John
Wed Jul 02 12:27:57 PDT 2008
The wpa.bak and wpa.dbl option has never worked for me. I use Windows XP on
a virtual machine (that's my normal machine but with virtual machine
software installed - VMWare Workstation to be precise. The VM software is
installed and then I create a separate partition on my hard drive and point
the VM to install it's files for XP on that partition). One installed
Windows XP is activated (after installing all updates and checking that
everything is working okay, of course.) One I activated XP I then 'imaged'
the VM drive using Acronis True Image. When any problems arise, I simply
start up Acronis, slip in the DVD containing my image of XP and then install
I back to the same partition - and yes the partition has, in many cases,
been reformatted prior to re-imaging back. Ever image has been successful
and I haven't had to re-activate XP in the last 3 years ( and it's been
re-installed using this scenario 7 or 8 times in this period.)
Although I am using VM software the same should apply to a normal re-image;
I shouldn't need re-activating, the activation details will have been stored
on the image, assuming you activated XP 'prior' to imaging the
drive/partition.
I mentioned VM software because that is how I have set up XP and Vista
(rather than having a dual boot system) this doesn't mean that you have to
start thinking about using VM software to achieve the same result, you can
do the same thing by installing XP to a separate partition.
--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience
Web:
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web:
http://vistasupport.mvps.org
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"Jim" <luckyjim2000_2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7v6dnZaOyfikLfbVnZ2dnUVZ8radnZ2d@giganews.com...
> OK first of I do own a legal version of XP Pro SP2 (Retail).
>
> The reason I'm trying to get round activation is in the past I have
> activated allot online, when I didn't know you could only do it a set
> number of times before you have to keep going through the hassle of
> ringing tech support and giving them my code number then they read me one
> back etc etc.
>
> Now I have read that if you back up 2 files called "wpa.bak" and "wpa.dbl"
> then once xp is reinstalled go into windows as normal and when asked for
> activation just reboot in safe mode and copy these 2 files back into the
> windows/system32 folder overwriting what might be there, as described here
>
http://tinyurl.com/5zmqqy
>
> I have also read that if you format the hard drive (which I want to do)
> then this will not work, but (please bear with me) when I partitioned and
> formatted my drive I took an image of just that, so the image has nothing
> on it just the 2 bare partitions then I went about installing my copy of
> xp about 7 months ago, now I have gone back on that old image (of just
> bare partitions) and installed a fresh copy of XP and tried the trick as
> mentioned above with the 2 files but it failed to work, it said something
> like "I need to activate before logging in" so it didn't work for me.
>
> The only thing I can think of that is causing the problem is when setting
> up windows it asks/gives the computer a name I "think" the fresh install
> was a different name so I'm guessing this could be the problem but welcome
> any feedback from anyone.
>
> I have to stress I'm not trying to screw the activation process up or do
> anything illegal I just want to save the hassle as mentioned above, I have
> posted to a few groups that I think may be relevant so sorry if you see
> this elsewhere.
>
> Jim
>