> > I want to build my own PC and install XP Pro. Two Questions
> > regarding doing this so Microsoft will Activate my installation:
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> 2) Your question is phrased strangely - so I will answer as completely as
> possible.
> I want to build my own PC and install XP Pro. Two Questions
> regarding doing this so Microsoft will Activate my installation:
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> 2) Can I do this after April, 2009 when Microsoft terminates its
> Mainstream Support?
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> 1) Yes.
> 2) Your question is phrased strangely - so I will answer as
> completely as possible.
> OK, let me explain in more detail so the query is not quite so
> strange...
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> they will actually issue an activation next summer? I would really
> like to know that before I lay out the $$$.
They will. Activation will work until at least End-of-Life - which is 2014.
See below...
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> - As months pass beyond the 'stop selling XP' date of June 30,
> 2008 - it will become more and more difficult to find legitimate
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> which time they will have an alternative that allows people to get
> around said activation need (they said that - not I.)
You seem to know what mainstream and extended support are. At least in
general.
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy
Explaining what you might see...
And:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectindex
Where you can see the dates/support options for products by name...
Windows XP Professional:
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3223
Windows XP Home:
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3221
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005:
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=7024
Windows XP TabletPC Edition 2005:
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=7801
Hope that helps. Come back and tell me if that is what you needed!
Short Answer...
Mainstream support ends: 4/14/2009
Extended support ends: 4/14/2014
(Extended Support includes paid support (support that is charged on an
hourly basis or per incident), security update support at no additional
cost, and paid hotfix support.)
You want more?
http://www.microsoft.com/norge/piracy/activation_faq.mspx
"Will Microsoft use activation to force me to upgrade? In other words, will
Microsoft ever stop giving out activation codes for any of the products that
require activation?
No, Microsoft will not use activation as a tool to force people to upgrade.
Activation is merely an anti-piracy tool, nothing else. Microsoft will also
support the activation of Windows XP throughout its life and will likely
provide an update that turns activation off at the end of the product's
lifecycle so users would no longer be required to activate the product."

Signature
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Sternkreuzer - 26 Jul 2008 06:57 GMT
> You seem to know what mainstream and extended support are. At least in
> general.
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
> provide an update that turns activation off at the end of the product's
> lifecycle so users would no longer be required to activate the product."
These references, and in particular this last quote, are just the sort of
commitments that I wanted to see on the part of MS! Thanks!