Re-install windows without calling Microsoft?

[Torquay-Pete]

Hello to all on site
I wondered if it is possible to re-install windows xp home edition without having to call Microsoft to get a new registration number?
I have had to do this a couple of times as once I have re-installed xp home from the disc it wont allow me to use the original Number,although this is registered to me on this system. This is a bit of a pain and never seemed to happen on xp pro or ME. Any help would be gratefully recieved. Thanx Pete

[brad]

Just copy wpa.dbl after you activated for the first time. It is located in the C:\Windows\System32 Folder. Now if you reinstall Windows XP just copy the file back and you're up and running again.

brad

[Torquay-Pete]

Thanks Brad I`ll give it a try

[Torquay-Pete]

How do I access this once I need it again?
Pete

[brad]

Put it on a Floppy???
brad

[icecube]

If you format the drive, that suggestion will not work. There is also another WPA file, I think its wpa.tmp.

I've tried this on three different reinstalls and it failed miserably(wiping the drive and doing a reinstall). there are about three different methods suggested for this to work, and I got none of them to work on any of the three installs. The only thing I didnt try was to delete all the files and try a reinstall without formating.

[brad]

REF:




brad

[icecube]

I've probably spent about 25 hours on install trying to get this to work.

The three installs I cited, were customers who purchased 1copy of xp and installed it twice over the 120 day period and as far as I am concerned legal. They each wanted a drive wiped because of virus'or other issues. When we tried to copy the WPA.DBl file back to the drive, on first boot, first boot safe mode, etc it failed. There seems to be a problem executing the process as provided in the links supplied by Brad, my guess, is that SP1 changed something to render this option non functional. I've even tried to copy the hd vol serial number with the link thats in the one above and it still fails.

I'd be interested to hear from someone who got the process to work.

[teststrips]

why are you so concerned about calling microsoft. I've had to re-activate through phone personell twice and didn't spend more than 10 mins on the phone either time.

I just told the microsoft rep why I had to re-activate.. once was because I changed faulty motherboard out, the other time was a re-install for a freiend who decided to remove some files from the windows directory.

if you've got a legit cd-key, it's cake to re-activate.