I'm pretty sure what you said was that you never got an Image of the
"fully installed system" (with out extra software) after activation...
Not good...  (See last line, below.)  (Sorry for length.)

I had the same problem trying to restore a Ghost (or Acronis) of a
system that was not activated. This would have been "way back"
in XP-Pro-Gold, which was rumored to be "more cranky" during
boot if it thought something was wrong... (No Grace Period.)
Also ones that had changed too much after the install, (activated or not),
BUT/AND restoring the image on the _same_ machine.
I have had enough trouble with the SAME basic hardware to know
WPA will "catch me" if I try to make a "duplicate install" on another
different BOX with the same Image. (I do NOT use sysprep for lots
of reasons.)
Something as simple as adding a video capture card and NOT having
it in the Image, (but physically in the machine during an Image restore),
has caused me havoc...

There can also a "problem" with where the different hard drives are
during making and/or restoring an Image. The physical locations on the
ports sometimes comes back to bite you. I never checked into that in
depth, but used to be able to repeat it, if I wanted to... Images take me
two hours now (because of size), so I can't test things for fun anymore...
FWIW, I use Ultra ATA controller cards, but never boot from them,
and never attach a bootable drive to them EXCEPT as non-bootable
Data drive(s). I never do a "from scratch" XP install, (or massive repair of
Windows) with one of those "data type drives" connected either...

Back to problems with Images:
I have learned to always give a description of the hardware present (in the
description part of Ghost or Acronis TrueImage during the building of the
Image), of what "special" drivers are installed, and if activation has taken place,
(or not).  An easy way to do that (at least part of it) is to run Belarc Advisor,
(Free for home users), on the system and place the report in the root directory
of the boot drive (normally "C").
Check the report to see if it is accurate. (Sometimes the RAM, and/or stick
placement can be wrong...)  Also remember "where" you might be reading
the report (or from), and store it as a file type that will be easy to open
and read...  (Try that to see what I mean.)

The biggest part of "all this" is what every good discussion of "back-ups" or
Images should include...  TESTING your Image from start to finish on the same
exact hardware (admittedly with a different hard drive as the "target")...
You would be surprised at the number of people that make a back-up or Image
that never test it to see if it will actually restore and work (AKA - Boot...)

You are not done making an back-up or Image until you have tested the
process "exactly" from start to finish...  (Sorry if I am preaching to the Choir.)

Getting back to your statement about "Gotcha"... WPA adds a certain element
of risk to all of this that was not present in older versions of Windows...
You now not only have to figure out what is wrong with the hardware, (broken,
defective, etc.) but what Windows is doing about it inside WPA...

I "track" my WPA status with a program made by people that write product
activation software - (They sell theirs to vendors/authors of programs).
http://www.licenturion.com/xp/  You have to know some of the "points rules",
like how many each are worth (like NIC=3) and what number triggers activation.
(Either 7, or less than 7, I forget which...)

BTW, the SHORTEST time I ran a system and then had to re-activate was 2 1/2 years...
It was totally automatic (with my permission) and did it on the WEB...
So as long as you don't get the dreaded screen that says something like
    ~Windows is having trouble determining the status of your license~
(Or something "sort of" like that) there is no problem...
The time I got that, I restored the last good, valid, tested Image and everything
was fine again... (That IS what Images are for, right? <grin>...)

                                                  Rick Glazier


----- Original Message -----
From: "James Maki" <[log in to unmask]>
> Just a comment on a potential "gotcha" I experienced when waiting 30 days to
> activate.
>
> I installed Windows XP Pro for the first time about 2 years ago. I made a
> Ghost image after installing WinXP with updates and drivers, but before
> activating.

            Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to
                    Digest mode - visit our web site:
                   http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml