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Partial Workaround for Product Activation
It's not a crack or a way to foil Windows Product Activation
(WPA), but rather is a way that legitimate users of XP software
can avoid having to reactivate the software after a full
install:
The trick is to copy and re-use the c:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl
file. It's small--- mine is just 13K long--- so it will easily
fit on a floppy. Or, you can copy it to another safe location on
your hard drive. Once that's done, go about your reinstallation
task normally.
After you've reinstalled XP, either boot to a DOS floppy or
start in XP's Safe Mode/Command Prompt (i.e. hit the F8 key when
your system "beeps" during the boot process). Then copy your
original wpa.dbl from its safe location back into the
c:\windows\system32 folder, and then reboot.
Because nothing on your system has changed--- it's the same
BIOS, CPU, RAM, etc., and because you're installing the same
copy of XP that was previously installed, the "old" WPA key
should be accepted as valid, saving you the hassle of
re-Activating the software.
Note that this won't work if you try moving the file to a
different machine, so it's not a way to pirate software. But if
you want to simply reinstall a valid and already-activated copy
of XP onto the same hardware on which it was originally
installed, this may save you from having to re-Activate the new
installation. |