2 computers 1 XP OS

[Motort]

Some time ago my computer would not get past the BIOS post. Took it
to the local Computer Guru shop where they told me the motherboard was
fried. I bought a new MB and Hard drive. Reinstalled XP and activated
it, all is well.
Lately I started tinkering with the original components, (inside a
new case). Surprise,surprise.... I got the box to boot up just fine.
Question: can I keep this box, with the original XP hard drive and
motherboard, if I never use it to connect to the Internet? Or does XP
somehow know its on 2 computers now and self destruct?? TIA

 

[Big_Al]

Motort said this on 3/29/2009 9:58 AM:

Some time ago my computer would not get past the BIOS post. Took it
to the local Computer Guru shop where they told me the motherboard was
fried. I bought a new MB and Hard drive. Reinstalled XP and activated
it, all is well.
Lately I started tinkering with the original components, (inside a
new case). Surprise,surprise.... I got the box to boot up just fine.
Question: can I keep this box, with the original XP hard drive and
motherboard, if I never use it to connect to the Internet? Or does XP
somehow know its on 2 computers now and self destruct?? TIA

Surely with no internet connection, no one is going to know. PC's
don't have a hidden wifi board that reports directly to Microsoft to
send unsolicited info to them nightly.

Why don't you try loading a linux system on it and use it as a play toy
for that?

 

[JS]

Or you could use it to try Windows 7
when the release candidate becomes available.

 

[Motort]

Motort said this on 3/29/2009 9:58 AM:

Surely with no internet connection, no one is going to know. PC's
don't have a hidden wifi board that reports directly to Microsoft to
send unsolicited info to them nightly.

Why don't you try loading a linux system on it and use it as a play toy
for that?

That's not a bad idea. I have tried using the Ubuntu, (I have the
install disk), but I'm afraid I haven't been able to really grasp the
operation of Linux OS's. I guess I could try it again. Thanks.

 

[Bob Knowlden]

There would be no major problem in connecting the machine to the net. XP
does not check how many machines it is installed on.

The sticky bit would be if you needed to *activate* XP on either machine
again. I expect that you would would be unable to activate online. You might
be able to activate over the phone. It's possible that you wouldn't have to
lie to a Microsoft rep to do that. (You may have to lie to a robot, when
asked how many machines the OS is installed on.)

You'd be in violation of the license agreement, whether it worked or not. I
suggest buying a cheap (OEM) copy of the OS to stay legal. One place:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

 

[Lil' Dave]

Some time ago my computer would not get past the BIOS post. Took it to the
local Computer Guru shop where they told me the motherboard was fried. I
bought a new MB and Hard drive. Reinstalled XP and activated it, all is
well.
Lately I started tinkering with the original components, (inside a new
case). Surprise,surprise.... I got the box to boot up just fine.
Question: can I keep this box, with the original XP hard drive and
motherboard, if I never use it to connect to the Internet? Or does XP
somehow know its on 2 computers now and self destruct?? TIA

You are fine as long as you don't connect to the internet with the PC in
question in the specific instance you quoted.

Suggest you image this installaton on the 2nd PC to removable media, and
save your personal files elsewhere than the windows installation partiion..

 

[Twayne]

Some time ago my computer would not get past the BIOS post. Took it
to the local Computer Guru shop where they told me the motherboard was
fried. I bought a new MB and Hard drive. Reinstalled XP and activated
it, all is well.
Lately I started tinkering with the original components, (inside a
new case). Surprise,surprise.... I got the box to boot up just fine.
Question: can I keep this box, with the original XP hard drive and
motherboard, if I never use it to connect to the Internet? Or does XP
somehow know its on 2 computers now and self destruct?? TIA

Well; windows installs have to be activated. You won't be able to
activate both of them. MS won't allow it. Neither will they both be
able to get updates.

If by self destruct you mean stop working, yes, it's very possible.
After a period of time if you have not activated windows, it will quit
working (self destruct).

If you can get a second computer working and avoid having to activate
it, then as long as it never touched the internet and no one got mad at
you and reported you, it might work. But good luck with that. It's not
likely to work for too many reasons to go into here.

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

Though legally you can only have your copy of XP
on one computer...neither one will self-destruct

unless by self destruct he means quit working, as would happen to any
un-activated XP machine.

 

[Manny Weisbord]

Well; windows installs have to be activated. You won't be able to
activate both of them. MS won't allow it.

Bullshit. If it's been over 120 days since the first install, then
the new install will go through without a hitch.

 

[Manny Weisbord]

Well he could of course activate it

but not legally...

(I forgot what the time period is though)

120 days.

 

[Big_Al]

philo said this on 3/29/2009 7:12 PM:

Well he could of course activate it

but not legally...

(I forgot what the time period is though)

I think from reading the OP, the first PC was probably already legal.
When the mobo died per the tech, he just put it away and has just
recently come back to it to find it working.

 

[Guest]

I pretty much do not use Windows anymore...
I now use Linux.

Though I am not crazy about Ubuntu...it's as good a place as any to start

philo,
I thought you were still using 3.1/WfWG 3.11? I remember you from the
old newsgroup. I am still using WfWG on an old PS/2 and a nic
connected to the net using DSL and my router, along with OS/2 and an
iMac G4.