Ever needed to reinstall the OS on the same system and wondered if it’ll still activate?
This lets you reinstall Windows XP without having to activate it again:
- Copy the file %systemroot%\system32\wpa.dbl (to removable media like floppy/CD if you plan to reformat the drive and do not have
- Reinstall Windows XP
- Copy the file back to %systemroot%\system32
This only works if you are reinstalling XP on the same hardware – it’s not a mechanism to use the same copy of XP on another system and bypass activation.
Alternatively, (if setting up from a network source or creating a bootable CD) copy WPA.DBL to $$\OME$\$$\system32.
Activating during unattended installation
To activate Windows XP during an unattended installation, insert the following line in the [Unattend] section of your answer file (unattend.txt or winnt.sif):
AutoActivate = YES
Note: %systemroot% is a system variable that points to your Windows installation directory, usually C:\Windows.
{ 0 comments… add one now }