Windows XP activation question.

i'm assuming you're talking about the XP upgrade. i don't have any experience with the upgrade so i couldn't tell you whether or not you need to reactivate afterwards, but with the full version you do.
Activation is required after 30 days.

Xp

I have been told that you can copy the wpa.bak and wpa.dbl files under win32 i believe, and after the reinstall paste them back to the same folder they came from and this should eliminate the activation. This should work as long as it is the same setup of hardware or close to it. This is not a way around a pirated version of xp though, but a way to not have to go through the activation process for a pc that was already activated. Maybe someone else cares to comment.

The process is a known as a repair installation. The repair installation will leave your programs/settings intact, but you will need to reinstall any/all service packs and/or updates.

As Ru1 suggested, you CAN back up your wpa.dbl and wpa.bak file (really, only the first is important), run the repair process, then replace those files to avoid activation. This ONLY works after a repair process. It does not work if you format your drive and reinstall from scratch (and make certain you use the same cd-key used in the original install).

It is a common misconception that you can back up your wpa.* files and replace them to circumvent activation after a full format, but this is NOT correct. This is based on the false notion that your activation is tied to your hardware (only). There is more involved, so installing windows from scratch will necessitate the need to reactivate.

BTW, it is 30 days for reactivation.

To recap, back up you wpa.dbl and wpa.bak file (should be in c:\windows\system32)

Perform a repair installation
(here is a good link to follow)

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

After installation, reboot into safe mode, copy the previously saved wpa.dbl and wpa.bak to c:\windows\system32)

You should be able to continue without activation (but your windows updates will need to be reapplied).

Since you lack a good internet connection, see if someone can download a copy of autopatcherxp and burn it a cd for you. (as well as atleast sp1--get the corporate download)

Here is autopatcher xp, a compilation of windows updates (plus other goodies)

http://www.autopatcher.com/

any performance loss or gains with this?

any performance loss or gain with what? A windows repair? No. Well, I suppose it is a performance gain when you go from not working to working, but you will essentially be where you were when you first installed windows.

You can also just call the toll-free number and activate it over the phone. I've installed/reinstalled XP and Office 2003 so many times, I cannot activate it over the internet, I have to call AND speak to whatever foreign country takes the call and I just tell them "it's a new computer" or "a complete re-install / upgrade" etc. and it's not on any other computer.

Sadly, I actually have more licenses of Office 2003 and XP than I actively run, and I still need to do this... *sigh*

-myrkat

oooh, could use a 2003 license....send it my way