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Microsoft Product Activation for Windows XP:
Microsoft Product activation can uses several methods
and technologies to help achieve Microsoft's goals of
protecting intellectual property rights by having the
users comply with the terms of the EULA.
This is how activation works for Windows XP acquired
through. Windows XP has a 60-day limit to be activated.
After the time limit, it won't work.
The (OEM) PC Manufacturer:
The majority of customers acquire Windows xp with the
purchase of a new computer, and most new computers pre-loaded
with Windows XP will not require activation at all. Microsoft
provides OEMs with the ability to "pre-activate"
Windows XP in the factory. About 75% of all new PCs will
be delivered to the customer pre-activated.
The Pre-activation; of Windows XP by the OEMs will be
done in one of two different ways depending on the OEM's
own configuration options and choices. Some OEMs may protect
Windows XP using a mechanism which locks the installation
to OEM-specified BIOS information in the PC. This technology
works very similar to existing technologies that many
OEMs have used over the years with the CDs they ship to
reinstall Windows on these computers. Microsoft has expanded
the existing OEM CD BIOS locking mechanism with product
activation, and call this method of protection "System
Locked Pre-installation," or SLP.
SLP uses information stored in an OEM PC's BIOS to protect
the installation from casual piracy. No communication
by the end customer to Microsoft is required and no hardware
hash is created or necessary. At boot, Windows XP compares
the PC's BIOS to the SLP information. If it matches, no
activation is required.
Every single piece of hardware could be changed on a
PC with SLP and no reactivation would be required. Even
the motherboard could be replaced as long as the replacement
motherboard was original equipment manufactured by the
OEM and retained the proper BIOS. But, if the BIOS information
does not match, the PC would need to be activated within
30 days by contacting the Microsoft activation center
via the Internet or telephone call in retail. WinXpFix.com
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The Boxed Retail Store Version:
Product activation relies on the submission of the Installation
ID. The Installation ID is specifically designed to guarantee
anonymity and is only used by Microsoft to deter piracy.
The Installation ID is comprised of two different pieces
of information — the product ID and a hardware hash
(a hash is a numeric value derived through a mathematical
formula and based upon some other, original value).
The product ID is unique to the installation of Windows
and is created from the product key used during installation.
Each product key delivered with retail boxed software
is unique, and the product ID it creates is unique. Microsoft
uses the product ID for other purposes in addition to
product activation such as when requesting product support.
The product ID can be found by viewing the Properties
of My Computer.
Hardware hash: Hardware hash is an eight byte
value that is created by running 10 different pieces of
information from the PC's hardware components through
a one-way mathematical transformation This means that
the resultant hash value cannot be backwards calculated
to determine the original values.Only a portion of the
resulting hash value is used in the hardware hash.
If Internet activation is successful, the activation
confirmation is sent directly back to the user's PC as
a digital certificate. This certificate is digitally signed
by Microsoft so that it cannot be altered or counterfeited.
The confirmation packet returned as part of Internet activation
is approximately 9 kbytes in size (the digital certificate
chain accounts for most of the confirmation data packet
size).
If activation is done by telephoning a customer service
representative, the product ID and hardware hash are automatically
displayed to the user as the Installation ID; a 50 digit
decimal representation. The encoding encrypts the data
so that it cannot be altered and provides check digits
to help aid in error handling. Telephone activation is
a four step process.
The Volume Licensing Agreement (acquire their licenses
through programs such as Microsoft Open, Enterprise, or
Select licensing):
Windows XP upgrade licenses acquired through one of Microsoft's
volume licensing agreements, such as Microsoft Open License,
Enterprise Agreement, or Select License, will not require
activation. Installations of Windows XP made using volume
licensing media and volume license product keys (VLKs)
will have no activation, hardware checking, or limitations
on installation or imaging.
How the hardware hash component of the installation ID
is created and the scenarios in which a copy of Windows
XP may have to be re-activated due to a substantial hardware
modification.
