Buying license

[Brendon]

Hello,

I bought Windows XP Professional with the understanding
that it had the same policies as the other Windows
software- that you can install it onto 3 computers (or at
least this was my understanding). I was even confirmed
this by a computer expert, however, this ended up not
being the case, and Windows XP Professional can only be
installed onto ONE computer. Before knowing this,
however, I was continuously asked to activate windows XP.
I made a few attempts to activate XP, but they all
failed, which gave me more of a reason to ignore it. Now
I was also continuously asked to do many other things,
which I also ignored. I suppose I underestimated XP's
power- the program is now basically holding all my files
on my computer- files extremely urgent for my scholastic
studies, unless I buy an unused Windows XP Professional
license, since a family member of mine has installed it
on her computer already. I was even confirmed by a
Microsoft technician that I cannot even uninstall Windows
XP, and that my only solution would be to formatt the
hard drive Windows is installed on, which has all my
academic files in. Microsoft now owns my computer, which
I urgently need.

Of course, I could buy a license, but I'de have to beg on
the streets for an hour a day which I simply don't have
time for. As a student I simply cannot afford $189. I saw
some academic/student discounts entitled "Windows XP
professional UPGRADE" for around $80-$90, which I can, in
the very literal sense, live to afford. Notice that it
says "upgrade"- will the license still work for my
Windows XP program? I don't believe it is an upgrade, or
rather, there's no mention of it on the box. Nonetheless,
I upgraded XP professional from Windows 2000 (which I now
regret doing ).

The product I currently have installed on my system is
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Retail version. My
computer system was built by yours truly.

Thank you very much!
-Brendon

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Assuming you installed your current Windows XP Pro as an
"upgrade" over a previous Windows installation, you can
purchase the "Academic Upgrade Version" of Windows XP
Pro and proceed with a "repair install". If you did not perform
an upgrade and actually reformatted your drive and performed
a "clean install", then you'll need to purchase a "Full Version"
of Windows XP Pro and proceed to perform a "repair install".

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=315341

P.S. Virtually all previous versions of Microsoft Windows only permitted
one installation on one computer. With Windows XP, this licensing
restriction is now enforced with the inclusion of Product Activation.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hello,
|
| I bought Windows XP Professional with the understanding
| that it had the same policies as the other Windows
| software- that you can install it onto 3 computers (or at
| least this was my understanding). I was even confirmed
| this by a computer expert, however, this ended up not
| being the case, and Windows XP Professional can only be
| installed onto ONE computer. Before knowing this,
| however, I was continuously asked to activate windows XP.
| I made a few attempts to activate XP, but they all
| failed, which gave me more of a reason to ignore it. Now
| I was also continuously asked to do many other things,
| which I also ignored. I suppose I underestimated XP's
| power- the program is now basically holding all my files
| on my computer- files extremely urgent for my scholastic
| studies, unless I buy an unused Windows XP Professional
| license, since a family member of mine has installed it
| on her computer already. I was even confirmed by a
| Microsoft technician that I cannot even uninstall Windows
| XP, and that my only solution would be to formatt the
| hard drive Windows is installed on, which has all my
| academic files in. Microsoft now owns my computer, which
| I urgently need.
|
| Of course, I could buy a license, but I'de have to beg on
| the streets for an hour a day which I simply don't have
| time for. As a student I simply cannot afford $189. I saw
| some academic/student discounts entitled "Windows XP
| professional UPGRADE" for around $80-$90, which I can, in
| the very literal sense, live to afford. Notice that it
| says "upgrade"- will the license still work for my
| Windows XP program? I don't believe it is an upgrade, or
| rather, there's no mention of it on the box. Nonetheless,
| I upgraded XP professional from Windows 2000 (which I now
| regret doing ).
|
| The product I currently have installed on my system is
| Microsoft Windows XP Professional Retail version. My
| computer system was built by yours truly.
|
| Thank you very much!
| -Brendon

 

[Nick Burns]

You can upgrade, if you have a windows 98 CD.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
Hello,

I bought Windows XP Professional with the understanding
that it had the same policies as the other Windows
software- that you can install it onto 3 computers (or at
least this was my understanding). I was even confirmed
this by a computer expert, however, this ended up not
being the case, and Windows XP Professional can only be
installed onto ONE computer. Before knowing this,
however, I was continuously asked to activate windows XP.
I made a few attempts to activate XP, but they all
failed, which gave me more of a reason to ignore it. Now
I was also continuously asked to do many other things,
which I also ignored. I suppose I underestimated XP's
power- the program is now basically holding all my files
on my computer- files extremely urgent for my scholastic
studies, unless I buy an unused Windows XP Professional
license, since a family member of mine has installed it
on her computer already. I was even confirmed by a
Microsoft technician that I cannot even uninstall Windows
XP, and that my only solution would be to formatt the
hard drive Windows is installed on, which has all my
academic files in. Microsoft now owns my computer, which
I urgently need.

