Windows XP Professional: The Missing Manual

The Dark Side of Windows XP

Despite all of the improvements, Windows XP doesn’t come without its share of controversy. Let us count the ways in which the new operating system has raised eyebrows and hackles.

Activation (Copy Protection)

Windows XP marks the first time Microsoft has ever copy-protected Windows, meaning you can’t install Windows XP on more than one PC from the same CD. (Technically, the CDs are all identical. What you really can’t use more than once is your serial number.) If you have a desktop PC as well as a laptop, you have to buy Windows XP twice, and Microsoft will give you only a 10 percent discount on the second copy. If you make the attempt, the second PC refuses to operate after 30 days.

How does it know that you’re being naughty? When you first install Windows XP, the operating system inspects ten crucial components inside your PC: the hard drive, motherboard, video card, memory, and so on. All this information is transmitted, along with the 25-character serial number on the back of your Windows XP CD (the Product Key), to Microsoft’s database via your Internet account. The process takes about two seconds, and involves little more than clicking an OK button. You have just activated Windows XP.

Note

If you don’t have an Internet connection, activation is a much more grueling procedure. You have to call a toll-free number, read a 50-digit identification number to the Microsoft agent, and then type a 42-digit confirmation number into your software. Do whatever ...