XP Activation During Setup

I am about to upgrade to XP Home Edition to a clean bare Metal hard drive or that is my intention having read the Dux how to page?
Question Should I use fdisk or the feature in XP to go down to bare metal?
In the XP readme file the following text is included
3.1 Windows Product Activation (WPA)
======================================================================
Products: Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional only
If you are prompted to activate your installation of Windows XP, defer
activation until you have completed planned upgrades or changes to
your computer's FIXED hardware and their device drivers. Otherwise,
you may need to reactivate after making such changes. FIXED
hardware/drivers include the first instance of devices such as
video, network (excluding modems), SCSI, hard drives, CD-ROM/DVD, and
system memory. USB or other removable devices (such as cameras and
printers) do not affect activation.
I will have made any hardware changes prior to instillation
Question Should product activation be delayed?
I have collected all of the drivers for my hardware that are for XP and intend to install following set up so is it better to wait to activate or is it irrelevant?

Roger

1. RE: XP Activation During Setup
DJ Net2Infinity Apr-16-02 04:46 PM
In response to message 0

I would wait about 2 weeks to activate your XP that should give you plenty of time to make sure everything is configured properly, it is refering to changing your hardware more so than your drivers. To my knowledge XP only allows you to change hardware five times, such as swapping hardrives or cd burners until you must reactivate.

2. RE: XP Activation During Setup
Anchor 100 Apr-21-02 05:25 PM
In response to message 1

If linux is a problematical as XP I am not sure if the upgrade option is all it is cracked up to be
I am pleased that i took this advice and waited to activate
I have had a Memory Module in out in out more times than I care to mention
XP just did not like it prior to set up but it likes it OK now that
it is Up and running Cruical memory? 256Mb PC133 class 2
The Nvidia Specific drivers for the AGP card MX/MX GeForce 400 64mb
It did not like at all !!! Chaintech? Brand!!
has anyone had this Problem with these Drivers?
Roger

3. RE: XP Activation During Setup
lbyard Apr-22-02 11:57 AM
In response to message 2

A driver from http://www.chaintech.com.tw/downloads/driver.htm might fix it. Larry

4. RE: XP Activation During Setup
Anchor 100 Apr-22-02 02:04 PM
In response to message 3

Larry
Thanks I had downloaded the latest driver before Installing XP?
It appaers that this Nvidia driver is the poblem so i have contacted
chaintech and await reply

but the problem has almost gone away with the XP generic driver other than a problem with Direct 3D DirectX 8:1 is the installed version and all of the tests were OK apart from the two in the Direct X diganostics feature
So should I simply reinstall DirectX 8:1a stand alone which is the latest version??
Roger

5. RE: XP Activation During Setup
lbyard Apr-22-02 03:22 PM
In response to message 4

I'd give it a try. Larry