Is it illegal?

[Guest]

I have a computer that has Windows XP Home that needs to be formatted. The
original recovery CD's do not work so I cannot reinstall the OEM XP Home that
came with it. I do have a store bought XP home CD and a copy is already
installed on a different computer. Would it be legal to use the store bought
XP CD on the computer I am formatting? I guessing that I have two licenses
since I have the Windows XP Key sticker (on the side of the computer) and the
key on the folder that XP came in. Please reply and let me know, thanks.

 

[frogspawn]

Illegal - yes. And you might not be able to activate the new install.
Your license is a legal relationship with MS, not a two-dimensional object.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

No it would not be legal. You can install the retail copy on your second pc
but you would need to delete the copy you already have on your first pc to
comply with the microsoft EULA. The rules are one copy installed on one
machine. If you have two machines, you need two copies of xp.

 

[Guest]

The agreement reads that you can allow up to ten computers access.

 

[S.Sengupta]

It will be a violation of Microsoft EULA-thus illegal.
regards,
ssg MS-MVP

 

[Ken Blake]

In

The agreement reads that you can allow up to ten computers
access.

No, that's a technical issue, not a licensing one.

Windows XP Professional allows ten concurrent network
connections, but Home (which is what he's asking about) only
five.

 

[GO]

Are you and frogspawn sure? As far as I know you don't need two copies of
XP but just 2 licenses/cd-keys. The OP is not entirely clear, so maybe they
could respond and clarify, but to me it sounds as if they have 2 licenses.
There is one with the "OEM" computer (with the defective CDs) and the second
with the copy they purchased. So if that's the case are they not fine to
install it again?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "POWER OUTAGE B" <[email protected]>

| The agreement reads that you can allow up to ten computers access.
|

That's creating a network share and it will allow up to ten simultaneous networked platforms
to access that share at a time.
That has NOTHING to do with the MS EULA !

 

[frogspawn]

Sorry, I am not a lawyer either.

Hi,

Since I am not a lawyer, so I am not very sure about this and please
enlighten me.

Does it really matter which copy of the disc used for installation? If he
(or anyone else) is going to use the OEM license on the same machine but the
original media (CD, DVD, or anything else) is not available for any possible
reasons, is it "illegal" to use another media to do the installation?

I thought the "media" is separated from the license issue, and as I said, I
am not a lawyer so I am not so sure. Please enlighten me.

Thanks.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

An "OEM" Product Key will only work with an "OEM" CD.
It will not work with a "Retail Version" of Windows XP.

In order to use the "Retail" Windows XP CD, another retail license
must be purchased, otherwise Product Activation will fail.

If one cannot use the original OEM CD, for whatever reason,
that OEM Product Key cannot be reused.

Here's the easiest way to get an additional retail license!
http://shop.microsoft.com/special/wal/walinfo.asp

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

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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

:

| Hi,
|
| Since I am not a lawyer, so I am not very sure about this and please
| enlighten me.
|
| Does it really matter which copy of the disc used for installation? If he
| (or anyone else) is going to use the OEM license on the same machine but the
| original media (CD, DVD, or anything else) is not available for any possible
| reasons, is it "illegal" to use another media to do the installation?
|
| I thought the "media" is separated from the license issue, and as I said, I
| am not a lawyer so I am not so sure. Please enlighten me.
|
| Thanks.

 

[xfile]

Hi,

Since I am not a lawyer, so I am not very sure about this and please
enlighten me.

Does it really matter which copy of the disc used for installation? If he
(or anyone else) is going to use the OEM license on the same machine but the
original media (CD, DVD, or anything else) is not available for any possible
reasons, is it "illegal" to use another media to do the installation?

I thought the "media" is separated from the license issue, and as I said, I
am not a lawyer so I am not so sure. Please enlighten me.

Thanks.

 

[ByTor]

I have a computer that has Windows XP Home that needs to be formatted. The
original recovery CD's do not work so I cannot reinstall the OEM XP Home that
came with it. I do have a store bought XP home CD and a copy is already
installed on a different computer. Would it be legal to use the store bought
XP CD on the computer I am formatting? I guessing that I have two licenses
since I have the Windows XP Key sticker (on the side of the computer) and the
key on the folder that XP came in. Please reply and let me know, thanks.

The bottom line, I believe, is that an OEM key will just not work on a
full retail install anyway............Welcome to the OEM world, that
license is "specific" to that machine....Logic would dictate that you
own a license of the OS, but that's not the way it works, you need a
copy for that machine.........

The OEM machine, what is it? Dell, Gateway, HP??? How old is the
machine? Just request a copy from the original source no? What's wrong
with the recovery CD's? Do you get errors?? What happens?

 

[frogspawn]

You are a careful reader. I guess he does have two different keys.
Unfortunately, one is an OEM key (the one on the box) and one is a retail
copy of XP. The OEM key would fail to activate the retail copy of XP. If
both keys had been retail, then any retail XP disk would do, and activaton
would work. This is why machines with OEM versions of the operating system
on them are viewed with suspicion by many people on this newsgroup. Buying
such a machine is "buying a pig in a poke."
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pig2.htm

 

[Woody]

WTF do you get off telling someone it's illegal ? MS does NOT write the law
and he owns 2 legal licences .

 

[frogspawn]

Assuming that WTF does not mean "Wholly Trusted Friend," there is no need to
attack, especially when you do not know the difference between civil law and
criminal law. Civil law is "made" in the courts.

 

[xfile]

Hi,

Thanks for the explanations, and I guess I'd look into the license
statements more closely next time.

If Internet activation failed, can someone just call MS and explain the
situation and acquired activation?

Well, I guess I can't see the reason for obtaining a second license due to
the damage of the media. But I am not sure if that's MS set the policy.

Anyway, thanks.

 

[GO]

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I hadn't realized there is such a difference
between the OEM and retail keys. After reading some of the other posts in
this thread I think MS needs to update it's barbaric licenses "laws" though.


Greg

 

[Steve N.]

I have a computer that has Windows XP Home that needs to be formatted.

Why does it need to be formatted and reinstalled?

The
original recovery CD's do not work so I cannot reinstall the OEM XP Home that
came with it.

Why don't they work? Have you contacted the PC maker for replacement CDs?

I do have a store bought XP home CD

Is it an OEM or Retail CD? If it's OEM it might work. If it's Retail, it
won't work with an OEM product code.

and a copy is already
installed on a different computer. Would it be legal to use the store bought
XP CD on the computer I am formatting? I guessing that I have two licenses
since I have the Windows XP Key sticker (on the side of the computer) and the
key on the folder that XP came in. Please reply and let me know, thanks.

Illegal? It depends. Consult a lawyer to possibly find out, but it'll
cost you less to just buy another copy of XP.

Steve

 

[xfile]

Hi,

Just wondering, and copyright violation is under civil or criminal laws?

 

[Steve N.]

An "OEM" Product Key will only work with an "OEM" CD.
It will not work with a "Retail Version" of Windows XP.

In order to use the "Retail" Windows XP CD, another retail license
must be purchased, otherwise Product Activation will fail.

If one cannot use the original OEM CD, for whatever reason,
that OEM Product Key cannot be reused.

Not necessarily true. He's not asking if it's ok to use the same product
key on two computers.

Here's the easiest way to get an additional retail license!
http://shop.microsoft.com/special/wal/walinfo.asp

Why assume he bought a Retail CD? What if he bought an OEM CD? Then it
just might work and I doubt it would be a license violation either.

Steve