[Neil]

I have just installed a replacement hard drive into a PC that controls (sort of) a robot. Because the hard drive had been set up in different PC it required re activating when I first booted the PC. It is a stand alone machine so I had to use the phone method. I rang the Microsoft number (on a mobile) and then entered all 42 digits of the activation number. It then said I had entered them wrong so it passed me to an operator. He asked me for the first 6 numbers only, from these 6, not 42 numbers he gave me the activation number. I typed all 42 numbers in and it activated fine.
This taught me 2 things.
1. Why do you have to tell them 42 numbers when really they only need the first 6?
2. Next time I need to do it it is a damn sight easier and quicker to use the little software proggy floating round the internet to activate Windows instead of the official route.
Why do Microsoft bother with the activation when it was cracked as soon as Windows XP came out?