Before reading this thread and finding out that XP may be a lot easier to reinstall on a new system than I was led to believe, I wondered why Microsoft didn't simply put in a product deactivation feature in XP. You would deactivate XP and it would give you 30 days to reactivate it on your current system or could be reactivated on a new system.

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WarPig's link of the week:
http://www.merel.us/Joker/Joke%20Archive/021703.htm

Last time I changed motherboards I smacked in the new stuff (mobo, vid, etc, kept same hard drive), then did a "repair" from the XP install and it all worked fine after that. YMMV.

There's a man out there I haven't seen in 15 years who's trying to kill me.

What are the odds that I'm going to have problems with the XP activation system?

All my software is OEM and I have reinstalled it on various different hard disks and different configurations of what can loosely be described as my computer. Never had a problem, although if you do, you can just phone the activation line. They won't ask you anything other than your keynumber, then they'll just give you the code. AFAIK, they are not allowed to say "sorry, you've used up your licences" etc. I've done millions of installs on millions of technically different systems (though always the same box), and never had a prob tho.

Also, as far as is there any way to avoid reformatting, the short answer is no, although if you're lucky you can just plug everything in and there's a 10% chance it'll work for longer than 10 mins. I'd reformat, and do what someone said - partition 5GB or so (did you say XP? better make it 15 :)) and install the OS there. Then save everything else to the other.

Good luck!

Edit: credit where it's due - that someone was mag!
_____________________________
Insert funny quote here
This comment was edited on Apr 24, 05:52.

Brian Griffin: Peter, only one gift was for charity the rest where for the family.

Peter Griffin: No the rest were FROM the family... weren't they? Aw crap, since when did they change the meaning of for to from?

Brian Griffin: I think they had a meeting about it last night.

Peter Griffin: Why wasn't I told?

Brian Griffin: They sent you a card but it said 'For Peter' on it so you must have thought it was FROM you, so you didn't uh, you know it's just easier to call you stupid.

Cause he's a noob, wsarsdeazedessw.

ahk...., why are you running at 800x600???

Anything less than 1024x768 is a pain in the ass to me

run, fly kites, wrestle jump and play...

Producer: Have you ever thought about directing?

Brian: Just every waking moment!

Producer: Good. Because I need someone who is smart, ambitious and not addicted to meth.

Brian: Well, I am smart and ambitious. Hahaha

Producer: No, seriously...

Brian: No, really I'm clean.


"It's like "Bang the Drum Slowly". Except the drum's a chick.
- Family Guy

You can't see it at 8x6. Grrr. That ad is pissing me off too.


"It's like "Bang the Drum Slowly". Except the drum's a chick.
- Family Guy
This comment was edited on Apr 23, 17:36.

What are the odds that I'm going to have problems with the XP activation system?

I did what you are describing except the only thing I kept was the vid card.

My previous install of XP was at least 1.5 YO. I was expecting to be forced into calling Microsoft and explaining myself. When it came time to activate I tried online first and had no problems at all.

Don't you hate it when you have all those parts and can't touch them for a couple of days?

-TPFKAS2S
http://www.braglio.com

After doing some more research I may or may not be screwed (which pretty much puts me back in the same place I was at). My big concern is that I'm pretty sure my XP copies (1 Pro, 1 Home) are OEM (one from NewEgg, one from Monarch... Monarch is local for me).

There's some good info at http://www.windowsreinstall.com and http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html .

Keep a few gig for the OS, put everything else on another partition.

I used to do this, but I got tired of everything wanting to install crap on the C: drive. I could go on a diatribe about how inane drive letters are, but won't. The fact of the matter is, if you have to wipe the OS you may as well reinstall all your apps too. Too much crap in the registry and put in the Windows directory to actually rely on anything working after you do so.

And there's always the programs that absolutely, positively refuse to install anywhere but C:. Had some of those that I had no choice but to use... what joy that was.

