One of the main problems, that may be of your concern after you re-install Windows is the its activation. It may not be a problem for users with computers pre-installed with Vista or 7 (OEM) as they seek SLIC (software licensing description table) in the BIOS to activate and will be activated automatically right after the Windows setup. Microsoft have recently made changes to it Activation Mechanism, that was introduced in the new Windows, Windows 8. Now the activation for OEM computer will require an internet connection, just like Retail or MAK key activation, along with the product key that is embedded in the SLIC in the BIOS.

This may pose problems for users with no internet connection at the time of re-install. This problem can be easily be avoided by making backup of the Windows Activation files. This method is not limited only to OEMs, but can also be used for Retail or MAK key activations, or even for phone activations.

Manually making backups of Windows Activation files is not advised as it may ruin your current activation,  and there won't be any point making a backup then.

An awesome tool to make activation backups for you, with just a click of the button is, Advanced Tokens Manager by Josh Cell. Its a frequently updated tool for making and restoring Windows and Office Activations. The current version is capable of making backups for Windows 8 (All variants), Windows 7 (All variants), Windows Vista (All variants) and Microsoft Office (2010 & 2013). It will work for any type of activation be it OEM, Retail or MAK (both online and phone based).

All in all this tool can save your activation files (tokens) with just one click of the button. Restoring the activation is as easy as making one. Once you make a backup, a new folder will be created in the same directory where the Advanced Tokens Manager application was executed. It will contain activation files with the program settings. The folder name will depend on the Windows and the Office version installed on the system. If Office 2013 is installed on Windows 8, since they have same activation system, the token (activation files) will be saved in the folder named 'Activation Backup'.While for Windows 8 with Office 2010 or Windows 7 with the Office 2013 or 2010, the backup is made separately in folders called 'Windows Activation Backup' and 'Office Activation Backup' respectively. Once the backup is made the 'Activation Backup' button changes to 'Activation Restore'. By clicking that button, the activation files will be restored and Windows will get activated.

Advanced Tokens Manager, after making a backup

If you encounter any problem or have some queries related to the program, please leave a comment.