carl Johnson — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:23:17 +0000

HELP!

I am just a Minister and not a techie!

Windows XP recently “suggested” removing unusued Windows components to release disk space on a 2004 Dimensions 2400 computer. We learned long ago that DELL made that computer where it cannot have any Operating System other than Win XP, but this experience has been angering, even for a Minister!

I agreed to remove the games, which I thought would be a few seconds later. But Windows required me to find the CD installation disk from MicroSoft and more than an hour went by while Windows apparently felt the need to reinstall everything. That was after a warning that I had to empty 400 MB of hard drive (in order to REMOVE a few programs!)

And then after that hour, it would not allow usage of the computer (after seven years of the brand new computer being used by the Church). The Church now has no computer as a result of this.

It does not seem willing to accept the Product Code that came with WinXP and the Dell computer.

However, when it says to call a phone number to try to get it re-activated, that space is blank!

The suggestion of copying that WPA.DBL file would have been great, but the computer’s attempt at total reinstallation seems to have replaced that file with a new file.

Windows brags about the Recycle Bin and such, but I do not see any way to find any backup copy of that file.

Is our Church now destined to throw that computer in the scrap and have to buy something new now? Until then, we seem to have lost our computer, just because I trusted WinXP to be able to remove unneeded game files.

Pastor Carl
A Christ Walk Church

(I probably will never see this forum again, so please use e-mail if there is any useful advice. cj@mb-soft.com

By: Kevin Tooke

Kevin Tooke — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:50 +0000

This tip simply doesn’t work. I’m still required to activate my copy of Windows XP.

By: Lest

Lest — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:51:56 +0000

Seems to be that Windows won’t activate if you replace too many parts. I’ve had that problem before, but simply called Micrsoft and gave them the key and explained the situation. They promptly gave me a new key! After that you can again reformat as many times as you like.

By: John

John — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:16:13 +0000

I’ve reinstalled win98 every 6 months ever since I’ve had it. My system becomes increasingly unstable and liable to crash. I doubt it’ll be different with windows xp – which I’m about to install now. REformatting fixes my problems 99% of the time and has been an invaluable tool at my disposal. Putting a limit on the number of times you can reactivate is stupid. The important thing to make sure is that this LEGAL copy of windows xp sp3 is on only ONE machine. That’s what’s important, not how many times you’ve installed/reinstalled!!!!

By: Sunil Jain

Sunil Jain — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:09:14 +0000

i think this might help if you want to activate Windows without a product key:

http://www.gupshupblog.com/2009/02/how-to-activate-windows-xp-without-product-key/

By: GdubMSNinja

GdubMSNinja — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:16:58 +0000

With some installations, you need to also copy the wpa.dbl, and the wpa.bak files and proceed to replace as instructed above. Some installations only have the wpa.dbl, but you will see which ones it has in the system32 file to be certain. Also, if you do need to call microsoft and have a volume license, you need to tell the agent the whole situation and mention how many computers you currenty have it installed on (not the ones you havent upgraded yet) and tell them you need to reactivate the software on the remainder machines. The do have at their power to reset the system so you can activate the rest w/o hastle…but dont be a dick to them!! Most struggle to comprehend basic english, so speak slowly in “laymens” terms and repeat your technical goals many times through the call!

By: Merlin

Merlin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:24:00 +0000

How should we deal with the following situation:

We have about 16 Win XP-pro licenses, most are SP2, but some are also SP3 CD’s

We have started to upgrade all our PCs with dual processors and S-ATA disks ( for speed and performance)

Guess what happens:
Right ! message “too many installations” pops up and we cannot continue without calling MS. ( TOO MANY ?? its only the second time
Is this the really right way to treat companies that have purchased genuine licenses ??

//I’m really tired of MS and their spyware//

Does anyone have any advice please ?

Merlin

By: andy

andy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:49:57 +0000

i had a problem with my orange broadband which i couldn’t fix……i risked a clean install of my genuine Xp home SP3 OEM i bought a week earlier (60£)…..great to say it installed and re-activated over the internet….i didnt do any changes to the system components though….

By: james

james — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:33:41 +0000

Hi there , i have a chinese XP (legal one) and i know a friend of mine told me we can change the language of XP on microsoft site.He did it from english to french and vice versa. I work in china but i cannot read chinese yet and would like to change mine to either english or french.Can i do the same?

By: Syed

Syed — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:07:04 +0000

Terrific!!!!!!!!! I work for an IT company and normally we do heaps of fresh re installation for our clients. I’m hoping I don’t need to do any more phone activation. Great tips. Thanks

By: John Higdon

John Higdon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:09:49 +0000

This only sometimes works. If you’ve upgraded your machine with the magic number (7) of changes you still have to call Micro$loth to have your activation completed or you will get the new nag screen.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:00:57 +0000

@daniel:
Yes, you can, as long as you have a legal license key with which to activate the O/S.

By: Guss

Guss — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:41:34 +0000

Tried with Windows XP pro SP3 (using the same machine),after the re install the above method does not work …

By: KnightOwl

KnightOwl — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:39:57 +0000

This article may explain why formatting the hard disk could result in reactivation. Copying over the WPA file will not work. Scroll down the page …

aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

By: f2x

f2x — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:35:25 +0000

If MS (or anyone else) had disclosed this early on, it could have dispelled a LOT of animosity. Only recently have I installed XP on my computer due to work related issues. The Windows Activation “feature” was a real turn off for me because I was extremely concerned about losing my ability to re-activate on subsequent re-installations. Had I known this trick, I would have purchased XP years ago. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have become quite the Linux geek I am today had it not been for the onus of “remote rejection”.