I know that if you're swapping motherboards around, you're definitely going to need to reinstall Windows, or everything'll be pretty ghetto and buggy.
And no, this should not mean needing to completely wipe the drive.
OTOH, if you do wipe the drive, I would recommend setting up at least two partitions on it so you won't have to do it again. Keep a few gig for the OS, put everything else on another partition. Then when the time comes to blow away Windows again and start from scratch, you don't lose everything.

And I have no idea about the activation thing.

What are the odds that I'm going to have problems with the XP activation system?

If you have to ask, remove all your clothing, spread your legs and arms, and face the wall. The Product Activation Department will be over shortly (you pirate you).

(Naturally, I kid...)

edit: BILL GATES IS GOING TO MAKE YOU HIS BITCH!


http://www.depechemode.com
This comment was edited on Apr 23, 15:15.

Anyone done a major system upgrade with XP? As in -- replacing everything short of the HD and video card?

Have parts for a new Ath64 system sitting at home (long story short, wife's PC is having problems, she told me to buy new system and she takes my current system). Won't be able to do the upgrade until Monday/Tuesday, and would like it to go as smoothly as possible. I fear I may have to completely wipe and reinstall the drives, since they are moving to all new MBs/chips (athlon TB 1.4 KT266A->XP 2.2 nForce2; XP 2.2 nForce2->64 3.0 nForce3 150). Any way to avoid that?

What are the odds that I'm going to have problems with the XP activation system?

I question just how cost-efficient those things can possibly be, though.

I dunno either. There are occasional horror stories about a car being unretrievable or getting mangled by the machinery, but I don't know that it's more common than having your car stolen or stripped in a regular lot. I'd have to guess it's pretty uncommon -- you can't really disclaim damage when it's all your own machinery doing the work. If it was a common problem then you wouldn't be able to get insurance and you'd get slaughtered by lawsuits from angry people.

explaining to the angry monkeys patrons of my fine establishment

Oook!!!! OOK OOK OOK! <scratch>


Edit - added the strikeout... then edited to close the strikeout. Had to hit the Edit button about 5 times to actually get the dialog though.

This comment was edited on Apr 23, 14:25.

I tried to get into sports, but they just make me bored. I guess i'm not one for passive entertainment, I barely even watch tv. Then agian I usualy don't even enjoy sports video games or going out and playing any kind of sport. I'm just not a sporty kinda guy.

On the other hand I can make music, and that makes chicks flock like bee's to the hive. Hey Ladies, get funky!

"He was a big boy and obviously aroused," Alsop told the Sun newspaper on Thursday.

Its not like a Renault Laguna has even as close of a form as another rhino. =) But I guess horny rhino's dont care about looks, they jump everything. *shrugs*

Oh and about nVIDIA. Considering the RADEON will run HL2 better even against the comparable nVIDIA card its not a hard desicion to buy ATI's card.

This comment was edited on Apr 23, 13:47.

Non-closable ads suck shit. Fucking espn

since you are the second person i've heard make this complaint: i thought the ad wasn't closeable at first as well, but there is a grey "close" link in the bottom left corner of the ad.

- tron -
---
"tron is big and tron is full of action"
-from the Tron 2.0 box

I'm thinking Slippery Sledding is a repeat? (I still suck at it.)

i sent it to blue back in december, but he didn't post it so i posted it to the ootb forums. the trick to the game is to do as many consecutive jumps as possible, as each increases your multiplier. it's fun until level 4 or 5 (whichever it is) when it turns into a whole different game based solely on manuevering...


- tron -
---
"tron is big and tron is full of action"
-from the Tron 2.0 box

Mirsky and Zathrus: Well shit, you fuckers are right. Those garages actually make some practical sense after a little ancillary research.

I question just how cost-efficient those things can possibly be, though. I mean, this is something with many, many huge moving parts, and if one little thing fucks up, people are temporarily deprived of their beloved vehicles. Having, er, "dabbled" in customer service from time to time (I'm a minimum wage monkey, alright? There. Don't waste your time with that GED, kids), I can tell you that is one big rotten banana that I emphatically would not enjoy explaining to the angry monkeys patrons of my fine establishment...as much as I do delight in tormenting them.

Assholes.