The Windows XP operating system, released back in 2001, can still be found on the computers of some users. In principle, this is easily explained by the fact that for weak PCs used as a "workhorse", this OS is just perfect. The problem is that Microsoft has long ceased support for Windows XP, and the activation of this system will not work in any of the legal ways. But, fortunately, there is a way out even of such a situation.
KMSAuto Net
KMSAuto Net allows you to activate Window XP using a remote server. You will need to perform just a few simple steps, and the rest of the application will do it automatically. So, to complete the activation, do the following:
- Download the KMSAuto Net program from the developer's site or another resource that you trust. If the application is archived, it means you need to extract it from there.
- Run the program and select the option “Activate Windows XP Professional” (or the edition that is installed on your PC) in the main menu.
- In the KMSAuto Net popup window, labels will appear to inform you of the actions that the application is taking. You just need to wait a while and in no case close the program.
As soon as you see the “Activation Successful” message, you can safely exit the application and restart the computer. This completes the activation of Window XP.
Winkeyfinder
This method is suitable in a situation where the operating system has already been activated previously, but the key has "fallen off" or you deleted it by negligence. In this case, a small WinKeyFinder program will help you, and you need to use it like this:
- Download the application from the official site. In most cases, WinKeyFinder is distributed in a compressed form, which means you will need to unzip the program before you start using it.
- Open the application folder and run the winkeyfinder.exe file. Wait a few minutes.
- As soon as the program starts, you will see the key of your operating system in its main window. By the way, here you can see other registration data, if you suddenly need them.
Remember (or better rewrite) the key that the program showed you.
- Now click "Start" and select "Activate Windows XP." A window will open in which you will need to enter the key obtained using WinKeyFinder.
- Confirm your changes and close the activation menu.
If everything is done correctly, you only need to restart the computer. This completes the activation of Windows XP.
Manual activation
If none of the above methods helped you, then you have to do everything manually. The most difficult thing here is to find on the Internet a working activation key for Windows XP SP3 (or the edition that is on your PC). After that do this:
- Open Registry Editor. To do this, click “Win ​​+ R”, and then enter the command “regedit”.
- Go to the directory "WPA Events", which is located on the path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - Software - Microsoft - WindowsNT - CurrentVersion".
- Find the entry “OOBETimer” in the right part of the editor and right-click on it. Select the “Change” option.
- You will see a key consisting of a sequence of random letters and numbers. You need to delete several characters, and then enter others in their place. It is important to comply with the original key format. For example, if you deleted 5 characters, then you also need to enter 5 characters.
- Save the changes and close the editor.
- Now press “Win ​​+ R” again and enter “% systemroot% \ system32 \ oobe \ msoobe.exe”.
- Select "Activate Windows XP over the Internet" from the menu that appears.
- Enter the key previously found by you in the window that opens. Confirm changes.
Then simply follow the prompts that you see on the screen. At the end of the procedure, you will need to restart the PC.
Counter reset
According to the rules of Microsoft, you can use Windows XP for free for 30 days. If you can’t activate the OS, then you can simply reset the timer every month. This is done as follows:
- Start the computer in safe mode. You need one where there is command line support. Please note that you will need to wait a while until the system makes all the necessary settings.
- As soon as you see a blinking cursor on the screen, enter the command “explorer.exe” and press “Enter”.
- The desktop will open. Press “Win ​​+ R” and write “rundll32.exe syssetup, SetupOobeBnk”. Confirm changes.
Now just reboot and start the system as usual. If everything is done correctly, the timer will be reset to zero, and you can continue to use the operating system for another 30 days.
Notes
When activating Windows XP, consider some helpful tips. Here they are:
- If you decide to activate the OS using one of the programs mentioned in the article, it is advisable that you download them from the official site. Enemies often disguise viruses as activator applications, so be extremely careful.
- When working with the registry (and this is necessary for manual activation of the OS), it is better to backup it. To do this, even before you start making changes, click on the “File” tab in the upper left corner of the editor, and then select “Export”.
- If you did not activate Windows, but just reset the trial timer, do not forget to do it again after 20-25 days.
Also, pay attention to the fact that support for Windows XP has long been discontinued, which means you can not count on the help of the technical department of Microsoft.