Dual boot with one XP licence

[Guest]

I want to create a dual boot on my XP Pro machine - one boot for normal use
and one with only Photoshop installed for scanning large photos more
efficiently.

I know how to do this but am unsure if the XP licence permits me to use THE
SAME LICENCE for both boots. Obviously only one can be used at a time and it
is the same machine & hardware configuration.

Can anyone clarify the legals on this please.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A Windows XP license can only be used once on one
(1) computer. A second installation requires a second
license, even if its installed on the same computer.

From the Windows XP EULA:

1.1 Installation and use. You may install, use, access,
display and run one copy of the Software on a single
computer, such as a workstation, terminal or other
device ("Workstation Computer"). The Software may not
be used by more than two (2) processors at any one
time on any single Workstation Computer.

Please read your End-User License Agreement by going
to Start > Run and type: WINVER , and hit enter. Then
click on "End-User License Agreement".

If you already have a retail copy of Windows XP, you can obtain
additional licenses for another computer or laptop by visiting the
following Microsoft Web site:
http://shop.microsoft.com/special/wal/walinfo.asp


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

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:

| I want to create a dual boot on my XP Pro machine - one boot for normal use
| and one with only Photoshop installed for scanning large photos more
| efficiently.
|
| I know how to do this but am unsure if the XP licence permits me to use THE
| SAME LICENCE for both boots. Obviously only one can be used at a time and it
| is the same machine & hardware configuration.
|
| Can anyone clarify the legals on this please.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I want to create a dual boot on my XP Pro machine - one boot for
normal use and one with only Photoshop installed for scanning
large photos more efficiently.

I know how to do this but am unsure if the XP licence permits me
to use THE SAME LICENCE for both boots. Obviously only one
can be used at a time and it is the same machine & hardware
configuration.

Can anyone clarify the legals on this please.

Who cares about the "legals"? Do you think the Microsoft Bobbies
are going to reach out of the computer and arrest you? What
matters is whether WGA will prevent you from getting Windows
updates for both installations. I haven't done experimentations
on that since WGA came out, but I'd bet that for a clone of the
original WinXP installation (as opposed to a 2nd installation)
in the same PC, WGA wouldn't know the difference between the
original and the clone.

For cloning, it's far more easy to put the clone on another HD
although you could just as easily copy the clone to another
partition on the same HD. The problem with the Win2K/NT/XP
family of Windows is that on the 1st bootup (and only the 1st
bootup), the clone will somehow "relate" to its "parent" OS's
partition if it sees its "parent". That is, it will randomly substitute
shortcuts to files in its "parent" instead of using the copies of
those files in its own partition. This causes havoc if you attempt
to edit the same filename from both OSes, especially if you later
remove the "parent" OS. When the OSes are on separate HDs,
you can just remove or disconnect the "parent" HD before booting
up the clone for the first time. With the 2 OSes on the same HD,
you have to first "hide" the original partition - something that takes
3rd party software - and woe be it to you if something goes wrong.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Yes, "you may install AND use AND access AND display
AND run one copy of the Software on a single computer..."
is what that means. But since on a single-CPU machine,
you can't run more than one copy at the same time, the
EULA (by simple Binary Logic) does NOT DISALLOW
a user to install Windows multiple times on the same PC.
And since a clone involves only one installation, the EULA
applies even less to a clone.

*TimDaniels*

 

[DL]

If you want a legal response ask a Lawyer
The XP EULA is ambiguous on this aspect and would probably require a team of
legal beagles to come up with a definative response.

 

[Guest]

Physically, if you use disk-cloning software to image your HD onto another,
it will work without re-activation because the hardware is the same (except
for the HD of course!) and wpa.dbl is the same.

To clone to a second partition is slightly more complex; in that case you
need to edit boot.ini to reflect the new partition number, and install a
bootloader into the MBR so you can select which to boot. Xosl is suitable.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

There is no need to "install a a bootloader into the MBR".
The WinXP bootloader, ntldr, will boot from any partition
in the system. All that is necessary is that the entry in
boot.ini accurately points to the location of the partition
from which to boot the OS.

*TimDaniels*