Windows XP formatting and Activation

[contemptor]

Well, I tried to transfer files to my new hard drive (I had XPSP2), and it didn't end up working (I set my new hard drive as master). I ended up installing windows on the new one. Now, my new and old hard drives have windows

First question- Activation. I tried to activate, and I can't, because it's the same product key I used for my old hard drive When I format my old hard drive, then how do I go around reactivating windows?

Second Question- Exactly how do I completely format (blank) my old hard drive?

 

[EricB]

1.Actiavate it again. you should be alright. 2.put it in as slave, right click and select format

 

[Apokalipse]

since you have different hardware, MS will recognise that and think it is a different computer. this is just to try and prevent piracy.
I believe you have a legitimate XP, so go to activate by phone, call MS, and if the machine says you can't activate, dial the number they tell you if you think you got the message out of error. they should give you an activation code

to format your old hard drive, you can do it many ways. you can go to my computer, right click and click format
you can format through disk management (dskmgmt in run)
you can format through the Windows install disk, or in the recovery console of the install disk