System Locked Pre-installation

System Locked Preinstallation, often abbreviated as SLP, is a procedure used by major computer manufacturers in order to preactivate Microsoft's operating systems Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 before mass distribution. Operating systems that use SLP check for a particular text string in a computer's BIOS upon booting. If the text string does not match the information stored in the particular installation's OEMBIOS files, the user is prompted to activate his or her copy as normal. This effectively "locks" the operating system to the qualified motherboard. In addition, if an end user feels the need to perform a "clean install" of Windows, and if the manufacturer supplies the user with an installation disc (not a "System Recovery" disc that is a hard drive image), the user will not be prompted to activate the copy, given that the installation is performed on the same motherboard. Furthermore, because the check only involves the BIOS and not hardware, a user is allowed to change virtually all hardware components within the machine, a procedure that would normally trigger re-activation in retail XP/Server 2003 copies.

It is important to note that SLP installations still require a product key, which is unique to each manufacturer, and unique to the specific version of Windows (Home, Professional, etc...). This product key is different from the key that is printed on the Certificate of Authenticity. If the product key on the case is used during re-installation, the user will be prompted to activate, and as of February 28, 2005[1], those keys were invalidated by Microsoft in an effort to further reduce software piracy. Product key finders, readily available on the Internet, can decrypt the product key from a local installation. The key obtained from using such tools will allow the user to avoid activation upon reinstallation. Also, Microsoft released the following generic product keys that can be used to avoid product activation on any SLP-enabled computer using the corresponding version of Windows XP:

(Please note that the following keys are not volume license keys. The installation source must also be SLP-enabled by the manufacturer.)

Windows XP Professional (32-bit)	MVF4D-W774K-MC4VM-QY6XY-R38TB
Windows XP Professional (64-bit)	FM634-HJ3QK-6QVTY-RJY4R-XCR9J
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition	XT67V-GY7FW-GR6FR-WDK2C-8T97J

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/oempreac.mspx