WPA.dbl Tweak

[Hipster Doofus]

I had opportunity to try this tweak yesterday & it was a fizzer. Replaced the file, rebooted, then thought I was locked out of xp. Got back in but it still requires reactivation. Anyone else tried it?

 

[Perris Calderon]

splain the tweak please

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Once you into windows after a format go to the system32 folder & swap over the wpa.dbl file with the one that was saved from the activated install.
This is what I have on the tweak>
"XP - Re-Activation
Once you activate your copy of Windows XP operating system, a file gets created/updated in windows/system32 directory. It is called wpa.dbl file. Take a backup of this file and when you have reinstall the OS just copy it back to the same directory."

That file was already in the folder before activation & swapping it over did nothing, except nearly locking me out altogether.

This one is going in the bin.

 

[Perris Calderon]

aha...I have never had to reformat this os...I can't give you practical help, sorry

 

[allan]

Sorry it didn't work for you HD, but I assure you that replacing the "new" wpa.dbl with the "old" wpa.dbl does in fact work. I've done it myself and have recommended it to numerous others who seem to have had no problems.

As you know however, every system is different - just like fingerprints. What may work on 99 systems can fail on the 100th, even if it's identical to the others in all respects. That's one of the things that keeps us all busy.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

So what's suppose to happen allan? When swapped over, then clicking on the activation shortcut, should it come back saying already activated? Mine still wanted to be activated.

 

[kitct]

Hipster,I have tried replacing the file and just adding the file,thinking that maybe I just missread or misunderstood the tweak.

So far, I've got the same result that you did.(On three diff.computers)

Haven't figured it out yet.

 

[madmatt]

I also heard that the activation will popup the first time but if you cancel the wizard and then reboot again, it shouldn't popup.

 

[allan]

After reformatting and changing the file I've never been asked to reactivate (but yes, a reboot is required).

Is it possible, HD, that between the time the file was created (the first time XP was installed) and now some piece of HW changed (video card, ram, bios update, maybe even a printer on parrallel)? That would cause major problems.

 

[kitct]

Maybe I just didn't reboot.Thought I did,but maybe not.I'll make sure to try that next time!

 

[Hipster Doofus]

I tried again & nearly got locked out again. Looks like I'll have to make that phone call. (I can't figure out how to do it over the net) DOH! DOH! DOH! I just tried & it went straight through. This windows stuff pushes me over the edge sometimes. aahhhhgggg
And that was much less painless that doing it over the phone. numbers numbers numbers

allan I have updated the bios & installed a pci usb card. Once I get activated again I'll copy the new wpa file.

OK so now I'm activated I copy the file but even making what I see as a minor update would render that file useless???? Or does it somehow update itself so that copying it again would be OK?

 

[madmatt]

oh just call them HD =)

 

[allan]

HD - To the best of my knowledge it is a snapshot of what your system hw looked like at the time XP was installed. I know the date on the file changes, but I don't know if it actually "updates" itself.

I can't be certain, but my guess is that the file was telling XP that the bios & video card were one thing when they were actually another.

 

[madmatt]

The new Tweak-XP Pro 2.0.3 has a feature that allows you to save the files required to do what you are attempting. However, I don't know if it works.

but allan has a very good point.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Ok thanks everyone.