[Ham-Computers] windows copies

Mon Apr 28 14:23:54 EDT 2008

That's not entirely true.  The rules are different for OEM licenses (like on the Dell) versus retail licenses.

  With a retail license, if you make minor hardware changes, there is no problem.  If you make major changes - be that either due to a catastrophic failure (new motherboard, say) or just replacing a system then the validation will fail and the OS won't activate.  However, a simple phone call to Microsoft explaining the situation results in a key that will allow it to reactivate.  The idea here is to keep the unscrupulous from buying ONE retail disk and then installing it on multiple systems one after another.  The extra headaches (and M$'s records) would prevent the same party from calling for a "reactivation key" over and over again.  However, for a single user and any reasonable upgrade cycle, it's not a big deal.

  On the other hand, OEMs means the manufacturer of the system (Dell, in this case) bought a number of licenses and installs off a single media.  If you have a failure of a Dell system (any OEM system) then M$ won't issue the reactivate key - they leave that to Dell (it's really THEIR license - at least for support purposes).

  So where does that leave Gene?  I don't know.  One possibility is leave the aftermarket (retail) OS installed, and get a reactivation key from M$ if required.  This should be "allowed" since he bought a retail copy, and is using one (and only one) retail license.  The fact that the system was once a Dell shouldn't matter.  In this case the Dell OEM license is in effect "lost", however.

  The question is, can he re-install the Dell OEM copy (yes, conditionally - only on the original Dell system, which he is doing).  If he has the media (recovery disk or image) this is possible.  Reactivation may be required if the hardware was changed, but this would have to go through Dell, not M$.  Then it's between him and M$ (or his (possibly illegal) whitebox repair center) to get the "retail" copy licensed.  That is also possible, if he has media and/or certificate of authenticity.  Of course the media is required to move it to a new system, but the cert is the sticky part.  Without it, M$ is going to tell him to take it up with his repair center, and it will be up to them to explain to M$ what happened.  If they are legal and legit, this may not be an issue, but they may not want to bother.  However, if they're bootlegging or using their own OEM, then Gene doesn't have two copies of XP, one retail, one Dell.  He instead has two (non-transferrable) OEM copies of XP,
 both assigned to the same box.  If that's the case, then one of them is useless.

  73,
  Jay
  AD5PE

kd4e <doc at kd4e.com> wrote:
  I have been told that MS claims some absurd right to
limit your use of XP or Vista based on changes to the
hardware in your computer or heaven-forbid that you
change hardware.

Essentially they claim that they only "lease" you a copy
of their chronically troubled operating system and they
get to tell you where, when, and how you may use it --
and if you do anything with which they disagree they
terminate your right to use it and keep your money!

The result is that MS claims that they sell you a
single-use single-machine only-minor-hardware-changes-
allowed license. If you make "major" hardware changes
the license is terminated. If you switch machines
entirely the license is terminated. It is unclear if
you may resell your MS license, with or without the
original hardware. It is also unclear if you may
install it on one machine, uninstall it, and install
the same OS on a different machine.

Your Dell was originally shipped with a OEM version
of XP "assigned" to that machine. For whatever reason
someone wiped that install and later replaced it with
and illegal copy of XP.

MS may assert that only the XP they just sold you may
be installed on that Dell and that a Dell or other XP
may not replace it and that you may not transfer your
XP to another PC. Or so I have been told.

This is one of the many good reasons that I use Linux.

:-)

> My question is: Can I remove the legal copy, save it ( have the correct 
> installation key)and use a Dell XP installation disk on this machine?
>>From what you say, the Dell disks are not machine specific; does the Dell 
> installation disk have the installation key "built in"?
> 
> If I can do this, I could free up the 'legal copy' for use on another 
> machine. . .
> 
> Sorry to be a bother, but I did not want to go through all this if the Dell 
> disk would not work.
> 
> Thanks es
> 73 Gene, WØQFC

-- 

Thanks! & 73, doc, KD4E
Free OS : http://www.ChurchPup.com
Based on: http://www.PuppyLinux.com
Personal: http://bibleseven.com/kd4e.html
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