xmf

I'm not so sure. There is no "original install cd" as this is a mass oem install, and from what I've read, the recovery cd does not prompt for a key, and the key a keyfinder would pull does not work with any non-oem version of windows (without perhaps making mods that I believe one poster on this thread commented on the frowned-upon nature of). Despite these arguments, I'm obviously no expert and you may very well be right. However, I still believe the three degrees of redundancy I mentioned in post 44 are plenty, honestly. A proven-to-work clone, by itself, (as long as it's kept in a few locations) is enough as far as I'm concerned. In addition to that, I have 2 methods of doing an oem restore that don't require a key (1 onboard and one off). If you and others think it's idiotic that I'm not interested in pursuing more, so be it. Arguing that point will get nowhere, it's just a difference of opinion, and arguing that is not why I started this thread (NIC ). Let's try with another analogy from another field. Why a large number of policemen/federal agents (which are issued a Beretta or a Glock 9 mm or a .357 or a .45 by their Administration) would live their lives carrying also a small .38" 2" revolver (or any other kind of smallish gun) on their right or left ankle? Let me think.... You normally have several ways: clone the system IF that goes bad re-install from the original install CD (if available) using EITHER the COA sticker (which surely you DON'T have) or with the key found by the keyfinder (and if with the latter most likely need NOT to reactivate online or by phone) IF that goes bad or the CD/iso is not available then re-deploy through the recovery CD (which is a "particular" kind of "clone") and need NOT to reactivate IF that goes bad re-install from *any* install CD (if available) using EITHER the COA sticker (which surely you DON'T have) or with the key found by the keyfinder (and most likely need to reactivate online or by phone) You are limiting yourself to one or two of them while you have (still) the possibility of having (IF needed) at least an additional "way out". jaclaz

No, check my first post and the title of this thread. It's not as if I opened a thread looking for advice on how to find a key and then refused that advice. In fact, my original question, having to do with what would cause NIC votes to be lost has been lost in the shuffle of people suggesting that I use a keycode finder and my explaining why that is not necessary.

Because I won't ever need it, and the key wouldn't work for me anyway I've got three solid levels of redundancy that don't need a code (clone, onboard oem restore, & usb oem restore), so I'm good to go in that regard. Thanks

As I stated in my last post, the best option for me is to use a clone. I keep such important files in multiple locations, so I'm all set. From post #9, which was my third post on this thread: It came pre-installed on my (then new) ASUS netbook, and with no install media. If you are referring to this statement, from post 1, I did not mean that to imply that I had a CD/DVD: I need to be sure I won't be prompted to reactivate my OEM copy of WinXP In post 38 I'm stating hypothetically as I can purchase restore media from ASUS if needed: Whether I'm using a clone or an oem restore copy of xp

Okay. I don't have a recovery disk to check, but I do have recovery media on usb that I've successfully used to recover the system back to original spec (without being prompted for a key). However, I much prefer to use a clone which preserves all the work I've put into tweaking the os (in my original post I mentioned that I did not want to reinstall xp, but preserve my current os). So, considering that a key would not be needed for any reactivation, and that my goal, being to preserve my current os, is better accomplished through cloning (which also doesn't require a key), I think I'm all set.

Yes and No. Meaning that a clone or "dd-like" or "forensic sound" image of an existing, activated install, once properly re-deployed to the "original" PC/system will need NO activation, nor a key, NO MATTER which kind of system is installed (bios-locked, OEM, Retail, Volume, upgrade, whatever). A clone ( or "dd-like" or "forensic sound" image) is "a clone" . not " a copy" and not "a backup", it is something that is so similar (actually identical) to the original that you will have NO WAY (nor Windows, nor anyone or anything else) to tell which is which. jaclaz I appreciate the explanation. So, semantics aside, I still don't understand of what use either key code you mentioned would be to me, and why members have continued to recommend using a keyfinder. Whether I'm using a clone or an oem restore copy of xp, I will never need a code to activate (unless, as I stated, I try to install on a different motherboard, which I will not be doing). Thanks

Jaclaz, first of all, I appreciate your willingness to help, and I imagine that this quality (as well as your maturity) has made you a valuable member of whatever communities you are a part of. Regarding the issue, I understand your clear and simple explanation. However, as may already be apparent from my previous posts, my conception of the master key is different in that I understood it to be more of a one time use deal. Using your analogy, like a lock installer who brought with them a master key to get into the house initially, but then leaves and does not make it available to use for any entries in the future. In this article (and in numerous other articles I've found on the subject): http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/qt/key-finder-faq.htm It is stated that the generic (or master) key will not work for subsequent installs, but you and others are stating that it will. This is where our understandings differ. As I understand it now, because my install is bios-locked, I can use a program to clone a healthy copy of my install (to use in case my install is corrupted) and I should never need or have anything to do with either key unless maybe I'm attempting to install this version of windows on a differently branded MB, which I have no plan of doing.

