quote:
Originally posted by Scone
I have a genuine copy of windows but if i reformat once more then it will think i dont >.<
What gave you that idea? Your Windows doesn't become any less genuine because you reformat.
Here's how it works for retail XP product keys: if you exceed a certain number (I forget how many, but it is more than one) of activations
within the last 6 months, you won't be able to activate
online. It does not mean you won't be able to activate, just that you will have to do it by phone. Only 6 months of activation history are counted, so even if you have exceeded the limit before and had to call, you may be able to activate online the next time if it's been a while.
Activating by phone might be slightly annoying, but it is fast, easy, and they won't give you any hassle. They don't usually even ask for your name. Phone activation is not meant to terrorize legitimate Windows owners or even someone putting their copy on two computers -- it is meant to discover shops that sell computers with bootleg Windows to unwitting users.
OEM product keys (those found on the stickers on the side of your computer) now always have to be activated by phone. The idea there is most people should have a "restore" disc or partition, which restores the original, preactivated OEM image. However, you
can install the usual way using your OEM key and activate it by phone. Once again, they won't give you any hassle.
Finally, as long as your hardware doesn't change and you use the same product key,
it only takes backing up two small files to restore your activation after a format.
The bottom line: if your computer is custom built and you never bought Windows XP (but are using it anyway), then yes -- you are exactly the guy WGA is supposed to annoy. On the other hand, if you have a legitimate license, there is no problem with having to format often, etc. -- you just have to do it right.
