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Deactivating Windows XP

· One min read

Deactivating Windows XP can be useful especially when moving the Windows XP install from one computer to another as it makes Windows activation easier and more automated.

Follow the simple guide below to make the necessary Registry change to deactivate your Windows XP version.

Deactivating Windows XP

  1. Click Start
  2. Click Run
  3. Type ‘regedit‘
  4. Navigate to
  5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/WindowsNT/Current Version/WPAEvents
  6. Double–click OOBETimer, when the box comes up, change the LAST TWO HEX VALUES to nulls(00 00)

Reactivating Windows XP

  1. Click Start
  2. Click Run
  3. Type “c:\windows\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a“
  4. Press Enter