Installing Windows XP Pro Time frame?

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Ray - 29 Jan 2007 22:33 GMT

I recently got a bad virus on my computer. I re-formatted the hard drive
and re-installed Windows XP Pro. During my activation over the telephone, they
told me they could not activate my product and put me through to a service
representative who subsequently activated my product. Why did I have this
difficulty?

I re-installed Windows XP previously; about 2 weeks before, so this was my
second re-install in a time frame of about 2 weeks. Is this what caused
the difficulty? I did not change any hardware or anything. Why the problem?

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM - 29 Jan 2007 22:37 GMT

>I recently got a bad virus on my computer. I re-formatted the hard drive
> and re-installed Windows XP Pro. During my activation over the telephone,
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> the difficulty? I did not change any hardware or anything. Why the
> problem?

What service pack level did you install?
How many times have you reinstalled it?

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
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Ray - 30 Jan 2007 19:25 GMT

> >I recently got a bad virus on my computer. I re-formatted the hard drive
> > and re-installed Windows XP Pro. During my activation over the telephone,
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> What service pack level did you install?
> How many times have you reinstalled it?

I purchased the Windows XP Pro CD around the end of 2002. It was not an
Upgrade. It was the full product. I'm not sure what Service Pack it is; I
could get back to you on that. But does that tell you anything? Around the
end of 2002?

I installed Windows XP about a week prior. In total, during the past 5
years; I've probably installed Windows XP on the same machine, with minor
hardware changes, about 5 or 6 times.

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM - 31 Jan 2007 03:29 GMT

>> >I recently got a bad virus on my computer. I re-formatted the hard drive
>> > and re-installed Windows XP Pro. During my activation over the
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> years; I've probably installed Windows XP on the same machine, with minor
> hardware changes, about 5 or 6 times.

If you've only installed it about once a year I don't see why there was a
problem. The first person over the phone should have accepted your
explanation. But then, humans sometimes make human-type mistakes.

Your main thing to worry about installing SP2 and the 60 or so updates that
came after that. My advice is to turn on Automatic Updates after installing
SP2 and let it install them in the right order.

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Answer in newsgroup. Don't expect an answer to email.

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