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I loaded an XP version that I had acivated on an old PC Laptop on to my new MacBook Pro. I now get the 30 day notice sign to activate it. I am not really sure what "activate" means, I recall doing it when I loaded the software on the PC Laptop.
Question:
When I go ahead to activate the XP on the MacBook Pro, what do I need to do with the PC Laptop? Do I have to "de-activate" something there? Not sure how this whole process works when deciding to take my software from one computer to another. I plan to give my PC Laptop to a friend who already has Windows software to put on it. However, I do want to continue using the PC Laptop for a couple weeks while I assure myself that I got all the data transferred over and that the MacBook Pro does all that I depend on the PC Laptop to do with respect to my Real Estate specific software.
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Activate means that Microsoft wants to link that registration code that you typed in to that hardware on which XP is installed.
This is their way of preventing you from installing XP on several computers using the same registration code.
You already activated XP on one computer; when you go to do it again, Microsoft will see that you're trying to do it on a different hardware configuration, and will probably balk at it. They assume you still have it installed and running on the previous hardware.
The automated activation may not work. You may have to call Microsoft to get them to activate it.
Not sure what that does to your previous installation. If you have to call MS, ask them.
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Since you have 30 days to activate it, you could keep the macbook un-activated until you're sure you've got everything you need from the PC. Then deactivate the PC (or at least don't turn it on) and then activate it on the Mac.
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Odd. My XP PRO installation never asked me for a code nor did it ask for activation - or registration.
Hmm....
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[quote Jerry®]Odd. My XP PRO installation never asked me for a code nor did it ask for activation - or registration.
Hmm....
Not odd at all. Check out Microsoft's web site with respect to the different kinds of XP that are out there.
Off the shelf, retail, it needs to be activated. But computer makers like Compaq/HP, IBM, etc. who bundle Windows with the hardware have a choice: require activation, or tie their version to the BIOS and avoid activation. That way, attempts to install it on a different machine will still fail since the BIOS check fails.
Or you could have a corporate copy that doesn't require activation. Since corporations deal with thousands of desktops, and that's unrealistic to force activation on, corporate licensing customers get versions that don't have activation at all.
So unless you bought your copy of XP off the retail shelf, it's not at all unusual to hear that your copy didn't require activation.
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[quote elmo3][quote Jerry®]Odd. My XP PRO installation never asked me for a code nor did it ask for activation - or registration.
Hmm....
Not odd at all. Check out Microsoft's web site with respect to the different kinds of XP that are out there.
Off the shelf, retail, it needs to be activated. But computer makers like Compaq/HP, IBM, etc. who bundle Windows with the hardware have a choice: require activation, or tie their version to the BIOS and avoid activation. That way, attempts to install it on a different machine will still fail since the BIOS check fails.
Or you could have a corporate copy that doesn't require activation. Since corporations deal with thousands of desktops, and that's unrealistic to force activation on, corporate licensing customers get versions that don't have activation at all.
So unless you bought your copy of XP off the retail shelf, it's not at all unusual to hear that your copy didn't require activation.
Interesting. Thanks elmo for the info - I appreciate it.
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yeah, elmo3 is right. I have been looking into this with regard to using the XP ser# from VPC7 (which I am not using) to allow me to load XP on either a PC, or on a MacBook Pro if I get one.
I may try and get a copy of the corporate XP disk from work to make it easier.
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Yep - looks like I happen to have a corportate copy of XP PRO. I wonder how that got in there?
