XP activation?

[AlwaysHope]

I have installed this unsupported old OS on s939 system with a valid key, but not connected to net yet, so my question is how will XP go about activating if MS are not supporting this OS anymore?

Thanks.

 

[AsRock]

If i remember right you can add it in to the registry, sorry it's been a while. I do remember you could back it up when it was supported so you might have to jump though some loops to get it working as i believe it encrypts it.

Little search i came up with this, i believe you could automate it to add it too.
https://www.wikihow.com/Change-a-Windows-XP-Product-Key

 

[natr0n]

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-bypass-windows-xp-sp2-activation

 

[GreiverBlade]

mmhhh most of my recent XP install (Home/Pro) did activate by themselves once online. (and with recycled OEM key most of the time )

which is a step up from back in the days when i always had to phone to the automated service to activate it ...

 

[AlwaysHope]

Thanks for the replies, but I neglected to mention I have already installed SP3. In any case, I guess I'll find out when I connect to net. Just don't wanna get it nagging me about activating.

 

[qubit]

The activation service should still work for it since the licence is perpetual.

Bypassing it with the hack above is technically installing a pirate copy, even if it's your own copy.

 

[Bill_Bright]

but not connected to net yet

Please don't! The problem is, when you connect a XP system to a network that has Internet access, you become a threat to the rest of us! And that is not cool.

IF this issue put only your computer, only your security and only your privacy at risk, then it would not be a problem. But it doesn't put only you at risk. Bad guys are actively seeking out XP systems to compromise and enlist in their bot armies to attack the rest of us.

"Because it still works" is no excuse.

These compromised systems are frequently used to distribute spam and malware, or as zombies in DDoS attacks on various institutions and organizations - without the XP user even being aware the system is compromised!

Do NOT think you are smarter than the bad guys! The right thing to do is to keep that system off the Internet.

That said, while retiring obsolete electronics before they die has been a fact of life since the invention of the vacuum tube, I totally understand the desire to keep such working legacy hardware productive. If the makers of your legacy hardware have refused to provide drivers for modern versions of Windows (and you cannot blame Microsoft for that!), I recommend you do one the following.

(1) Load this computer up with hard drives, block all its access to and from the Internet in your router, then turn it into a NAS (network attached storage). This is what I did with my old XP system that refused to die and it worked great as a backup server our other computers.

or,

(2) Format the drives and install one of the many free versions of Linux on it. Then you can connect to the Internet, allow the hardware to remain productive and out of the landfills. And most importantly, you will still be a responsible netizen.

 

[micropage7]

The activation service should still work for it since the licence is perpetual.

Bypassing it with the hack above is technically installing a pirate copy, even if it's your own copy.

Yeah, it's about legality

 

[cornemuse]

I am curious, I happen to have both XP-32 (sp-2) and XP-64 (sp-1) install disks. Have the sp ug's for both.
I have never had to activate/validate either (in multiple) installs. Only ever need the 25 digit product key, once past that, I'm home free. What install disks do I have???

-c-

 

[AlwaysHope]

Please don't! The problem is, when you connect a XP system to a network that has Internet access, you become a threat to the rest of us! And that is not cool.

IF this issue put only your computer, only your security and only your privacy at risk, then it would not be a problem. But it doesn't put only you at risk. Bad guys are actively seeking out XP systems to compromise and enlist in their bot armies to attack the rest of us.

"Because it still works" is no excuse.

These compromised systems are frequently used to distribute spam and malware, or as zombies in DDoS attacks on various institutions and organizations - without the XP user even being aware the system is compromised!

Do NOT think you are smarter than the bad guys! The right thing to do is to keep that system off the Internet.

That said, while retiring obsolete electronics before they die has been a fact of life since the invention of the vacuum tube, I totally understand the desire to keep such working legacy hardware productive. If the makers of your legacy hardware have refused to provide drivers for modern versions of Windows (and you cannot blame Microsoft for that!), I recommend you do one the following.

(1) Load this computer up with hard drives, block all its access to and from the Internet in your router, then turn it into a NAS (network attached storage). This is what I did with my old XP system that refused to die and it worked great as a backup server our other computers.

or,

(2) Format the drives and install one of the many free versions of Linux on it. Then you can connect to the Internet, allow the hardware to remain productive and out of the landfills. And most importantly, you will still be a responsible netizen.

I understand your point & it's not like I just came down in the last shower with regards to how incompetent XP was with security over the past 16+ yrs. But I forgive you because we all make assumptions about forum members level of knowledge.

There are stats out there that claim XP still has about 5% desktop market share even in 2018! Link

Previous replies to this thread have suggested hacking the registry to prevent activation messages but I hyave no interest with hacking registry keys if it can be totally avoided, I want it kept legit as much as possible...

The system is setup as a kinda retro gaming rig anyway for SP games & its historical curiosity for the days when s939 owned Intel's P4 performance.

Hardware vendors for this system have options for Vista & even win7. But it was natively designed for XP.

In any case, I appreciate your concerns with reducing membership of bot armies etc..

 

[MrGenius]

So..anyway...yeah. It'll activate with your valid key. You'll have way more trouble getting all the updates installed(WSUS is your friend there).

As far as the rest of the mumbo jumbo...new drivers are still being released for Windows XP. By Realtek for example. I, just a few days ago, downloaded and installed the latest Windows XP drivers for my RTL8111E NIC. Dated 2018/2/23.
http://www.realtek.com/downloads/do...d=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

 

[OneMoar]

The activation service should still work for it since the licence is perpetual.

Bypassing it with the hack above is technically installing a pirate copy, even if it's your own copy.

no thats not the legal definition he had a legit key thats all that matters, a license of windows is technically just the key, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it

I do not recommend the registry trick it will not pass the genuine checks

he can google up any one of a dozen of activators for it but the phone activation should still work so should the online activation

 

[Bill_Bright]

But I forgive you because we all make assumptions about forum members level of knowledge.

Ah, so you do assume you are smarter than the bad guys? That make you part of the problem. And I don't want your forgiveness by the way, for I have done or said nothing requiring it.

So what if they are 5.6% of the market share? Does that mean they represent only 5.6% of the targets? Of course not. It means 94.4% of the people wised up.

Hardware vendors for this system have options for Vista & even win7. But it was natively designed for XP.

Totally irrelevant. If anything, it just demonstrates how legacy that legacy hardware is, and all the more reason to put it out to pasture, or use a different OS.

It is not the hardware that's the problem, its the user, and his choice of operating systems. So again, that means you're the problem, not the hardware. Not even XP. Just you. Since you have other safe options but refuse to implement them.

The system is setup as a kinda retro gaming rig anyway for SP games & its historical curiosity for the days when s939 owned Intel's P4 performance.

And that's fine, as long as it stays disconnected from the Internet.

 

[OneMoar]

a alt would be reactOS which for the most part had 100% compatibility now with anything written for NT4/NT5 based oss's
https://www.reactos.org/
I would definitely run reactOS over windowsXP if at all possible

 

[coonbro]

ol' bill seems to be paranoid and a windows 10 salesman . bill understand I use xp as well for retro games that don't work on 7 and up or 32 bit only installers like farcry retail dvd .

sorry your scared but some folks aint . to be honest him using XP is in no way a threat to me . the threats today are working on how to exploit that malware service called win-10 . seems using it you ghot more threats just from Microsoft alone

 

[OneMoar]

I agree with bill and I can't even see his post because I blocked him which should tell you how strongly I recommend NOT RUNNING Windows XP anyware EVER
seriously if your machine is old enough or your software shit enough that both should go into the nearest incinerator where they can never harm any users ever again

 

[natr0n]

I get a thrill out of getting xp/xp64 working on supported modern hardware.

Also, hardware accelerated music and older games is a cherry on top.

 

[qubit]

no thats not the legal definition he had a legit key thats all that matters, a license of windows is technically just the key, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it

I don't think you're right. The software is licenced, not sold, so one is supposed to use it as per the licence terms and conditions, which include the proper activation. One cannot do whatever the hell they want with it. That's exactly the point of a licence.

Regardless, it's so old and obsolete now that I doubt Microsoft cares about the finer points anyway.

 

[OneMoar]

I get a thrill out of getting xp/xp64 working on supported modern hardware.

Also, hardware accelerated music and older games is a cherry on top.

your sick what is wrong with you seek professional help

 

[Bill_Bright]

ol' bill seems to be paranoid and a windows 10 salesman .

Gee whiz! No where in this thread did I mention W10. In fact, not once did I recommend upgrading to any newer version of Windows. Did you even look and read where I recommended installing Linux?

That fact is, if that system is that old, I would advice AGAINST putting Windows 10 on it - especially since the OP has already implied there are no W10 drivers for it.

to be honest him using XP is in no way a threat to me .

Sorry but that just illustrates another example of how poorly misunderstood the threat is. And that makes you part of the problem instead of part of the solution too.

It illustrates how tunnel-visioned people get when they believe they are smarter than the bad guys.

While your computers may not be directly threatened by an infected XP machine, it is naive to assume XP is not still a threat to you. XP systems are often used in DDoS attacks against banks, universities, insurance companies, and other sites you may use. XP systems are often used to distribute spam which affects us all. And XP systems are often used to distribute malware, including zero-day threats.

 

[R-T-B]

tl;dr:

XP on closed network: Fine.

XP On internet: Nope.

 

[OneMoar]

tl;dr:

XP on closed network: Fine.

XP On internet: Nope.

think you are missing a dozen or so NOPE's

 

[R-T-B]

think you are missing a dozen or so NOPE's

One should suffice. Nope spider can stay in his hidey hole.

 

[xorbe]

I can't even see [Bill's posts] because I blocked him

Wow I'm not the only one, hah.

 

[AsRock]

One should suffice. Nope spider can stay in his hidey hole.

I use XP for playing flaks if not playing CD's, and as you say as long as it's not online it should be perfectly fine. For me it's just not connected in anyways what so ever as it's not hard to just to use a thumb drive or alike.