|  | Activating Windows XP Professional
Product Activation is an anti-piracy measure that will be included in all future Microsoft software applications. Anti-piracy measures protect organizations from having their software stolen. Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office XP are the first applications to include mandatory activation. The first time that a user logs on to a computer running Windows XP Professional, the Activate Windows dialog box appears, and the user is prompted to activate the installed copy of Windows XP Professional. A user can choose not to activate the software, in which case reminders to activate will periodically appear until the user activates the software. The easiest way to activate the software is to select the Yes, let's activate Windows over the Internet now option, and then click Next. If the computer is not connected to the Internet, the user can instead select the Telephone option, and then follow the directions for activating Windows XP Professional over the telephone.
| Important: Users must activate Windows XP Professional within 30 days of installation. If not activated within 30 days, users are prevented from gaining access to Windows XP Professional until activation occurs.
Users in large organizations can use a Volume License Product Key that will eliminate the need to individually activate each installation of Windows XP Professional. Additionally, users can automatically activate Windows XP Professional as part of an automated installation.