In an effort to thwart piracy, Microsoft has introduced product activation technology with several of its products. This ensures that software is only installed on one computer only and not distributed and installed amongst multiple ones thereby violating the end user license agreement (EULA).

Microsoft introduced product activation technology with Windows XP called Windows Product Activation or WPA for short. The goal of the WPA is to prevent someone from copying and distributing a legitimate copy of Windows XP and installing it on multiple computers.

WPA is designed to ensure that a product key has not been used on more than one computer. When Windows XP is installed on a computer, you are required to provide a valid product key. When you activate your copy of Windows XP, this product key is changed into an installation ID. The installation ID is an encrypted form of the product ID and hardware hash.

Using the activation wizard, this ID is then transferred to Microsoft either across the Internet or over the telephone. Once Microsoft receives the installation ID, a confirmation ID is sent back to your computer completing the activation process.

You might run into problems with your installation of Windows XP if you do a hardware overhaul on your computer. Several new hardware components can make it appear as though it is a completely different computer. If this is the case, you can reactivate your copy of Windows XP by calling the telephone number listed on the activation screen.

Tags: microsoft, xp, diana huggins, windows product activation, activation technology