soulhuntre Some of your information is totally incorrect - certain aspects of upgrades of hardware and even certain reinstalls of WindowsXP will cause the reactivation system of windows to become active again. I know - I do a LOT of reinstalling of windows XP not only on my own computer, but also for customers who have bought the OS themselves. Also if you do not have access to CALL microsoft for the activation you have to email them, or mail them for the activation information. Unlike most countries - SOME countries do not have 0800 numbers for reactivation, and SOME PEOPLE (surprise surprise) DO NOT HAVE INTERNET!!! Now in regards to the CL activation - if it is anything like their previous attempts that I have seen, any upgrade of any major componant (CPU, Harddrive, or just a reinstall) could cause the user to have to reactivate their product with a new activation code. Secondly you say that WindowsXP hasn't suffered - I beg to differ. I don't know what site you got your information from - but Microsoft's present Activation code programming scheme is causing issues with Windows XP sales - especially in Corp and small Businesses (but also in a lot of cases of home users). Watch TechTV, look over many of the news websites and look at polls which state that WindowsXP has lost at least 10% of its market share and I know of places were customers refuse to have their system sold to them with WindowsXP (rather changing for WindowsME or WIndows2K or now Linux) Why? Because a lot of these people don't want a security system in which forces them to reactivate their system everytime they want to do something that could 'risk' causing the present activation code to become invalid. I agree with your arguement about that activation code security messures work... Yes with correct implementation of activation code the software can be protected at least a little better than just a general serial number like what Poser 4 has now. However, taking that unique number from a part of the computer, which could alter at any time, or could change with each reinstall of hardware/OS - is STUPID. Again - though people who do not have Internet, or live outside of US are going to suffer... WiNC