You have decided to format your hard drive and do a fresh install of the operating system. Does this mean you have to reactivate or call Microsoft support and wait minutes for a technician to come on the line to reactivate your windows registration key? Hell no!

This is how you reactivate without going through the hassle or expense of calling a Microsoft support technician.

The security around Window XP normally makes you activate your copy every time you install or reinstall, but there is a way around it!

Windows XP stores the activation information in the wpa.dbl file, which is located in C:/Windows/system32/ directory on your hard drive.

Now assuming your hard drive letter is C: you would need to do the following!

  1. Double click my computer
  2. Double click on your hard drive icon
  3. Double click the Windows folder
  4. Find the system32 folder and double click to open up the contents
  5. Locate the wpa.dbl file and right click and either send it to your floppy drive or right click and select copy and then minimize your window screens and right click on the desktop and select paste.

Now store the “wpa.dbl” file in a safe place, preferably on a media disk like a floppy or CD-R just in case you need to format or reinstall your Operating system you won’t need to bother with activation.

Now when the time comes that you have to reinstall Windows XP for any reason, go through the normal installation routine, but when you get to the register your version screen at startup select register later.

Once the computer is up and running copy, the latest version of wpa.dbl to the following

C: Windows\system32 directory.

Warning: If you have made several changes to the hardware in your computer you will need to reactivate your product key through Microsoft support.

Otherwise if you have the exact same hardware configuration as when you first ran the activation, simply copy and past the file back in to C: Windows\system32 directory.

Then when prompt select yes to overwrite the existing file.

Your Windows XP should now be reactivated and ready to install Windows updates.

Have fun!

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