scott jarkoff

How to Avoid Having to Reactivate Windows XP After Fresh Install

The only issue with re-installing Windows is that you have to be careful about the reactivation process. By default, if you use the OEM CD that came with your computer when you first bought it, re-installing Windows should be a breeze and you won’t have to reactivate.

However, this may not always be the case. If you don’t use the original CD that came with the computer, you may have to re-activate. Also, sometimes even when you use the same CD, it may not force you to re-activate XP.

You can avoid having to reactivate XP by simply copying a file from your Windows directory and saving it on a USB stick, floppy drive, or CD. When you first activated Windows, XP creates a file called “WPA.DBL” and stores it in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory.

I really wish I had known about this “tip” sooner rather than later because it sure would have saved me from having quite a few headaches! I’ve been meaning to reinstall XP on my sole Windows box but have opted against doing so for this very reason. Now that I know activation will not be an issue I just may tackle this without the worries I once had.

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