Low level formatted hard drive & re-installed xp pro. Activation notification keeps popping up & when I go to activate it; it says it's already activated. How can I get it to let me activate it if its not or stop popping up if it is?

I would speak to Microsoft. If you have a genuine copy this can be resolved

here's a question......... is it possible to copy the activation information once activated so you can reinstall your OS and just place the activation files in the appropriate places to avoid having to phone M$ all the bloody time??

@XL-DJK95355 - yes you can

activate your pc, backup the key single file and then replace said file after re-install via safe mode. This will only work if no major h/w changes have been implemented since, ie: cpu, mainboard, graphics, memory etc

I also believe it has been mentioned and answered before under the Unattended topic section

wrong oioldman, doesn't on any windows xp with service pack (1 or 2) .. jsut work with the rtm windows ...

If you have windows, you can phone to microsoft to activate windows without any problem, just says " I have resinstalled windows because I have a virus ..." ...

MMM .. what version of windows XP you have .. please check the MSconfig tool to ensure that this is not placed on startup

and try this

Start regedit and go to

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents\[OOBETimer]

Edit this and set Last Byte to FF.

Start this -if the Activation are delete- to show the Activation dialog:

%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /A

hope this help

i had the same activation loop problem. i did a clean install of xp pro and it put me in an a loop where the activation screen would prompt me to activate windows at startup and then state that the operating system was already activated. I applied service pack 2 for IT professionals and it fixed it.