If you plan to perform a clean install of Windows on your computer, you will most likely need to reactivate Windows online or over the phone. Internet reactivation usually works fine if the hardware on your computer hasn’t changed much since the original OS installation, and the Windows version is exactly the same as the version that came with the computer.
If you’ve replaced your hard drives, graphics cards, memory, etc. over time, you may have problems trying to reactivate Windows over the Internet with the same product key. In these cases, you will have to call Microsoft and activate over the phone.
If the hardware hasn’t changed too much, you can back up the information Windows uses to make sure your copy is valid, and then restore it after reinstallation, which I’ll explain below using a free program.
Download Recovery Media
If an OEM version of Windows was installed on your computer, and you perform a clean install with a retail version of Windows, it will also not activate over the Internet. Previously, new PCs came with an OEM DVD that allowed Windows to be reinstalled, but in the past few years, most PCs now have a separate recovery partition that allows you to recover data directly from your hard drive. If you restore this method, you should have no problems activating Windows.
If you don’t have a recovery DVD or disc, you can call Microsoft and try to activate over the phone, or you can directly download the ISO image files from Microsoft, but you will definitely need the product key from the COA sticker to your computer.
To boot Windows 7 recovery media, you must enter a valid product key before it allows you to download the ISO file. For Windows 8.1, you do not need to provide a product key for download. You can get the Windows 8.1 ISO from the Create a Media Reset page on the Microsoft website.
It’s worth noting that for years, you could download Windows 7 ISOs from DigitalRiver, the official Microsoft software distributor. However, they are all removed and no longer work. Your only legal sources are the above links from Microsoft.
It should also be noted that if you have Windows 8 installed on your computer, the key will not be able to activate Windows 8.1. The same is true if you have a Windows 8.1 key and are trying to activate Windows 8. If you need a Windows 8 ISO image, go to the Update Windows with a Product Key Only page. This is where you enter your product key and it downloads the correct ISO that can be activated for that specific key.
Windows XP
In Windows XP, you can avoid reactivation simply by copying the file from the Windows directory and saving it to external media. On first activation, Windows XP creates a file named WPA.DBL and saves it in the C: Windows System32 directory.
Copy this file to an external storage device and keep it handy. When you go to reinstall Windows, you will reach the point where you need to activate. Refuse activation and complete installation.
Now you need to restart your computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8 at startup to get to the Advanced Boot Options menu.
Go to C: Windows System32, and you should see a file named WPA.DBL already there Just rename it to something like WPA.OLD and then copy the backup WPA.DBL to its current location.
Restart your computer and Windows XP should activate and function normally. Remember, this will only work if you are using the WPA.DBL file from the same computer that Windows XP was originally activated on. If you install XP on another computer and try to copy the WPA.DBL file there, it won’t activate.
Windows Vista, 7, 8
If you are using Windows Vista, 7 or higher, you cannot simply copy one file to avoid activation problems. Much more information is required, which greatly complicates the task.
Fortunately, there is a free Advanced Tokens Manager program that will make a copy of all activation data for you and allow you to easily recover it later.
After you download it and unzip the files, run the executable. It doesn’t require installation, so that’s good. On the home screen, it will start detecting all valid Windows and Office products.
If everything works well, the status should identify your version of Windows and should display the product key along with the license status. To back up your data, simply click the Activation Backup button. A rather large dialog will appear that basically explains all the features and requirements required for activation to work properly. Be sure to read it carefully.
The main points here are what I mentioned above: don’t make major hardware changes when performing a restore, and make sure the OS version is the same. Go ahead and click Yes and the backup will be created in a new folder named Windows Activation Backup located in the same folder as the EXE file.
Be sure to copy this folder to external media before reinstalling Windows. Once Windows boots up, just download and run the program again. Make sure to copy the backup to the same folder as the EXE file. The program will detect the folder with the backups, and the button will change to “Restore Activation”.
Click on it, and when asked if you are sure, click Yes. Wait for about a minute, and if the program completes successfully, you will receive a success message.
At this point, you should have an activated copy of Windows. Please note, if you also have Microsoft Office installed, you can click the “Office Activation Backup” button and this will allow you to back up this data separately.
The only problem with Advanced Tokens Manager is that it doesn’t fully support Windows 8.1. It can save all activation data, but it can only restore activation for copies of Windows 8.1 that have been activated over the phone. If activated online, recovery will not be possible.
The developers say they are trying to figure it out, but there were no program updates in September 2013, so this is a bad sign. Anyway, it works well on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. If you have questions, please leave a comment. Enjoy!
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