How to Back up your Product Activation Files

Do you have to go through the whole product activation hassle again when you format? Actually, there's a way around it. Before you wipe out the current installation, backup your product activation files and then you can restore them to the new installation.

Here's how:
  1. Right click Start and click Explore.
  2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to \WINDOWS\System32\.
  3. Copy the following files to a floppy, CD or second hard disk: wpa.dbl, wpa.bak.
  4. To restore the files, start the computer in Safe Mode and copy them to the same directory (\WINDOWS\System32).