Windows is about to expire - requires activation?

ragz_2

After some recent hardware (network adaptor) problems with my pc and installing windows service pack 3 (not sure if related) my pc is telling me that due to hardware changes my copy of windows needs to be activated or it will expire. We were given the pc years ago with no disks so I don't have the key for it. What will happen when in 1 day it expires, will I not be able to use the pc at all?
I went to tesco to buy disks to back up data (and to download linux to just in case I needed an OS) but they'd run out so I've no way of backing up files before Windows expires.

Any advice greatfully recieved...
Ragz

busenbust

Provided it's a genuine and legal copy of XP installed, could you perhaps phone up Microsoft support for a reactivation key?

ragz_2

busenbust wrote: »

Provided it's a genuine and legal copy of XP installed, could you perhaps phone up Microsoft support for a reactivation key?

Thanks, I assumed the moneygrabbing B-words at MS would make me pay for one! Will give that a try.
If not, any idea what will happen tomorrow when it does expire, will the whole thing stop working?

busenbust

ragz wrote: »

Thanks, I assumed the moneygrabbing B-words at MS would make me pay for one! Will give that a try.
If not, any idea what will happen tomorrow when it does expire, will the whole thing stop working?

Sometimes, full-functionality ceases; other times, you get annoying prompts/reminders until all functionality ceases. But this is not permanent; you can still reactivate after the event IIRC.

ragz_2

Ok, crisis over, it didn't actually ask me for a key it just did it over the internet. Thanks all x

Garetha

If it all goes pear shaped before you can sort it - don't worry too much about lost documents - you will be able to recover them, possibly by attaching the hard drive to another computer. (ask here for details)

If you have important documents you might need quickly - email them to someone to look after for you.

Download Linux today if you can. Or you might find it on a magazine DVD at a newsagent.

Edit: panic over then!

busenbust

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robt_2

ragz wrote: »

Ok, crisis over, it didn't actually ask me for a key it just did it over the internet. Thanks all x

Glad it is all sorted - but why didn't you just do that to start with instead of panicking?

ragz_2

robt wrote: »

Glad it is all sorted - but why didn't you just do that to start with instead of panicking?

Cos I'm an idiot
was scared if I started it and didn't have a code then it'd refuse to do anything!

busenbust

ragz wrote: »

Cos I'm an idiot
was scared if I started it and didn't have a code then it'd refuse to do anything!

Lol, glad you got it sorted anyhow

BillScarab

To be fair to Microsoft they're pretty good about re-activating Windows after a hardware change. I've had to do it several times in the past and never had a problem either over the internet or on the phone.