Activating Windows XP

Windows XP Home and Professional editions use a new feature from Microsoft called product activation. Due to software piracy, product activation is now used to enforce the end-user license agreement that stipulates that the end user can install one copy of Windows XP on one computer only. This feature prevents the copying of installation CDs, otherwise known as “softlifting.”

During installation, the product key found on the back of the CD-ROM case is combined with a generated hardware identifier number, taken from information about the computer system on which the software is being installed. Taken together, the two numbers create a unique installation ID that is uploaded to Microsoft servers via the Internet, or manually through a call to Microsoft customer support. Once the product is activated, the CD cannot be used to install another computer with Windows XP Professional, which enforces the end-user license agreement of one CD per one computer. In large environments where a large number of computers are configured with Windows XP Professional, activation may work differently or not be necessary at all, depending on the licensing agreement between Microsoft and the corporation or organization.

Painful Lessons I’ve Learned: Command Line Confusion

The command line installation switches provide you with a number of options for installing Windows XP. Those options can be very helpful in a number of circumstances, but it is important to use only the switches you really need. I have seen techs get really excited about using command line switches for installations, but typically problems occurred because too many switches were used without thinking through all of the effects of those switches. The moral of the story is to use the command line switches you need, think carefully about their impact, but don't make things more complicated than necessary.

In a typical activation scenario, the user is prompted to activate Windows XP once an installation completes, if a modem is detected on the computer. If one is not detected or a connection cannot be made, the user is prompted to contact Microsoft to activate the product manually. Users can skip this step and activate Windows later because there is a 30-day grace period in which to activate. From an IT professional’s perspective, however, users should activate as soon as installation is completed in order to avoid further problems. If Windows XP is not activated immediately after setup, then an Activate icon appears in the Notification Area; to start the activation process, you can click this icon or you can simply click Start | All Programs | Activate Windows.