No, again, I don't think anyone on this thread is lying or intentionally being misleading. The threads you've linked are all very advanced for me, but in general it seems you are supplying information that is useful for some, but not really applicable in this particular situation and for what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm not interested in reinstalling. IF some of the changes I make necessitate reactivation, I should be able to do so by phone. And, if I understand correctly, that process should be almost identical to the one outlined in the pictorial you linked. Correct?

They work for sure on OEM key what you read is just wrong at least for XP/2003 OS. Why don't you try Aida32 or Everest (if you want a big name to be sure ?) Please see post 29

Well check out the title of the thread and the first post. I wasn't really looking for the info you're stating that I don't want to investigate.

Okay, the pictorial confirmed what I originally assumed you meant in post 13, #2. So if I am to assume that for a reactivation the process is identical, then again I ask you, of what use would a keyfinder program be to me? from http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/qt/key-finder-faq.htm "If your computer was manufactured by a large company like Dell, Sony, Gateway, etc. then the product key that the key finder found was very, very likely a generic product key that Microsoft allows the manufacturer to use so it's easy for them to mass produce PCs. This generic product key will NOT work if you use it to reinstall Windows. I should also note here that a commercial key finder program will not find a different key so don't pay money for one thinking you'll get a different product key."

Here's what you stated, "and with the NIC enabled, there you have them, 7 votes. Just wait 120 days to disable the NIC if you really need to" As my OEM copy of XP was pre-installed, and I've been using it for a few years now, it seems (based on the article) that the 120 day period has long passed. Therefore, I was simply asking you to explain your advice to "wait 120 days to disable the NIC". I think it's exactly what you are doing since 2 days. And you'll end up being told to buy any Asus CD/license for XP Home/Pro that you'll find on eBay for $10, that will tick the money waste. Then you'll put that SSD in your netbook, have a cold sweat because XP tells you it found a new hard drive, new volumes etc... needs to reboot,... and ... and... and...that was it. Okay, you like taking shots at me. Despite what you and others may assume about me, I'm just here because I have 3 copies of windows and I'm genuinely interested in learning more about this subject.

submix8c, I don't think anyone here is lying or intentionally trying to mislead me. I appreciate the help given (but not the derision), but unless you are well versed in these things it can be confusing, and I've especially found your manner of posting to be difficult to understand clearly. I'm aware that sometimes those who are very advanced in a subject sometimes forget how to come down to the level of those who are beginners, so that may very well be the case here. I think maybe where I first became confused was from your post #13, #2. What string of numbers are you referring to?

They work for sure on OEM key what you read is just wrong at least for XP/2003 OS. Why don't you try Aida32 or Everest (if you want a big name to be sure ?) Okay, but what use would that code be to me at this point if it's not used for re-validation? And I don't have non-OEM software to do a new install?

1- If you want to think I'm freaking out, okay 3- post 1: I need to be sure I won't be prompted to reactivate my OEM copy of WinXP post 6: I researched this option, and it seems such programs do not work on OEM installs. I'm not sure why you are still recommending using a keyfinder. I still think the author's statements are somewhat non-definitive, "you may be missing its votes", and I still don't feel I know for sure what level of disabling will cause lost votes, but I suppose I can experiment, and if disabling lan, wifi, or both causes lost votes I can simply enable them again and that should cause xp to cease prompting me to revalidate. I looked through the article again, and it did not explicitly mention whether there is a 120 day clean-slate period after initial activation and any subsequent reactivation. Were you stating that if changing my hard drive necessitated a reactivation, that after 120 from that reactivation I could disable NIC with no issues?

You make it look like you have not read the article at all. The section on NIC I did read. When the author mentions disabling, they don't specifically mention on what level (bios/within xp) and to what degree (wifi only, lan only, etc). I assume this could differ based on one's setup. So for my netbook, do I have one NIC that controls both wifi and lan? My question still stands as to exactly what activity would disable to NIC so its votes would not be counted in WPA.

A better term is "Royalty Key". Use the KeyFinder to get that key (different from the COA sticker).Here is a set of phone numbers to help you out. Worst case, you contact a real person and explain that this is a Pre-Installed OEM PC and the COA is worn off. You've posted Topics on SSD (and Alignment), "XP or Windows 7" on a "New Desktop" you were going to purchase, and previously problems with XP on an Inspiron 6400. I will assume that you didn't buy this one. You also spoke of a Netbook here. Before that you inquired about nLite and a Dell OEM MCE. Can we assume that it's indeed the Inspiron and Dell MCE that we're speaking of? If so, your "Royalty Key" is already embedded in the WINNT.SIF file (at least MINE is) and that should be the key used, so you SHOULD have no problems with MS whether Re-Activating or calling MS to talk to a Live Person, although they might argue the fact that you used nLite.I would tend to agree also with Ponch (ASUS? where did you get that from?) in that even though the COA is worn you should still have a Serial Number or Service Tag Number somewhere proving that you're legitimate but the COA Sticker is toast. Heck, you could give that and a scan of your Dell XP MCE OEM CD (more than likely a DVD). You're seriously freaking for no reason IF you're legit with a legit Notebook/DVD combo. Freaking? That's a stretch considering you are interpreting based on a forum discussion. And one of the main reasons I started this discussion is because (as I previously stated) I was told by a rep at MS that I would be out of luck if my hardware change on XP SP3 required me to reactivate and I didn't have the key from the MS sticker. Also, this is not a conspiracy I have a netbook, a (now older) Dell laptop, and a desktop. I also thought that maybe ASUS could provide the activation key on the worn sticker based off of my netbook's serial # but I called them and they could not. However, as you and others in this thread are stating, I should not need that anyway.

