legal product key - illegal xp?

[kurttrail]

Thanks for the help. I tried searching on Google for some assistance
on this matter but there's not alot of help in that area.
I have the line of thinking that you pay for the license/product key
when you get XP so it should not matter where it is sourced providing
you use the key you are licensed for. But then it may be a different
case for restore sets.

The problem is that what you download from the internet probably won't
work with your OEM key.

Instead of going the internet route, it would probably be better to find
a friend that has a generic OEM copy of XP of the same flavor as what
you already have installed. If you have XP Home, then you'll need to
find a copy of generic XP home.

The problem will come when it comes to activating, since it probably
won't activate over the internet. Then you'll need to activate by
phone.


--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The OEM Product Key affixed to your Acer PC is only valid
with Acer's recommended restore method. It would not
be valid if you used any alternative Windows XP CD.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| Situation here is that I bought a new laptop last week. This comes with a
| certificate of authenticity with a product key from Acer. The version of
| windows comes with a restore disc on a hidden partition. When I first
| switched on the laptop I was prompted to create a restore DVD.
| I then went to use the restore disc to sort out partitions and it turns out
| the disc had missing files. This rendered my laptop useless as it had
| overwritten my install but failed to install so I had no OS. It is supposed
| to be possible to hold down alt+f10 at boot to get to the hidden partition
| to reinstall but that did not work.
|
| As an emergency I downloaded XP pro on another pc and managed to reinstall
| onto the laptop.
| I have spoken to Acer and they are going to arrange for another restore disc
| to be sent out but I am not sure I trust their restore disc setup anymore.
|
| I am wondering if I download a copy of XP home can I use it legally with my
| legal product key? I don't want to be running illegal software on my laptop
| but for some reason I am under the impression that when you get XP you pay
| for the license key, not the software. Is this correct?

 

[Will Denny]

What law are you referring to that is being broken?

I didn't mention any law Kurt


--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[kurttrail]

Wow Kurt - this is like the new, improved, more logical, better living
approach to it. I actually like the way you put it and even agree with
the above statement - I suppose the world will end now

Dude, I've always have said the choice is up to the individual.

--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[Beck]

The problem is that what you download from the internet probably won't
work with your OEM key.

Instead of going the internet route, it would probably be better to
find a friend that has a generic OEM copy of XP of the same flavor as
what you already have installed. If you have XP Home, then you'll
need to find a copy of generic XP home.

The problem will come when it comes to activating, since it probably
won't activate over the internet. Then you'll need to activate by
phone.

I think I will just buy an OEM. I need to buy some memory anyway. Might as
well buy both at the same time.

 

[kurttrail]

Hi

You can't legally download any OS - including XP. FAST is wrong.

LOL! Are you giving a legal opinion?

--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[kurttrail]

I didn't mention any law Kurt

"However you know, as well as I do, that it is illegal to try and use a
PK with a 'downloaded' version of XP."

Unless there is some law prohibiting the above, then I don't know that
it is illegal. So again, what law makes it illegal "to try and use a PK
with a 'downloaded' version of XP?"

--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[kurttrail]

The OEM Product Key affixed to your Acer PC is only valid
with Acer's recommended restore method. It would not
be valid if you used any alternative Windows XP CD.

Is that your legal opinion Carey?

--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[Leythos]

Dude, I've always have said the choice is up to the individual.

Yea, but it's the wording that you've used this time that makes your
statement completely acceptable (to me). Yea, I know it doesn't make a
rats a$$ difference what I think, but I wanted to let you know that I
liked the way you said it.

 

[Alias]

Thanks, Yes I am in the UK. So whats all this business I hear often about
owning the license to the software and not actually the software itself?

I may be wrong. I wouldn't be the first time . That said, however, I
wouldn't trust a downloaded XP to be complete or not come bundled with
malware. You can get a generic OEM XP Home for less than 100 euro.

Alias

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

LOL! Are you giving a legal opinion?

FAST is wrong - and you know they are


--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Beck]

I may be wrong. I wouldn't be the first time . That said, however,
I wouldn't trust a downloaded XP to be complete or not come bundled
with malware. You can get a generic OEM XP Home for less than 100
euro.

