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Windows XP Reinstall

2

Comments

  • intel
    intel Posts: 6,404 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    cundall wrote:
    Yes you have to reactivate xp but not with a new key if you contact M$ first, when i did it i contacted them via email

    Dont do it by email as then they have your email address and thats
    traceable via the ISP... Phone them is best as there uis no waiting
    its instant and they ask for NO address details. DPA
  • intel wrote:
    This is no t true as I have replaced a HDD in a laptop and had to reactivate it
    as I told the editor of Computer Shopper Mar 2006 Edition page 249, as Its not only motherboard changeover thats wrong ist HDD and Mobo change.

    And phoning them is the best way to get a new key as if you have done
    this you should know that they dont take any address details from the user all
    they ask for is the installlation serial and that informs them that its a genuine
    version of XP.
    whats an istallation serial?

    Sorry that im such a noob but am i correct in thinking that i use my serial number to install it and then the code microsoft give me to activate it?
  • cundall
    cundall Posts: 859 Forumite
    So what if it's traceable if you are not doing anything wrong, unless you put 141 before you call they could (most likely will not) log your phone number.
  • intel
    intel Posts: 6,404 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    When you are setting up XP (installing it) you may be prompted to install
    a serial number, thats the one on the label thats stuck to the PC.
  • cundall
    cundall Posts: 859 Forumite
    oasis13 wrote:
    whats an istallation serial?

    Sorry that im such a noob but am i correct in thinking that i use my serial number to install it and then the code microsoft give me to activate it?

    Yeh thats right, you install it with the same s/n and then have 30 days to activate it either via phone or online. If you do it online it takes less than 20 seconds, if you do it via the phone you will get a code to enter at a guess 25 numbers long (letters as well)
  • cundall wrote:
    Yeh thats right, you install it with the same s/n and then have 30 days to activate it either via phone or online. If you do it online it takes less than 20 seconds, if you do it via the phone you will get a code to enter at a guess 25 numbers long (letters as well)
    I see... But because im putting it on a new harddrive its more complicated and i need to contact them personally...
  • GaryS
    GaryS Posts: 807 Forumite
    Cannot see what the problem is ?

    If you have a legit copy of XP then does it matter if you have to re-activate it ?

    Also, if you change the format of a drive from FAT32 to NTFS, you have to reactivate it then. - I know, I have done it recently with no problems
  • Hi
    Sorry don't really understand this.
    I have 2 computers running the same copy of xp home edition, did't have to phone up microsoft, when I installed the second copy, put in the exact same s/n as the first one and then went online and activated it, no problems whatsover. Then put sp2 on and their both set up to receive microsoft updates.
    I believe I read somewherethat microsoft are not really bother about the home edition and that they allow 1 copy on 2 machines.
    Anyway that's what I've done and their both working fine, no problems whatsoever.


    Hope this helps
  • oasis13
    oasis13 Posts: 43 Forumite
    ok, the only problem now is the disk... Brasso did not fix it :(
  • oasis13 wrote:
    ok, the only problem now is the disk... Brasso did not fix it :(

    Do you know anyone that you could borrow a disc from and try your old s/n with it.
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