Save Activation Status Information in Windows XP
Follow the steps below to save the activation status information in Windows XP and restore it once you rebuild your system. Windows XP is now reinstalled on your reformatted hard drive.
Reactivating Your Microsoft Product
Users who reformat their hard drives and perform a clean operating system installation must reactivate the product. But, as long as the new installation is on the same system and there won’t be any hardware changes, it is possible to transfer the existing product activation and skip going through the product activation process again.
What Is Product Activation?
Software piracy is rampant, and Microsoft is the target for a large percentage of theft due to its dominance in the market. The company has a right to stop or at least control that privacy. Product activation seems to be a fair way of ensuring that only legitimate software owners benefit from using it. Product activation monitors the system configuration. If it detects a significant hardware change or too many minor hardware changes within a set number of days, it crosses the threshold and requires reactivation.
