Activating Windows XP

Like most software companies, Microsoft is very concerned with piracy and has taken steps to try to prevent people who haven't obtained Windows legitimately from using it. One of the steps that Microsoft has implemented in Windows is activation. During activation, a unique identifier is created for your Windows installation based on your Windows product key and the hardware you are using. This identifier is required to run Windows after it has been installed on a computer for 30 days. When you activate a computer, this identifier is transmitted to Microsoft. Should this same identifier be provided during a different activation session, the activation would be denied and the copy of Windows could not be used.

As you work with a new Windows installation, you'll be prompted to activate it. You'll also see a countdown toward the 30-day activation deadline. Until you reach 30 days after the installation date, activation won't affect your use of Windows except for the regular prompts you'll see. After 30 days, you'll have to activate Windows to be able to use it.

After you've activated Windows on a specific computer, you won't be able to use it on a different computer (which is the whole point). To do so, you'll probably have to call Microsoft to have the original activation disabled (which means you won't be able to use Windows on the original computer on which you installed it).

Note

Because activation is based on a specific piece of hardware, you don't need to worry about it preventing you from reinstalling Windows on the same computer. You can reinstall Windows on the same Mac as many times as you'd like. Activation will affect only the installation of Windows on a different computer on which a specific copy was activated.

Because of this, I recommend that you don't activate Windows until you must to keep it running. This will give you 30 days to use it and make sure that you've set it up on the Mac on which you'll want to run it over the long run.

When the 30-day grace period is close to expiring, the easiest way to activate Windows is via the Internet (you shouldn't enable an Internet connection until you've followed the security measures explained in the next chapter).

Note

If you are going to try the virtualization option explained in Part II, "Running Windows on a Mac Using a Virtual Machine," which you should try, don't activate Windows until you're sure which method you'll end up using. The activation process treats each Windows environment as unique, so you can only activate one of them: either the Boot Camp environment or the virtual Windows environment. If you want to activate both, you'll need to purchase a second license for Windows.

After you've protected your Windows installation and established a connection to the Internet, you can activate your copy of Windows by choosing Start menu, All Programs, Activate Windows. The Activation Wizard will appear. Choose the Yes, Let's Activate Windows over the Internet Now radio button and click Next. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the activation process.