This is what supposedly trips up product activation (1 Viewer)

[Gordon Moore]

"-IF you have a NIC card and leave that alone, you can change up to 6 other components at a time before it gets 'tripped.'
-OR, If you don't have a NIC, then it would mean 4 things at a time before it would get tripped,
-OR-
-If you have an OEM version pre-installed, then it would focus on the motherboard and BIOS. You can update the BIOS, but switching for a new mobo/BIOS would.
Also, after 4 months, the product activation loses its 'grip,' meaning that it would just assume everything is cool on that system; then, you COULD install the OS on another computer, but you might have to call MS for it. However, they are willing to give you the benefit of a doubt. So the only ones that REALLY have to worry about such 'protection' would be the ones who pirated a copy of the OS. "
It's quoted from elsewhere, but, that's supposedly it. Doesn't sound too sinister.

 

[Gordon Moore]

Sorry the header should not have read "trips up" as in, an attempt to defeat activation. It should have read more like "turns on" or "enables" activation.
[Edited last by Gordon Moore on October 26, 2001 at 01:49 PM]
[Edited last by Gordon Moore on October 26, 2001 at 01:50 PM]

 

[Uchendu Nwachukwu]

Yeah that basically sums it up.
If the NIC card doesn't change, then you can change up to six different components from a list of 10.
If the NIC card does change or there is no NIC card, then you can only change four different components.
For notebooks, add three more components, so 9 with the same NIC, or 7 with a different NIC.
In every case, your WPA signature gets wiped from their servers after 120 days, so you could install it on a different machine after that time with no need to call in (however, then the original machine would need a call-in to activate).
And note that I said 'different components'. Changing one component multiple times doesn't count. You could change your video card 10 times, and it would only count as one change as far as WPA is concerned.
OEM machines from the big guys will typically 'pre-activate'. They can do this by a)using 'System-Locked Preactivation' (SLP) which ties it to the BIOS (as mentioned above), or b)by activating the machine just like you would regularly, except they do it before they ship the machine to you.
Finally, if you acquire Windows XP Pro (not home) through one of Microsoft's business licensing programs, the version you get will have Activation disabled by default, because the Product Key you receive will have a hidden key that disables it. If you put in a Product Key from a store-bought version of XP, you will still need to activate that.

 

[Bill Catherall]

I'll also add that you can add components as much as you want without tripping it. Like RAM, second video card, etc.
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Bill