Way to Force reactivation of XP after new motherboard?

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CraftyChicken

Limp Gawd
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May 3, 2007
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I have been tasked with installing a new, used, motherboard on a family-friend's Frankenstein computer. This is an old Socket 939 system.

Everything is legit, I'm staring at the OEM XP cd they got off Newegg. Now, their old motherboard was a DFI Lanparty something something, and they replaced it with a similar, but different, DFI Lanparty something something.

It was my impression that any major change, like a new motherboard, would require reactivation. Everything has been running fine now for about a day, but there has been no request for XP to activate.

That sounds fine, but I'm worried that at some point the computer will decide it needs to reactive, and frankly, I don't want to have to deal with this over the Holidays. Anyway, I called up India, and confused the crap out of the girl who told me I do not have to activate an activated computer. (I wish I had a recording, it would be an internet sensation)

So... is there a way to fool XP into reactivating? Or, am I mistaken about all of this and should just not worry about it?
 
Copy your exisiting WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK in C:\Windows (or it might be system32) to a safe location on the HDD.. now delete the originals in the windows directory and then restart the computer. Windows will freak out and ask for immediate activation, the reason I ask you to back up your exisiting one is if in case re-activating fails. Good Luck.
 
^ That will do it, but you shouldnt have to worry about it. It would have already bitched if it wanted to reactivate.

See the table here-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457054.aspx#EDAA)
" If the PC is not dockable and a network adapter exists and is not changed, 6 or more of the other above values would have to change before reactivation was required. If a network adapter existed but is changed or never existed at all, 4 or more changes (including the changed network adapter if it previously existed) will result in a requirement to reactivate.

Scenario A:

PC One has the full assortment of hardware components listed in Table 1 above. User swaps the motherboard and CPU chip for an upgraded one, swaps the video adapter, adds a second hard drive for additional storage, doubles the amount of RAM, and swaps the CD ROM drive for a faster one.

Result: Reactivation is NOT required."
 
There's an easier way. The windows activation is in the registry.

Backup Your Registry!

HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/Current Version/WPAEvents

Right click the binary value, and select modify. Change any digit in that code...easiest bet is to change one of the 0's to a 1. Close out.

Click on Start, then Run:

oobe/msoobe /a

Press enter, this will ask you to go through the activation process again. If it doesn't activate, you'll need to call them with the installation ID you are given.

EDIT: But yes, I think Ritorix is correct. You probably will not have to reactivate.
 
The reason it didn't ask to reactivate is likely because the motherboard is a similar or like chipset (intel to intel). If it were Intel to AMD or something, if it even would of booted, you would had to reactivate. Since you were able to actually boot back into XP without having to reinstall the OS (something you usually have to do after a mobo swap in XP) I find it highly unlikely that it will ask to reactivate in the future. Even if it does, since the code is already in they would simply have to click "yes activate now" and be done.
 
On 939s most motherboards were nForce4 chipsets and it's really not a big enough change to set off any alarm for reactivation. Also if it did have to, there's a good chance it would go through via internet check. Atleast for me, the last several times I've had to reinstall XP on older machines it always went through without having to call up India. Years ago it seemed like I would always have to call in.
 
Technically the OEM license died with the old motherboard. Just call up MS and say that the motherboard had to be RMA and you just installed the replacement board.
 
If it's not asking you to activate it's most likely activated. Just leave it alone. Worry about it if it becomes an issue which I doubt. It would have notified you already if it had to be reactivated.
 
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