JOSEPHLB

I'm running it on Windows Server 2008; used it to build a SP3 disc.

http://www.vistabootpro.org/ VistaBoot Pro

Just ran DXDIAG on my two Windows 2003 R2 servers and it shows the DirectX version as 9.0c.

I believe Windows still sees a new hardware hash because: Even though you performed this "trick" on the same hardware, there is one item that is different, if you have freshly formatted your hard disk drive; the volume serial number. This changes with every format you perform on the drive. Windows sees this and I believe recreates a new hardware hash, which will not match up with the data that is related to your wpa backup files. Before you formatted, you should have went to a command prompt and did a "dir" command. It will then show your the Volume Serial Number. Write that down. Then find the utilty called "VolumeID". Its a small executable that will allow you to rename your drives volume serial number after you've formatted it. Once you have that renamed to what it was before you formatted, in its post-activated state; this little "backup the wpa file" trick may work.

Beta 3 is out Longhorn Beta 3

Your hardware uses certain address ranges and take from the 4gb A 32-bit Microsoft desktop operating system will NEVER see 4gb of memory to the system; thats the design and its limitations.

Are you attempting the recovery on a freshly formatted hard disk? If you've formatted, your drives "Volume Serial Number" will be different from the first time you activated. I believe this info may be tied into the original wpa.dbl & wpa.bak files. Its not activating, because its seeing the "new" volume serial number of the drive; even though its the same drive. The new volume serial number may be triggering to recheck the hardware hash again and reactivate if needed. There is a utility that will allow you to rename the drive's volume serial number (I believe its called, "VOLUMEID" Take this with a grain of salt; i'm no expert by any means; just throwing possibilities out there.

Here is what I'm doing to collect all post service pack 2 updates: I performed an initial install of XP Pro , with SP2. Then, I've installed Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. This will connect and use Windows Update, but will allow you to download all the updates that you need, offline.