Weird XP Pro question

[mobkon]

This should be a real simple question. I have a couple old discs of XP Pro I bought about 4-5 years ago. I used the discs to install to some machines in my office over the years. I have used the same discs multiple times to either reinstall, or install on a different machine. basically the discs have been interchanged between systems once i reformatted/reinstalled windows etc.

After i re-use a windows XP cd, I Activate windows and it always seems to work fine. I thought that each copy of XP was just a one time activation and thats it, you cant reinstall or install on another computer? It seems im able to install and activate it all the time?

Can someone explain the strange Microsoft ways of doing this? Thanks in advance!

 

[motoxer4533]

It might be that the discs are an open license? You would probably know it if it was though.

 

[peterhuang913]

are they OEM or VLK?

 

[mobkon]

I bought them both from Staples, one about 4 years ago, then the other about 5 or so.

 

[peterhuang913]

are you registered with MS?

 

[mobkon]

are you registered with MS?

Hmm, I dont beleive so. How could I tell? I dont ever remember registering, and I have never called MS for support...

 

[peterhuang913]

then your just lucky i guess

 

[reubix]

Are you using the same Product Key over and over again?

What about the machines in your office. Are they like identical machines as for the hardware specs? If that's the case that'd be the way you're passing activation multiple times more than likely.

 

[EricB]

it works if you let time pass between activations. I've done it too. I've put one copy of xp on 4-5 machines in a 4 year period

 

[djmaddogfreak]

Between putting time between the activations, plus having identical machines, that's how you get around the whole 2-3 time actvation. Hardware changes become an issue. If you change enough hardware, it won't let you activate.