Does XP activation register install cd?

[freebooter]

Question is about a retail version of win XP. Does the install/activation process identify and register the actual cd used? If I install using one retail cd and later want to reinstall using a different retail cd will the activation process realise I have used 2 different cds?

And a couple more questions as I have never used a retail copy of windows before.

Obviously it can only be installed on one pc at a time but is there any restriction on having more than one install on the same pc ie multibooting. If not does activation need to be done on each install or does activation generate a code that can just be inputted rather than having to contact ms each time? I suppose the same issue applies with reinstalling on the original pc without any hardware changes.

Secondly, I understand that retail can be moved to another pc but can only be installed on one at a time. Does it need to be deactivated from the first pc or does installing and activating on the 2nd pc automatically deactivate the previous install?

Finally does activating by internet and telephone work the same? Is there any advantage doing it one way or the other? I anm assuming that by phone if I read the product key to them they must read the activation code back to me and I have a copy of it to use later if I want to reinstall. If I activate by internet do I get to see the activation code or does it just get activated automatically?

Sorry for the noobish questions but all my previous win installs have been oem ones where the cd identified the hardware and didn't need to contact ms to activate.

thanks

 

[SiriusB]

Question is about a retail version of win XP. Does the install/activation process identify and register the actual cd used? If I install using one retail cd and later want to reinstall using a different retail cd will the activation process realise I have used 2 different cds?

There are generally 4 types of Windows XP CD:

OEM
Retail
Manufacturer OEM
Volume/Enterprise

A key for one particular license may not work on the "wrong" type of CD. In short, if you have a Retail key, then any Retail XP CD should work.

Obviously it can only be installed on one pc at a time but is there any restriction on having more than one install on the same pc ie multibooting.

Why would you install the same OS twice? You will still need two licenses, so no you cannot legally install it multiple times, even if on the same hardware.

If not does activation need to be done on each install or does activation generate a code that can just be inputted rather than having to contact ms each time? I suppose the same issue applies with reinstalling on the original pc without any hardware changes.

Activation in most cases is done online and takes just a few seconds. I don't know why you have this idea activation is a laborious process.

Secondly, I understand that retail can be moved to another pc but can only be installed on one at a time. Does it need to be deactivated from the first pc or does installing and activating on the 2nd pc automatically deactivate the previous install?

There is nothing you need to do to deactivate the previous install, but if you try to run both at the same time you will struggle to get updates as there are checks to see if both are legitimate. You should completely uninstall the previous copy straight away.

Finally does activating by internet and telephone work the same? Is there any advantage doing it one way or the other? I anm assuming that by phone if I read the product key to them they must read the activation code back to me and I have a copy of it to use later if I want to reinstall. If I activate by internet do I get to see the activation code or does it just get activated automatically?

Via the Internet it takes 10 seconds and you're done. Over the phone you speak to a robot. You enter a long code via the keypad and get given a code back. There is absolutely no point in copying the code for later reinstallations as there is a good chance it wont work. The code you give the robot is generated using all sorts of things and is probably semi-random, the code the robot gives you is also likely to change each time. I haven't confirmed this, but it makes sense.

Install XP, enter your Product Key and Activate online. It is 10 seconds and it's done with. If you need to reinstall, Activate again as normal. On certain occassions you may need to activate over the phone, but that too takes only 5 minutes. If you are installing it to a new machine, you need to remove it from the previous machine first.

All in all you are worrying too much about this. And you should be installing Windows 7. XP is sooo 2001.