Microsoft KB Archive/945082

= How to prepare a computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition for Prepaid Computers or Windows XP Home Edition for Subscription Computers for reactivation =

Article ID: 945082

Article Last Modified on 12/26/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for Prepaid Computers
 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for Subscription Computers

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INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to prepare a computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition for Prepaid Computers or Windows XP Home Edition for Subscription Computers for reactivation.

Note In this article, a computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition for Prepaid Computers is known as a &quot;prepaid computer.&quot; A computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition for Subscription Computers is known as a &quot;subscription computer.&quot;



MORE INFORMATION
A prepaid computer or a subscription computer is activated by association with particular hardware. If you have to replace a motherboard or a full system, you may have to reactivate the computer against Microsoft FlexGo provisioning servers. However, in this scenario, if the restore CD is used, all the data that is stored on the computer is lost.

When you activate the computer successfully for the first time, a prepaid client certificate or a subscription client certificate is downloaded to the computer. To restore the computer to a preactivated state without losing data, the client certificate must be deleted. Then, you can reactivate the computer.

To delete the client certificate and to reactivate the computer, follow these steps:
 * 1) At the command prompt, type mmc to open Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
 * 2) Click File, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.
 * 3) On the Standalone tab, click Add, click Certificates, and then click Add.
 * 4) Click Computer account, and then click Next.
 * 5) Click Local computer, click Finish, and then close the Add Standalone snap-in.
 * 6) Move to the Certificates/Personal/Certificates store.
 * 7) Select and then delete the Microsoft Windows PreAndSub client certificate.
 * 8) Close the console.
 * 9) Restart the computer to reactivate it, or shut down the computer to leave it in a preactivation state.

For more information about how to troubleshoot activation error codes for a prepaid computer or for a subscription computer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

938351 How to troubleshoot activation error codes that you may receive when you try to activate a computer that is running Windows XP Home Edition Prepaid Computers or Windows XP Home Edition Subscription Computers

Keywords: kbexpertiseinter kbinfo kbhowto KB945082

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