Can I Activate The Same Copy on Three CPUs

[Hal]

I have purchased copy of XP Pro Sp2 that I activated on one
computer. Can I activate the same copy on another computer at
the same address?

TIA

Hal

 

[DatabaseBen]

unfortunately for you, no.
The enclosed agreement provides this info to you and the software won't
freely allow you to do it. But you are free to try...

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

No.
Also, CPU is not the same as computer.
The CPU is one small component in the computer.

It does not matter if the computers are for home or business, networked or
not.
One license, one computer, the same as it has been since at least Windows
95.

Read your specific EULA for details:
Start/Run
Type "winver" ENTER
Click "End User..."

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have purchased copy of XP Pro Sp2 that I activated on one
computer. Can I activate the same copy on another computer at
the same address?

TIA

Hal

If you purchased it retail or OEM, the answer is no.

XP is licensed for one install per install key. This means that if you
have, say, three identical CDs with license, you can install from just one
CD using all three license keys, one on each system.

The only exception to this is the Volume License Agreement version, which
starts at five licenses and isn't generally available retail, only from VARs
or corporate sales. With this, you get one CD and one license code, and
the right to install on as many machines as you've paid for.

HTH
-pk

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have purchased copy of XP Pro Sp2 that I activated on one
computer. Can I activate the same copy on another computer at
the same address?

TIA

Hal

You need to purchase a separate WinXP license for each computer on
which you install it. (As long as you have multiple identical licenses,
it doesn't matter if you use the same CD for the installations, as long
as you use a different license each time.)

Just as it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating
systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and U.S.
copyright law http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/117.html), if not
technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on which it
is installed. (Consult an attorney versed in copyright law to determine
final applicability in your locale.) 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.

One can buy additional licenses, assuming one already has a retail
license. Naturally, Microsoft cannot sell additional OEM licenses. Be
aware, however, that you'll probably pay more this way than you would if
you were to buy a second copy of WinXP from a discount retailer;
Microsoft will only offer you a 15% discount off their MSRP.

Additional Licenses for Windows XP Home Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/addlic.asp

Additional Licenses for Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp


--

Bruce Chambers

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Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell

 

[Ken Blake]

I have purchased copy of XP Pro Sp2 that I activated on one
computer. Can I activate the same copy on another computer at
the same address?

First, note that the abbreviation "CPU" refers to the central processing
unit, a component of your computer, not the computer itself. Some computers
have one CPU, others running XP Professional have two CPUs.

If a computer has two CPUs, you may install and activate Windows XP on that
computer. However, you may not install a single copy (license) on more than
one computer. The rule is quite clear. It's one copy (or one license) for
each computer.
There's nothing new here. This is exactly the same rule that's been in
effect on every version of Windows starting with Windows 3.1. The only thing
new with XP is that there's now an enforcement mechanism.

If yours is a retail version, not an OEM one, you can buy extra licenses
(see <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp>). But it's
not generally a good deal. The problem is that Microsoft sells additional
licenses at only a small savings over the list price. You're almost
certainly better off just buying a complete second copy from a discount
source.

 

[cubafive]

Yes.

Windows' Activation can be done 3 times per Key. After that you have to
call and if you have a convincing reason they will just supply you with
a set of numbers to activate the copy (i.e. hard drive failure, system
upgrade, etc.)

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

What is the source for this mis-information.
1. There is no "3" limit
2. You do not have to convince anyone since you can reinstall Windows XP an
unlimited # of times on the same computer.

Read the EULA and see this page fore more details:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

 

[Ken Blake]

Yes.
Wrong!


Windows' Activation can be done 3 times per Key.

Also wrong. There is no limit to the number of times you may activate.

 

[cubafive]

What is the source for this mis-information.
1. There is no "3" limit
2. You do not have to convince anyone since you can reinstall Windows XP an
unlimited # of times on the same computer.

You can activate a KEY three times on different hardware. Try it. Go
on. I'll wait.

 

[cubafive]

The question was, can I activate XP on another computer at the same
address. You say no. I say yes.

You are not "supposed to," unless one removes the original copy. But if
you do remove the original copy, you are allowed to.

Where do you get your information about "unlimited # of times?"

The last time I had to call Microsoft was to activate Windows that I
installed on the SAME hardware too many times.

The previous to last Windows installtion I did was the second time I
used the KEY on different hardware. It activated automatically.

Could I be making this up? Why would I?

Have you tested actiavting XP KEYs many times?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

As has already been suggested, read the EULA you have already agreed.

What is your source for 3?
Just because you called Microsoft does not mean you can not activate
unlimited $ of times.
Did they activate the computer?

As for "unlimited"
Again, read the EULA, it is in there as well the other links you seem to
ignore.

As for the other hardware, that only proves one of 2 things:
1. You did not read or make an attempt to understand the EULA, most
probable since it seems you have no understanding of the EULA.
2. You have no regard for agreements you accept since the EULA clearly
states the limitations of your license to use Windows XP.

Now if you are going to ignore the agreement already agreed and attempt to
bypass legitimate use, anything is possible.
Whether it is honest is another thing.

Finally it is noted you failed to provide a source for the information you
gave.

 

[cubafive]

What is stated in the EULA has nothing to do with how Windows
Activation actually works.

My "source" for 3 is actually testing and being told that by talking to
one of the Activation people.

I called and discussed with them because I had one installation on one
computer with a hardware problem fail on activation three times. The I
smartened up and got a new HDD which enabled me to get a finished
install, but activation said, "XP has exceeded it's activation limit"
and I CALLED AND ASKED WHAT THAT MEANT.

Just last week, I installed an XP CD for the SECOND TIME and on a
different PC and it Activated AUTOMATICALLY.