Product activation rechecks the hardware it is running
to reduce illegal hard disk cloning — another prevalent
piracy method. Hard disk cloning is where a pirate copies
the entire image of a hard disk from one PC to another
PC. At each login, Windows XP checks to see that it is
running on the same hardware that it was activated on.
If it detects that the hardware is "substantially
different", reactivation is required.
This check is performed after the SLP BIOS check discussed
above, if the SLP BIOS check fails. This means that if
your PC is pre-activated in the factory using the SLP
pre-activation method, all the components in the PC could
be swapped, including the motherboard, so long as the
replacement motherboard was genuine and from the OEM with
the proper BIOS. As noted above, installations of Windows
XP made using volume licensing media and volume license
product keys (VLKs) will not have any hardware component
checking.
Microsoft defines "substantially different"
hardware differently for PCs that are configured to be
dockable.
Microsoft Product Activation How does it work? In
addition to entering a 25-character product key, Microsoft
now requires you to activate your copy of Windows. Microsoft
requires product activation for Windows XP, Office 2002.
Windows XP allows you 30 days of use before requiring
activation. Office 2002 allows you to run the program
50 times. When the 30 days expires, if you haven't activated
Windows, it won't let you log on until you activate it.
Most all of the components inside your computer have
unique serial numbers that are routinely read by the operating
system (OS). The Windows XP Setup Wizard collects all
the data about the hardware components inside of your
computer as it installs drivers for the hardware you installed
in your computer system. It then uses this information
to creates an individually identifiable activation ID
that it applies to only your computer.
By activating Windows XP, Windows will send your activation
ID to Microsoft's databank, that's where the information
is stored, and Microsoft's activation server "activates"
(unlocks) your copy of Windows XP. Now If your computer
isn't connected to the Internet, you will need to call
Microsoft by phone to send your activation ID. If you
reinstall Windows XP, you will need to reactivate it,
Microsoft will check that the activation ID hasn't changed.
The product activation does not limit the number of times
you can reinstall Windows XP your computer.
You can't install the same copy of Windows XP on several
different computers, because they have different hardware
serial numbers. If you try, when the activation ID is
checked against your original activation ID, they won't
match, so Microsoft won't allow you to activate Windows
XP. This is how Microsoft's product activation prevents
casual piracy.
Example, if you loan your copy of Windows XP to a friend,
when he installs it on his computer it will create a different
activation ID. The problems will begin when your friend
tries to activate Windows on him computer and this new
activation ID does not match the activation ID of the
previously installed version. Windows periodically checks
the activation ID with the activation servers at Microsoft.
Your computer will periodically report to Microsoft's
activation servers, and you will not be asked permission
beforehand.
No the activation ID cannot be decoded to point directly
to your particular machine, so Microsoft can't figure
out who you are or what your are doing with your computer.
But, future efforts could conceivably reveal a way to
exploit the information about your computer that is contained
in the activation ID.
Reinstall Windows XP on what appears to be a different
computer: If you replacing more than three hardware components
in your computer may causes the software to require reactivation.
When this happens, you will have about 30 days to call
Microsoft to get permission to continue to use the product.
If you cannot activate the product by then, you will not
able to log on to Windows. You will need to call Microsoft
so that you can get your product activated.
Microsoft activation scheme appears at this time to allow
you to upgrade up to three hardware components at the same
time without deciding that you have moved it to a different
computer. After the new hardware has been installed, the
activation system will automatically updates your activation
ID to reflect your new hardware, and may transmits that
to Microsoft's activation server. You can then replace additional
hardware, without fear of exceeding the three-device limit.
So don't plan on installing more than three new computer
components at the same time.
Microsoft Product Activation Future - Microsoft
is very conscious of the fact that customers will intensely
dislike this new procedure. Microsoft may in the future
put in place a new activation scheme, because some hackers
found a way to circumvent the present system. The Windows
Automatic Update system allows Microsoft to update Windows
features, even after the program is released, so the activation
scheme can be updated even after you install Windows XP.
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