To do with hardware changes in XP and the tolerance to reactivate...
"How does product activation determine tolerance? In other words, how many components of the PC must change before I am required to reactivate?
...
Common changes to hardware such as upgrading a video card, adding a second hard disk drive, adding RAM or upgrading a CD-ROM device will not require the system to be reactivated.
Specifically, product activation determines tolerance through a voting mechanism. There are 10 hardware characteristics used in creating the hardware hash. Each characteristic is worth one vote, except the network card which is worth three votes. When thinking of tolerance, it's easiest to think about what has not changed instead of what has changed. When the current hardware hash is compared to the original hardware hash, there must be 7 or more matching points for the two hardware hashes to be considered in tolerance. If the network card is the same, then only 4 additional characteristics must match (because the network card is worth 3, for a total of 7). If the network card is not the same, then a total of 7 characteristics other than the network card must be the same. If the device is a laptop (specifically a dockable device), additional tolerance is allotted and there need be only 4 or more matching points. Therefore, if the device is dockable and the network card is the same, only one other characteristic must be the same for a total vote of 4. If the device is dockable and the network card is not the same, then a total of 4 characteristics other than the network card must be the same."
Taken from click here
I can.
Had to read it a few times to get my head around it.
Well, that's as clear as looking through a "Window". :o)
Ah - but do Microsoft understand it?
;-)))
It makes perfect sense to me. Since activating I've added USB card, loads of memory and changed graphics cards (from AGP to the other one) - and no need to reactivate.
We are always here to help you Chris, if you have any problems. ;o)
XP seems to change itself - I wonder how many "Points" it deducts or adds for that?
It's eXasPerating! Wish I'd never put on my machine - er - so there!
Bodi
gobbledygook
worst case Senario: quick phone call.
"hi i have just upgraded bla bla bla"
"oh,ok.just enter this code then xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx"
"ta"
This thread is now locked and can not be replied to.