I think that is what I will do. I can pick up an oem version for around
£60. Thats not so bad for a bit of security, after all, who knows what has
been *bundled* with these versions.

 

[Will Denny]

"However you know, as well as I do, that it is illegal to try and use a PK
with a 'downloaded' version of XP."

Unless there is some law prohibiting the above, then I don't know that it
is illegal. So again, what law makes it illegal "to try and use a PK with
a 'downloaded' version of XP?"

Kurt, you're using the word 'law' in the wrong sense.


--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[RobertVA]

Is that your legal opinion Carey?

The installation software on a generic OEM disk would probably not
recognize the product key from a COE that came with a BIOS locked OS.

 

[Vanguard]

I just phoned FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) and they say
that I can download XP home and use it providing I have a legal
license. MS only care that you have permission to use the software
according to the EULA and it matters not how it was sourced.

So just WHERE are you going to download a legal and non-infected copy of
Windows XP? As mentioned, unless you have a *subscription* with
Microsoft, there are no legal downloads of Windows XP.

 

[Guest]

take or send back the laptop to Acer for repair / replacement. According to
Microsft if you have an OEM version of Win OS the OEM is responsible for the
repair and restore. You can call or write Microsoft but they'll probably tell
you the same thing. If the laptop is really that new the store you purchased
it from might cover an exchange / repair. Check their returns policy.

Just because the OEM screwed up your machine with possible bad instrcutions
or a load doesn't mean you have to suffer. The Microsoft Windows license
agreement is good for the life of that particular laptop as long as the
motherboard and/or CPU are not changed out as an upgrade. If they are
repaired then its OK. I resell used laptops and come accross this plenty
especially when there are hard drive failures or someone else has done a
restore improperly.

 

[Beck]

The OEM Product Key affixed to your Acer PC is only valid
with Acer's recommended restore method. It would not
be valid if you used any alternative Windows XP CD.

How about oem? http://tinyurl.com/nsy8m

 

[DanS]

I may be wrong. I wouldn't be the first time . That said, however,
I wouldn't trust a downloaded XP to be complete or not come bundled
with malware. You can get a generic OEM XP Home for less than 100
euro.

Alias

All legal/ethical issues aside, I'm not sure if I've ever seen a pirate
version of XP that includes any spyware or adware. Lately, the thing has
been to distribute super-stripped XP CD images created with nLite.

Now, if you describe spyware as software that is installed on your computer
that you do not want or need, which may or may not affect the performance
of your computer, some of which will contact home (possibly) w/o your
knowledge (can you say backWeb) , look no further than the big OEMs...Dell,
HP, Compaq, & Gateway.

 

[DanS]

The OEM Product Key affixed to your Acer PC is only valid
with Acer's recommended restore method. It would not
be valid if you used any alternative Windows XP CD.

Not valid, maybe, for an Internet activation, but that does not mean it is
not allowed.

The M$ rep I spoke with had no problem giving me an activation key for the
generic OEM XPh I installed on an OEM HP PC using the OEM Sticker Number at
install time using the generic CD.

 

[Beck]

take or send back the laptop to Acer for repair / replacement.
According to Microsft if you have an OEM version of Win OS the OEM is
responsible for the repair and restore. You can call or write
Microsoft but they'll probably tell you the same thing. If the laptop
is really that new the store you purchased it from might cover an
exchange / repair. Check their returns policy.

Yes I could take it back to the shop and get a replacement but IIRC I had
the last one in stock. Acer are going to arrange to send another copy of
the restore disc, just a bit worried to use it in case the same happens
again. Maybe I just had the one unlucky disc set. Perhaps I am being too
paranoid. Confused as to why the hidden partition is not booting, etc.
Maybe there is something terminally wrong with the laptop and it should go
back.

Just because the OEM screwed up your machine with possible bad
instrcutions or a load doesn't mean you have to suffer. The Microsoft
Windows license agreement is good for the life of that particular
laptop as long as the motherboard and/or CPU are not changed out as
an upgrade. If they are repaired then its OK. I resell used laptops
and come accross this plenty especially when there are hard drive
failures or someone else has done a restore improperly.

I did decide to buy an OEM version, but I think I will wait and see how the
replacement disc goes. I don't want to be spending money when I don't have
to.