Windows XP for Home Users, Service Pack 2 Edition

After the installation is complete, you'll be prompted to activate your copy of Windows XP. This is something new, and totally separate from the normal registration process.

In an attempt to discourage what Microsoft calls "casual" software piracy, the company now requires that each individual copy of XP be activated before it can be used. (You do have a 30-day grace period, but after that the operating system quits working if it's not activated.) The activation process can be done online or over the phone, although doing it online is much, much easier.

Window Product Activation (or WPA, as the process is called) essentially marries your copy of Windows to your personal computer system. If you try to install that copy of Windows on another PC, it won't work. This limits you to one PC per copy, which is different from past versions of Windows (and most software programs), which allowed you to install on two machines (a desktop and a laptop).

If you've been following along, you've realized that you need to purchase a separate copy of Windows XP for each computer in your home. That can get expensive, but there's no easy (or legal) way around. Because you have to activate each copy before it can work, and because you can't activate a copy twice, you're stuck.

I'm not a fan of WPA. I think it's an overly complex solution to a minor problem. I also think it's too punitive. (If you break the rules, Windows won't start, which means you can't use your entire computer!)

WPA also promises to introduce a ton of user problems. Because the activation is married to your specific hardware configuration, what happens when you add to, remove, or change the components of your system? Imagine installing a new hard drive and finding that Windows no longer works! Microsoft says that WPA will figure out most common system changes, but the operative word here is most. If you're like me and install and uninstall a lot of peripherals as well as perform the occasional reinstall of the complete operating system WPA is almost guaranteed to be a real headache. Again, Microsoft says that you can call its support number and receive a case-by-case override if WPA shuts down your system, but it's still an unnecessary annoyance that punishes innocent computer users more than it does any hard-core pirates.

Some critics are afraid that because WPA records information about your hardware setup and sends it along to Microsoft to create your unique product activation code, Microsoft will have private knowledge about your personal computer system. Experts tend to discount this issue, as does Microsoft, of course. It appears that product activation is totally anonymous, and completely separate from the product registration procedure.

Like it or not, you have to activate Windows XP to use it. You're prompted to activate XP at the end of the installation process, although you can delay the activation for up to thirty days if you want to. To activate XP after the installation process, click the Start button, then select All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Activate Windows.

When you follow the onscreen instructions, you'll have a choice of activating online or by phone. If you have a modem or Internet connection, choose the online option, because this automates the entire procedure. No further action will be required on your part.

If you choose to activate by phone, you'll be given a 24/7 toll-free phone number to call. You'll have to provide Microsoft with the activation number that Windows XP has generated. In return, the operator will give you another number to enter into XP to complete the activation. As these numbers are extremely long, this process is a big pain in the rear. Again, choose the online activation option, if you can.

After you've activated Windows XP, you can then register the program. As with previous versions of Windows, registration is optional, and really doesn't gain you much other than access to Microsoft's technical support department. Unlike activation, if you don't register your copy of XP, it doesn't quit working.

To sum up, activation is a different process from registration. Activation is required to use your copy of Windows, and totally anonymous. Registration is optional, and requires you to submit some personal information. You have to activate, but you don't have to register.