Asking to reactivate

[Cromulent]

I have just installed Parrallels on my Mac Pro. I had Boot Camp up and running fine for three months before hand so I decided to use the Boot Camp option when I installed. It worked fine except that Windows now asks me to reactive it due to hardware changes.

The question is, if I reactivate Windows will it ask me to do it again when I boot into Windows properly and then when I run Parrallels or is this just a one off thing that happens after you install Parrallels?

I'm do not want to reactivate it until I know the answer to this as I am not sure how many times you are allowed to do this. Oh and I am running Windows XP SP2.

Thank you for any help.

 

[Cromulent]

So no one knows the answer to this then?

 

[garethlewis2]

Welcome to the WoM, or World of Microsoft. Every customer is a theif. With WGA, Windows Genuine Advantage, you get to install Windows XP or Windows Vista, once. In the EULA it does state, but is hidden in reams of legalise that you can only install this software once. You are expected to buy another license if you use it on two machines, or as with me switching from Parallels to Bootcamp, produced such a massive difference in the underlying hardware the XP stated it needed to be reactivated and I needed to phone MS and prove via an automated system that my copy of XP was indeed valid. This means using the pushbutton phone system to enter 9 groups of 5 numbers. MS will then give you back 9 groups of 5 numbers to enter.

In your case, if you want to continue using Parallels and Bootcamp, you ARE USING TWO PCs with one copy of XP. So you are legally required to buy another license. If you don't do this, WGA will mark one or both installations are pirated and therefore refuse to install any security updates, etc.

 

[akadmon]

Welcome to the WoM, or World of Microsoft. Every customer is a theif. With WGA, Windows Genuine Advantage, you get to install Windows XP or Windows Vista, once. In the EULA it does state, but is hidden in reams of legalise that you can only install this software once. You are expected to buy another license if you use it on two machines, or as with me switching from Parallels to Bootcamp, produced such a massive difference in the underlying hardware the XP stated it needed to be reactivated and I needed to phone MS and prove via an automated system that my copy of XP was indeed valid. This means using the pushbutton phone system to enter 9 groups of 5 numbers. MS will then give you back 9 groups of 5 numbers to enter.

In your case, if you want to continue using Parallels and Bootcamp, you ARE USING TWO PCs with one copy of XP. So you are legally required to buy another license. If you don't do this, WGA will mark one or both installations are pirated and therefore refuse to install any security updates, etc.

I ran into the same problem. I kept Win XP in Boot Camp and installed Windows 2000 Professional on the Parallels side. W2K will run virtually all the software that XP will, and it has a lot less overhead (I've assigned only ~600 MB RAM to it and it flies), plus it gives you no activation hassles ever (I bet you can move your W2K VM to another Mac and it will work).

 

[ewinemiller]

In your case, if you want to continue using Parallels and Bootcamp, you ARE USING TWO PCs with one copy of XP. So you are legally required to buy another license. If you don't do this, WGA will mark one or both installations are pirated and therefore refuse to install any security updates, etc.

I don't think that is true. I had the same issue when I changed the memory size under Parallels (2gig bootcamp, 512meg Parallels). I called MS, explained it, they gave me a new ID to reactivate my OEM XP and everything is working fine.

MS has always been very accommodating when I call. They even helped my father install an OEM license from a dying machine to a new one which is totally against the license.

 

[mfacey]

I came across the exact same problem on my girlfriends macbook. Calling Microsoft, they were very easy about it. Just gave me a new code and withine 5 minutes of placing the call I was up and running. I'm guessing the MS guys are aware of the problem.

 

[Cromulent]

Thanks for the help.

Looks like I just need to ring Microsoft then to get this sorted, hopefully they will make sure the system works properly.