Of course, I could buy a license, but I'de have to beg on
the streets for an hour a day which I simply don't have
time for. As a student I simply cannot afford $189. I saw
some academic/student discounts entitled "Windows XP
professional UPGRADE" for around $80-$90, which I can, in
the very literal sense, live to afford. Notice that it
says "upgrade"- will the license still work for my
Windows XP program? I don't believe it is an upgrade, or
rather, there's no mention of it on the box. Nonetheless,
I upgraded XP professional from Windows 2000 (which I now
regret doing ).

The product I currently have installed on my system is
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Retail version. My
computer system was built by yours truly.

Thank you very much!
-Brendon
.
brendon you are a college student you have no excuse for

such idiotic behavior.

you are not an isolated 70 year old without access to the
proper resource to understand xp license agreement,this
is all your fault.

no windows product in history allowed to be on three
machines,office allows two installs only,three is just
absurd.windows never more than one machine ever.

you built it your self, slave the drive and recover the
data stop acting like a helpless two year old.

then go to your college bookstore and get the academic
pro full version which is very cheap .and install it.

 

[BR549]

Breaks my heart. Why not get the family member that is using it to fork
over the dough to buy it for you to buy a replacement.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Your so-called "computer expert" either lied to you, or hasn't
ever seen a Microsoft operating system

As it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating systems,
it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA, if not
technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on which
it is installed. The only way in which WinXP licensing differs from
that of earlier versions of Windows is that Microsoft has finally
added a copy protection and anti-theft mechanism, Product Activation,
to prevent (or at least make more difficult) multiple installations
using a single license.

Was there any other question you needed answered? I couldn't find
one.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[CS]

On Sat, 7 Feb 2004 08:20:34 -0800, "Brendon"

Go to www.microscum.com. MS currently allows one copy per license of
its operating systems, two installs of the retail version of MS Office
under certain conditions. Read the info on the website and decide
for yourself what to do.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I bought Windows XP Professional with the understanding
that it had the same policies as the other Windows
software- that you can install it onto 3 computers (or at
least this was my understanding). I was even confirmed
this by a computer expert,

Someone has been giving *extremely* bad advice. I have hear people
being under the misapprehension that you could install on 2 machines (as
within limits you can do for Microsoft Office) but not on 3. And the
one copy per machine applies to all versions of Windows since way back,
apart from those provided to businesses under Volume licences

however, this ended up not
being the case, and Windows XP Professional can only be
installed onto ONE computer. Before knowing this,
however, I was continuously asked to activate windows XP.
I made a few attempts to activate XP, but they all
failed, which gave me more of a reason to ignore it.

That is something that you HAVE to do for the machine to be usable
beyond 30 days.

Now
I was also continuously asked to do many other things,
which I also ignored. I suppose I underestimated XP's
power- the program is now basically holding all my files
on my computer- files extremely urgent for my scholastic
studies, unless I buy an unused Windows XP Professional
license, since a family member of mine has installed it
on her computer already.

And a separate, legitimate copy is just what you will have to buy.

I was even confirmed by a
Microsoft technician that I cannot even uninstall Windows
XP, and that my only solution would be to formatt the
hard drive Windows is installed on, which has all my
academic files in. Microsoft now owns my computer, which
I urgently need.

You do not however need to format it. If you buy a Full retail copy of
XP Pro - expensive, but there it is (you might get a cheap copy as an
academic license - consult the college), you boot the present system to
Safe mode, after hitting F8 as BIOS info goes to black to get the menu.
That is the one thing you can do when activation has ended. There take
any steps you can to back up those essential files. Then run the new XP
Pro CD from the present Safe Mode, either if it auto-runs take Install;
or if it does not, run the Setup.exe file on it. Continue with the
Upgrade option. And this time, within 30 days, get on the net and then
run
Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Activate Windows