I was seeking clarification on what type of disabling would cause votes to be lost. Disable wifi in BIOS? Disable wifi within XP? Disable LAN in BIOS? Disable LAN in XP? Disable both in XP or in BIOS? If I know that doing so represents no threat as far as reactivation issues, I would do so for small performance gains because I don't use onboard LAN or wifi. I'm not scared, I'm being cautious because I don't want to wind up wasting a bunch of time, energy, and money. Admittedly, I did not read the linked article thoroughly enough to see the portion about being able to revert back to old hardware config to avoid needing to reactivate. I also am unclear as to whether XP SP3 provides a 50 digit number as the original XP did, with which one can simply call MS and obtain a 42 digit reactivation number. I assumed that one would need the original key found on the MS sticker to reactivate because this is what I was told by the rep I spoke with at MS. Below is an explanation I found about the product key jellybean will find. Also, because my question is about reactivation vs re-installation, it seems such a program would be useless in my situation since, apparently, reactivation does not use the key on the windows sticker. "The factory installed image is done using a Windows Volume Licence Key (VLK), via a disk cloning process. The VLK will be the same for (at least) all instances of that laptop, but is valid as long as there is a unique Windows CoA for the same version of Windows attached to the laptop. The individual CoA on the bottom of the laptop has a unique OEM licence key, to satisfy the EULA requirement on the manufacturer in using their VLK for factory installations." It's been a few years, I honestly don't remember whether I had to activate XP initially. It came pre-installed on my (then new) ASUS netbook, and with no install media. I also do not remember if I upgraded the RAM within 120 days of activation (if I did activate it initially).

Thank you all for the replies. I actually found that article before posting, but I still wasn't totally sure about what effect disabling items in the BIOS (as I described) would have on votes. I'm not sure what could be considered "dirty" about my post. I have a legit copy of windows and am simply seeking info to help me avoid needing to re-activate. If there's anything dirty here, it's MS' practice of supplying stickers that don't withstand laptop usage, and reaping money from customers that then need to re-purchase products - but that's a separate issue. I researched this option, and it seems such programs do not work on OEM installs. This is interesting. I don't mean any disrespect, but I'm curious how you came to have these opinions (aside from the hard drive which you've experienced yourself). I called microsoft and they essentially told me that if I didn't have a key I was out of luck.

I'm getting ready to clone my netbook's hdd over to a new Intel SSD (using Intel's included software), and I need to be sure I won't be prompted to reactivate my OEM copy of WinXP. The reason I can't re-verify is because the product key has worn off of Microsoft's sticker I've considered purchasing a new copy of XP, but I've worked pretty hard on streamlining the one I'm currently using, and I would really rather not incur the expense or time needed to get things back to where they currently are. After researching online, I've seen a few articles about WPA and "votes", but I'm still not 100% clear on this issue and I don't want to take any chances here. I've already upgraded my RAM from 1 - 2gb, and after reading about the NIC counting as 3 votes, I'm seeking some clarity on what would need to be done for those votes to be lost. For instance, if I disable LAN and Wifi in the BIOS, would that affect the vote count? Also, even if the NIC vote count remains unaffected, will simply swapping the hard drive bring my vote count down low enough for XP to prompt for re-activation? Thanks a bunch

Thanks. So a new M4 comes pre-partitioned, and because I failed to recognize that I formatted the rest of the drive and that partition caused misalignment? Seems like a recipe for disaster for a whole slew of ssd users. I wonder what that small partition is for anyway.

I do appreciate the solution you've provided. And you're right, in a self-centered, practical sense, knowing at what rate those ssds are misaligned is fairly unimportant. However, I think my further curiosity portrays a desire to know how this may have occurred in the first place, and surprise that such a highly rated ssd would have such an issue. I also felt a desire to respond because I felt that your statement "Silly question - by the Google given it seems obvious" was both harsh and incorrect. And now you've made another statement, "Do you think we all buy these things en-masse to test them?" that I think is uncalled for. I think my raising the question about the rate of misalignment on these drives is not entirely out of place, and not so inappropriate as to make me a target of ridicule. I do appreciate your expertise though, and I imagine it may be difficult and frustrating for you to encounter people who know astonishingly less than you do on these issues I appreciate your help

I do not think it is obvious from that link that all M4s are misaligned. There could be a number of wildcards, or circumstances needed to produce such a result.

Thanks, I had done some searching, but for whatever reason I didn't come up with anything definitive. So it appears that user had the exact same issue, and I'm wondering how many M4s are misaligned.

Anyone?