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Thread ID: 53856 2005-01-29 04:44:00 XP activation Greg (193) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
319089 2005-01-29 04:44:00 On my new laptop with XP Home SP2 I haven't been prompted to activate it - at what stage will this happen? I've never done an XP activation before. It was pre-installed so could activation have been done by the distributor?

Thx
Greg (193)
319090 2005-01-29 04:46:00 It's quite likely that the activation was done by whoever sold you the laptop. You still should have had to agree to the Microsoft EULA though. agent (30)
319091 2005-01-29 04:58:00 If you go into 'start> all programs> system tools> activate windows>' it will tell you if it has been done already.

I think it will also show at the top of the start menu something like 'Activate windows' with a key icon if it hasn't.
Shortcircuit (1666)
319092 2005-01-29 05:17:00 Strange but there's absolutely no reference anywhere in any menu/control panel to activation.

Never mind, it's obviously been done by the importers and I was just mildly curious.
Greg (193)
319093 2005-01-29 06:18:00 Else it's been disabled for one reason or another. Try running %SystemRoot%\system32\wpabaln.exe - if it doesn't show up in Task Manager or nothing happens, it may have been disabled.

I really can't be sure because I disabled the activation service on my computer once I had it activated.
agent (30)
319094 2005-01-29 06:55:00 If ever it needs to be done (and it probably was done if it was fired up to test / burn in the system before you got it) its a matter of clicking "yes" when it asks you to connect to the web, it happens in the background and takes all of 5 seconds.

In other words, it's invisible once you have agreed to it, but it does advise of the success.
godfather (25)
319095 2005-01-29 07:26:00 It doesn't have it, But then you only have recovery cds/partition anyhow so that copy of Windows won't install on anything but that laptop. Metla (12)
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