Need to reinstall WinXP, will it cost me...

weibullguy · 04-19-2006, 07:59 AM

...other than emotionally!

One of the local electronic retailers has WD 250GB HDD for $49.99 after rebate. I’m thinking about picking up a couple and using one to replace the HDD in my wife’s PC. Since my wife is a heathen and hasn’t found religion yet, I have no option other than Win XP for her machine.

When I initially installed the perfectly legal copy of Win XP that I paid for, it gave me 30 days to activate/register. Earlier versions of DOS/Win didn’t have this feature and I could have happily installed them on a new HDD (as long as I only installed the OS on one PC). With this M$ anti-piracy business, does anyone know if I’m going get hosed trying to install Win XP on a new HDD? Or can I expect some sort of, “This copy of Win XP has been installed on another machine. If you believe this is in error, contact M$ support at $35 per minute, blah, blah, blah.”

I’ve Googled and looked at some Windows forums to get an answer. It looks like I’m OK as long as I have my product key, but I’d rather get some input from anyone around here that may have done this already.

Off topic, but interesting to note nonetheless, were the Windows forums; most of the suggested solutions involved calling vendor X and asking for recovery disk, CD, etc. Huh?

Thanks in advance.

Xian · 04-19-2006, 08:05 AM

I've installed XP on my system before after changing out hard drives and it auto-registered without any problem. However, even if you do encounter trouble, since you have your product key you will be fine and can activate it manually afterwards.

Please do not use custom fonts in the main body of your posts. It is more difficult to read and distracts from the issue at hand.

DotHQ · 04-19-2006, 08:17 AM

My wifes Win98 machine bit the dust. No option but to put a Linux RH box in it's place.

She actually got used to it and liked it. Maybe you could get so lucky.

I hate the codes and crap in XP, but I also think you'll be okay with the install.

syg00 · 04-19-2006, 09:28 AM

No problem.
I think you get 4 major (???) changes before it gets all bitter and twisted. I pulled out bits and pieces over a period, then had a lighting strike jump over my UPS. Took out 3 disks, Motherboard, chip, video card, you name it.

Broke my registration. Rang the local M$oft support, and after interrogation they grudgingly gave me a new code over the phone.
Worked a treat.

weibullguy · 04-19-2006, 10:31 AM

Thanks. That's what I was hoping.

DotHQ: I'd like to get her on Linux. My kids were apprehensive, but made the switch pretty quickly. In their words, "You can leave a program running all night in Linux, it's still running in the morning, and the machine's not all locked up. Linux rules!" My wife does photographical stuff (digital and retouching old film/photos) semi-professionally. She uses Photoshop and hasn't, yet, fully evaluated The GIMP. Next time she wants to upgrade though, she's gonna have to make a business case...

dh2k · 04-20-2006, 10:13 AM

This is a good little trick IF you have already registered windows with XP and want to re-install without having to activating XP again - only on the same PC though..
Copy the Windows Product Activation file 'c:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl' and keep it backed up safe somewhere.

The next time you have to re-install windows XP delete the wpa.dbl file at location above and replace with the backed up file from when you registered. Windows XP then thinks 'Windows Product Activated'..

Note: this only works IF:
1> you've already registered when you backup the wpa.dbl file
2> you don't change 3 or more pieces of hardware on your PC
3> You use the same PC

This is not a way to get round piracy laws; it just prevents you having to contact MS to activate (or rent) your copy of XP everytime you re-install 'your' copy of XP.