The hell with your EULA! It is just a piece of paper!

 

[Ken Blake]

The question was, can I activate XP on another computer at the same
address. You say no. I say yes.

His question was about having it on multiple computers at the same time
(whether it's at the same address is irrelevant, except to demonstrate that
he clearly means at the same time).

That is in violation of the EULA.

You are not "supposed to," unless one removes the original copy. But
if you do remove the original copy, you are allowed to.

As I said earlier, you are allowed to *if* it's a retail copy, but not if
it's an OEM copy.

Where do you get your information about "unlimited # of times?"

The last time I had to call Microsoft was to activate Windows that I
installed on the SAME hardware too many times.

Unfortunately the message you get is erroneous. It *does* say "too many
times," but that's not the way it works. You have to reactivate if you make
too many hardware changes.

I don't know why the error message is erroneous, but my guess is that it was
originally planned to be "too many times," but when they changed the plan,
they forgot to change the error message.

Besides, it's irrelevant. The issue isn't whether you can activate over the
internet or have to do it by phone, the issue is whether you can activate it
as many times as you want to. And the answer to that question is, quite
simply, yes.

The previous to last Windows installtion I did was the second time I
used the KEY on different hardware. It activated automatically.

After 120 days passes, the hardware record is purged, and you can reactivate
on completely different hardware, whether or not the original version is
still installed. Doing it while it's still installed on the old computer is
a EULA violation, but you can get away with it under these circumstances.
WPA isn't perfect, and in many cases there are ways around it for less
principled people.

This article by the late MVP, Alex Nichol, is old, but it's still one of the
best sources of information on WPA "Windows Product Activation (WPA)
on Windows XP at" http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

You can activate a KEY three times on different hardware. Try it. Go
on. I'll wait.

Sorry, folks, but the XP license says EXPLICITLY that it is licensed
to only be installed on TWO CPUS. Whether this means it may be
installed on two separate MACHINES (each with ONE CPU) is kind of up
to the courts to decide.

Personally, I lean to the interpretation that it may be installed on a
SINGLE machine which has UP TO TWO CPUs (probably, the Microsoft
lawyers meant a SINGLE machine which has a floating point processor,
and an integer processor (the license is THAT ancient).

==

Donald L. McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread.
==========================================================

 

[cubafive]

Ken Blake wrote:
....

Unfortunately the message you get is erroneous. It *does* say "too many
times," but that's not the way it works. You have to reactivate if you make
too many hardware changes.

I don't know why the error message is erroneous, but my guess is that it was
originally planned to be "too many times," but when they changed the plan,
they forgot to change the error message.

When I encountered that error message it was on the same PC, same
hardware, trying to activate during a faulty install.

Besides, it's irrelevant. The issue isn't whether you can activate over the
internet or have to do it by phone, the issue is whether you can activate it
as many times as you want to. And the answer to that question is, quite
simply, yes.

....

Good call. It needed to be summarized. Activate automatically... there
are conditions controlling that. Over the phone, it's the person's call
to accept it.

Then, the answer to the original question is still, Yes. He can
"activate on one computer and on another at the same address."

One can quibble over ethically is it Yes or No. So the answer becomes,
"Yes. But you are not supposed to according to a license agreement
which may or may not be relavent depending upon local, sate or federal
law."

 

[C A Upsdell]

Sorry, folks, but the XP license says EXPLICITLY that it is licensed
to only be installed on TWO CPUS. Whether this means it may be
installed on two separate MACHINES (each with ONE CPU) is kind of up
to the courts to decide.

How about Virtual PC? May I install several instances of XP on the same
PC, or does Microsoft demand that I shell out for each additional instance?

 

[Ken Blake]

Sorry, folks, but the XP license says EXPLICITLY that it is licensed
to only be installed on TWO CPUS. Whether this means it may be
installed on two separate MACHINES (each with ONE CPU) is kind of up
to the courts to decide.

First, that's only for XP Professional, not Home.

Personally, I lean to the interpretation that it may be installed on a
SINGLE machine which has UP TO TWO CPUs

I'm running on my laptop, at the moment, which is XP Home, so I can't check
the Professional EULA right now, but as I recall, that's very clearly what
it says. Can you cut and paste the relevant sentence/paragraph here?

 

[Ken Blake]

Ken Blake wrote:
...

When I encountered that error message it was on the same PC, same
hardware, trying to activate during a faulty install.

...

Good call. It needed to be summarized. Activate automatically... there
are conditions controlling that. Over the phone, it's the person's
call to accept it.

Then, the answer to the original question is still, Yes. He can
"activate on one computer and on another at the same address."

One can quibble over ethically is it Yes or No. So the answer becomes,
"Yes. But you are not supposed to according to a license agreement
which may or may not be relavent depending upon local, sate or federal
law."

There are two different questions here: can you? and may you? Unfortunately
not everyone properly differentiates between the two words. However I
interpreted his question as very clearly meaning "may I?" That's because he
used the phrase "at the same address."

As far as the "can you?" question, yes, there are ways around almost any
restriction. You *can* rob banks too. That doesn't make it legal. You may
not rob banks and you may not use a single Windows license on more than one
computer.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Clearly you have not read the EULA.

As for your source, you misunderstood or were misunderstood.
Or possibly had an incompetent tech.
Or can you give a verifiable source?
I did, but you continue to disregard my source as well as you can not
provide a source.
"one of the Activation people" is not a source.
Without a name and other relevant information, it is no better than hearsay.
And hearsay is all you are spreading.

The EULA is more than "just a piece of paper".
For me, it is an agreement I freely accept or not.
I honour agreements I accept, apparently you prefer to remain ignorant of
agreements you accept.