XP Guru question?

[theBlackman]

Ok. XP Home is installed. I did not activate. I think I have 30 days to play with it.

Question: I plan to add devices to the computer system while in the grace period. Can I do this without activation and without costing me "uses".

The idea is to try to get my Live Platinum Audigy to finally install and work. As I have been having trouble for about a year with this (yeah, Creative tech and me have gone 'round and 'round' trying to do this including a new board) I may need to install and uninstall a few times while I tweak the settings to get it to work.

Any comments as to feasiblity or complications welcome and invited.

Thanks

[bravus]

Hmm, afraid I can't help with this one. I've played with XP on my lappie (sadly, now returned to its owners :(), but (a) that was XP Pro and (b) it came already activated (or else site licensed via the school district or something), so I didn't get into the whole activation nonsense. It's the one thing I hate about XP - I love the rest of it, inasmuch as anything from Redmond is lovable. ;)

My best hunch is that the 'hardware hash' that describes your machine is generated at registration/activation, so hardware changes prior to that shouldn't count... Don't want to steer you wrong, but it's not gonna die completely - just require another phonecall to M$ tech support - if you *do* exceed the number of changes anyway. I'd say get it stable then whack that Platinum in there and beat it 'til it makes a noise!

Bravus

[theBlackman]

Thanks Bravus, suspected as much from what info I could find to read. Just thought I'd ask the pros. :D