Reinstalling XP without activating

jester77

Hi there,

I've an old laptop with no internet connection and has XP home installed on it. I was running out of space and the machine was becoming very slow so I decided to reinstall XP. I read that you could back up 2 files in the system32 directory and boot into safe mode and use these files again. So I did this, however this failed, so looks like that telephone process again

Does the process of backing up these 2 files even work?

Hardware is exactly the same, might be different usb devices plugged in now and again. Software and drivers would all be newer versions. One difference is that when I first installed XP I used the original disk that I purchased. This time I slipstreamed it with SP2 that I ordered. Could this be the problem or does the software installed make a difference? Or do the usb devices connected count in the calculation of the hardware profile used to create the activation file?

Thanks

Peace

The activation window will give you a choice of how you want to activate... you can call microsoft and do it over the phone, you give them a code, they give you a code... and your activated.

jester77

Yeah, that's how I did it last time, thought I wouldn't have to do it again!

fintan

you dont have to register it, click "i'll ring microsoft" or whatever the option is and that was about it (memory is a bit vague as it was over a year ago) it never prompted me again