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XP Pro ask to be activated after every reboot
I have beeing using XP Pro for over 12months. After updating to Service pack 2 and a supsequent security update Windows ask after every reboot or startup to activate the O/S.
This is going on every Day now and after every activation I receive confirmation that my O/S is registered. Not funny anymore, can anybody help.
This is going on every Day now and after every activation I receive confirmation that my O/S is registered. Not funny anymore, can anybody help.
If it doesnot help , try reinstalling
You may perform a repair installation
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/tips/dougknox/doug92.asp
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;314058&
You may perform a repair installation
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/tips/dougknox/doug92.asp
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;314058&
if you have activation key or CD KEY, the following procedure can also work
>>>> usually manufacturers put a small sticker somewhere on the computer or it might be on the cd sleeve
1. Run Regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAR
2. Double click on OOBETimer. The value should be something like:
CA 82 B8 55 D4 04 B5 CF CC 5B 24 97
3. WRITE DOWN what the FIRST letter pair is, in this case "CA"
4. Change the first letter pair to something different like FF
> THIS WILL DEACTIVATE YOUR WINDOWS XP REGISTRATION -
"DO NOT REBOOT FROM THIS POINT ON UNTIL YOU FINISH THIS PROCEDURE"
5. Now, Click on Start --> Run and %systemroot%/system32/oobe
Chose the option to activate by phone, You will then be given another screen where you can click on the Change Product Key button.
6. Click on the Change Product Key button, and key in your CD-Key.
7. It will show you the CD-Key is accepted,
8. click on "Remind Me Later" to exit out of the msoobe.exe program.
9. Go back into Regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAR
10.Change the first letter pair BACK to what you wrote down it was in Step 2 before you changed it.
> This will RE-ACTIVATE your Windows XP registration.
11.Now, Click on Start-->Run and run %systemroot%/system32/oobe
>>>>>>> It should now say "Windows is already active" Click OK to exit. <<<<<<<<
>>>> usually manufacturers put a small sticker somewhere on the computer or it might be on the cd sleeve
1. Run Regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAR
2. Double click on OOBETimer. The value should be something like:
CA 82 B8 55 D4 04 B5 CF CC 5B 24 97
3. WRITE DOWN what the FIRST letter pair is, in this case "CA"
4. Change the first letter pair to something different like FF
> THIS WILL DEACTIVATE YOUR WINDOWS XP REGISTRATION -
"DO NOT REBOOT FROM THIS POINT ON UNTIL YOU FINISH THIS PROCEDURE"
5. Now, Click on Start --> Run and %systemroot%/system32/oobe
Chose the option to activate by phone, You will then be given another screen where you can click on the Change Product Key button.
6. Click on the Change Product Key button, and key in your CD-Key.
7. It will show you the CD-Key is accepted,
8. click on "Remind Me Later" to exit out of the msoobe.exe program.
9. Go back into Regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAR
10.Change the first letter pair BACK to what you wrote down it was in Step 2 before you changed it.
> This will RE-ACTIVATE your Windows XP registration.
11.Now, Click on Start-->Run and run %systemroot%/system32/oobe
>>>>>>> It should now say "Windows is already active" Click OK to exit. <<<<<<<<
Could we get an update on the status of this request?
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http://is-it-true.org/nt/xp/atips/atips13.shtml
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When you activate Windows XP, Microsoft stores the data in the Windows Product Activation database files wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak in the folder %systemroot%\system32. If you change the motherboard or make significant hardware changes, XP will require you to reactive. But if you plan to reinstall XP on the same hardware, you can back up the activation status and then restore it after you reinstall and avoid the activation process. You can backup the Windows Product Activation database files to diskette. They are very small. A directory listing from my XP Pro workstation:
C:\WINDOWS\system32>dir wp*
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 8447-0571
Directory of C:\WINDOWS\system32
10/24/2001 08:28 PM 12,584 wpa.bak
01/14/2002 09:05 AM 12,642 wpa.dbl
After you reinstall XP, to restore the Windows Product Activation database files:
Start XP to Minimal Safe mode
Change directory to the \%systemroot%\system32 folder
Rename the newly created wpa.dbl to wpa.nonactivated and wpa.bak, if it exists, to wpabak.nonactivated.
Copy your backed up wpa.dbl and wpb.bak files to the system32 folder
Reboot
This should work if you want to avoid activating XP after a reinstall or restore on the same or very similar hardware. It will not work if the hardware is significantly different from that in place when the Windows Product Activation database files were created. This is not a hack to avoid activating installations.
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