Microsoft KB Archive/302740

= Running Repair on Windows XP Requires the User to Re-Activate the Product =

Q302740

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Professional

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SYMPTOMS
After you install and start Windows XP, if you start the operating system from the CD-ROM, run Setup, and then choose to repair the previous installation, you have to re-activate Windows when the repair process is finished.

CAUSE
This behavior occurs because the repair process replaces the system license file, which requires the system to be re-activated and also resets the grace period.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, re-activate Windows after running repair. You can also back up and save the Wpa.dbl file after successful activation and then manually restore it after the repair process is finished and after you log on to the computer.

STATUS
This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
This problem does not occur to Volume Licenses, nor does it apply if the you acquired the operating system from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that implemented system locked preinstallation (SLP), which is a form of BIOS locking. In addition, the IA-64 architecture does not implement activation at all.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbtool

Issue type : kbprb

Technology : kbWinXPProSearch kbWinXPHomeSearch kbWinXPSearch

Last Reviewed: November 7, 2001

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