Desktop platforms Toolkit

Microsoft to relax XP activation rules with SP3

Colin Barker ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 28 Dec 2007 17:43 GMT

Users who install Windows XP Service Pack 3 will not be required to enter Microsoft's product activation key before they use the operating system, according to a Microsoft white paper.

Instead they will get a 30-day period of grace — the same as users of Windows Vista — after which they will have to enter the key to prove that the product is genuine.

Problems can occur if a user legally obtains the software and, for some reason, a problem occurs with validation. By allowing a 30-day period, users have a chance to get the problem fixed while they are using the software.

Christmas Competition

Christmas giveaway

There's still time to snap up some fantastic tech prizes, but enter soon as the last competition ends on 19 January

Enter now

Originally Microsoft had said that XP users would be forced to initially download the full product key, which is Microsoft's method of checking that software has been properly licensed, before they would be allowed to download Service Pack 3. Service Pack 3 is due to be released in the first half of 2008.

"As in Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Vista, users can now complete operating system installation without providing a product key during a full, integrated installation of Windows XP SP3," the software giant said in the white paper. "The operating system will prompt the user for a product key later as part of Genuine Advantage [Microsoft's mechanism for validation]. As with previous service packs, no product key is requested or required when installing Windows XP SP3 using the update package available through Microsoft Update."

The change will not affect users of Windows Vista. "Changes in Windows XP SP3 are not related to the Windows Vista Key Management Service (KMS)," Microsoft said in the white paper.

Most Microsoft software asks for the product key before installation. If the key is not valid, the user is unable to install the software.

Did you find this article useful?
45 out of 51 people found this useful

More In Desktop platforms

Company/Topic Alerts

Create a new alert from the list below:

Related Jobs

Desktop Support - London

Skills include Windows XP, Active Directory, Hardware installation for servers, PCs and laptops, Troubleshooting PC, laptop, server and network ...

Systems Administrator

The responsibilities will cover 3 main areas; Systems Admin (install, maintain and support service Apps, 3rd line support of Apps and define ...

Technical Support Engineer Windows XP 2003, Microsoft Outlook, LANs, WANs, DNS,

Working closely with customers to understand their technical requirements and installing and configuring the solutions to meet these. Pension Private ...

Featured Talkback

So if you upgrade to XP SP3 you can't uninstall Internet Explorer, I'm quite sure I'm having a Deja-vu feeling about MS preventing people from uninstalling Internet Explorer in other Windows products.