Ronnie Vernon MVP

Joannie

You will not be able to activate your machine because the producty key was
used on the other machine. The computer you installed the copy on will stop
working in 7 days. This will not effect the original computer where Vista is
installed and activated.

You can purchase another license for Vista and use that license to activate
the computer where the copy is installed.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User


"Joannie" <honda4jo@msn.com> wrote in message
news:2108AD21-60B2-40A5-BCE7-A0DC652CC74B@microsoft.com...
> Hi noel,
> I have a question for you. I installed vista from a copy cd and now I now
> they want me to set the activation I have 7 days to do that this copy is
> on
> another computer in the house that was installed when bought.
> The question is what if I don't activate what will happen then to the
> computer it is originally on. and will vista stop working on my machine.
> thanks
> --
> JoAnne
>
>
> "Ronnie Vernon MVP" wrote:
>
>> Noel
>>
>> There is no "de-activation".
>>
>> The way activation works is that when you activate with a particular
>> product
>> key, that information is kept in the activation servers at Microsoft. The
>> activation information is reset on the activation servers every 120 days.
>> If
>> you activate again before 120 days has passed, the automatic internet
>> activation will fail and you will be required to use the telephone to
>> re-activate. If it has been more than 120 days, the automatic internet
>> activation will work.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Ronnie Vernon
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Shell/User
>>
>>
>> "Noel" <Noel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:F4DF54CF-881B-4F9B-BFBF-738C9B11EA91@microsoft.com...
>> > Hello, I put together a new machine and decided to put Vista on it;
>> > anyway
>> > the raid drivers were a littel flaky and my drives corrupted. I had to
>> > recreate the array.
>> >
>> > I wasn't able to reactivate, the internet activation failed, even
>> > though
>> > there were no changes to the machine (except the raid volume was
>> > recreated);
>> > using the phone system worked.
>> >
>> > To avoid this in the future (ie what if my drives fail and I have to
>> > reinstall) how do I
>> > "De-Activate" Vista?
>> >
>> >
>>