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PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Tue, 15 Jul 2003 12:10:07 +1200
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A customer asked me to explain the XP 'Product Key' as opposed to the 'Product ID' and how the XP activation process actually works and this aroused my curiousity.

When I started to look into it, I found a tremendous amount of gobbledygook on the subject, but nothing I could get my head around.  Could somebody please check out the following and comment in clear terms that even a simple person like me can understand?

Here's what I know so far:

1. You install your copy of XP using the 25 (5 x 5) digit string of characters that comes with the CD.  I assume this 
string is the 'Product Key'?

2. After the installation is complete, you have 30 days to 'activate' your install of XP, otherwise your system may become unusable.

 3. Once you decide to 'activate', you have 2 choices.
(a) Activate by phone (in which case I understand you get to talk to a live operator) or....
(b) Activate over the net, as I did, so I'll only refer to that mode from here on.

4. In either case, once your system realises what you intend to do, it examines your hardware, and your 'Product Key', and it creates a unique 8-byte number, called a 'hardware hash', which it supplies to Microsoft.

5. I understand that, all going well, the Microsoft server pats your computer on the head and blesses it.

6. I also understand that this process is anonymous, and that once the blessing has taken place, the Microsoft robot discards the information (well, Microsoft would like us to think so, anyway)

So far, so good.  But here's where I start to lose the plot.  If the 25 digit string is the 'Product Key', what is the 'Product ID'?  

And why would Microsoft provide the means to change the Product ID?  See here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q328874#2

Another profound mystery is this: I can see how the 25 digit string of characters supplied ON THE LABEL with your CD can be unique, but I can't see how the CD itself is unique, or contains a unique number.  Surely these CD's are stamped in large numbers from glass masters?

Succinct comments would be much appreciated rather than links to more gobbledygook.

Ian Porter
Computer Guys Inc.
Arrowtown
New Zealand
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