# Installing Windows XP on a 2nd machine.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 27, 2001, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952 "2001-10-27T11:54:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952/21 "2001-10-29T23:15:43Z")

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RickJay, some of the older versions don’t support large HD, the new memory, larger memory, etc etc. Also new versions work faster & more stable usually, well, seldom. Plus, new ones have more drivers for more things, etc.

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**Author:** ![Poloin99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Poloin99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poloin99)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2001, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952/22 "2001-10-29T23:27:59Z")

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How about XP professional… Do I have to call that in?

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**Author:** ![Barney111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Barney111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barney111)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952/23 "2001-10-30T01:00:42Z")

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Here’s the scoop:

You have 30 days to activate XP (by web or phone) or the program shuts down.

Once activated, you can change six pieces of hardware (as long as one isn’t your network card) before it shuts down and you have to call for reactivation. You can change four pieces of hardware if one of them is your network card. Apparently your network card hardware ID# is the main part of the code algorithm.

The kicker is the activation scheme resets every 120 days. So,technically, you can wait 4 months and install XP on computer #2. Legal? No. Is Microsoft asking for it? Yes.

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**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952/24 "2001-10-30T05:01:03Z")

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What happens a few years from now when Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP? Presumably, it won’t be possible to get activation codes anymore. I think letting Microsoft decide when it’s time for me to upgrade is a bad idea.

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**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp-on-a-2nd-machine/89952/25 "2001-10-30T13:03:35Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Poloin99 \*  
> \*\*How about XP professional… Do I have to call that in? \*\*

Yes, unless you have a copy distributed under one of the bulk licensing arrangements

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