What data does Microsoft gather as part of activation?
The only information that is required for activation is an Installation ID. For Office XP and Office XP family products, such as Visio 2002, the name of the country where the product is being installed is also required. The Installation ID facilitates activation. It has two components: the Product ID, which is generated by using the Product Key, and a hardware hash value, which is generated by using your hardware configuration information. For Windows XP SP1 and later, a third component, the Product Key, is also used. MPA uses a hash algorithm to generate the hardware identifier but does not scan the customer’s hard disk, detect any personal information, or determine the make, model, or manufacturer of the computer or of its components. For example, if the computer’s color is used as part of the Installation ID, the hardware hash would be the high four bits of the color. That color would always produce the same high four bits, but those four high bits cannot be used to determine the co
