Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key

[Guest]

-- I Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key is there any way
to get or download a replacement from MS without purchasing new software?
Eagle IT

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

If the XP CD is a Retail one, try here:

"How to replace lost, broken, or missing Microsoft software or hardware"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;326246

If the CD is an OEM version, you will have to contact your supplier.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

-- I Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key is
there
any way to get or download a replacement from MS without
purchasing
new software? Eagle IT

If yours was a retail version, see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];326246.



But if it was an OEM version, Microsoft won't support it and
you're probably out of luck. However it doesn't hurt to try
asking the OEM you bought it from if they can replace it.

 

[Galen]

In Ken Blake <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

In

-- I Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key is
there
any way to get or download a replacement from MS without
purchasing
new software? Eagle IT

If yours was a retail version, see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];326246.



But if it was an OEM version, Microsoft won't support it and
you're probably out of luck. However it doesn't hurt to try
asking the OEM you bought it from if they can replace it.

Here's a good place for me to ask my burning question. The license was the
key? For all intents and purposes? If the OP lost his key could he legally
copy a friends CD and use that copy of the CD with HIS OWN legit license
without violating the law? (The EULA isn't "law" but rather what Microsoft
wants us to do, it's never been tried in court AFAIK thus isn't absolute.)
Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning piracy. I'm just trying to understand.
Failure of the OP to make a backup copy of the work on their own is their
own fault and to have done so would have been within their legal rights even
according to the EULA. (Microsoft even has somewhere on their site the
directions for slipstreaming SP2 I think. So they're not against burning
copies for your own use and for installation on a single PC according to the
EULA.)

This does really beg to be asked and if it has been then I missed it. I
probably should have brought this to DTS but I'm curious and want to know.
I'm not expecting anyone from Microsoft to even touch this question in a
public forum (and I don't blame them.)

Two questions really. The OP bought the license to the software (we'll
assume non-OEM for this if you'll allow me that liberty as that's a whole
other bowl of worms) and the license really wasn't for the medium the data
was stored on but rather for the actual key. They lost the original
installation media disc and may have a friend who has another non-OEM
version of the same identical OS. Is there anything illegal if they copy
their friends CD and use their own license? If it's not known if it's legal
or not then does anyone really care if the above case is as stated? I
carefully avoid the OEM subject in these questions as that just opens up too
many different possibilities so please allow me the assumption that in the
disks are full retail products.

Galen

 

[Ken Blake]

In

In Ken Blake <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

In

-- I Lost my XP Home CD but still have the registration key
is
there
any way to get or download a replacement from MS without
purchasing
new software? Eagle IT

If yours was a retail version, see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[ln];326246.



But if it was an OEM version, Microsoft won't support it and
you're probably out of luck. However it doesn't hurt to try
asking the OEM you bought it from if they can replace it.

Here's a good place for me to ask my burning question. The
license
was the key? For all intents and purposes? If the OP lost his
key
could he legally copy a friends CD and use that copy of the CD
with
HIS OWN legit license without violating the law? (The EULA
isn't
"law" but rather what Microsoft wants us to do, it's never been
tried
in court AFAIK thus isn't absolute.) Don't get me wrong, I'm
not
condoning piracy. I'm just trying to understand. Failure of the
OP to
make a backup copy of the work on their own is their own fault
and to
have done so would have been within their legal rights even
according
to the EULA. (Microsoft even has somewhere on their site the
directions for slipstreaming SP2 I think. So they're not
against
burning copies for your own use and for installation on a
single PC
according to the EULA.)
This does really beg to be asked and if it has been then I
missed it.
I probably should have brought this to DTS but I'm curious and
want
to know. I'm not expecting anyone from Microsoft to even touch
this
question in a public forum (and I don't blame them.)

Two questions really. The OP bought the license to the software
(we'll
assume non-OEM for this if you'll allow me that liberty as
that's a
whole other bowl of worms) and the license really wasn't for
the
medium the data was stored on but rather for the actual key.
They
lost the original installation media disc and may have a friend
who
has another non-OEM version of the same identical OS. Is there
anything illegal if they copy their friends CD and use their
own
license? If it's not known if it's legal or not then does
anyone
really care if the above case is as stated? I carefully avoid
the OEM
subject in these questions as that just opens up too many
different
possibilities so please allow me the assumption that in the
disks are
full retail products.

I'm not a lawyer, and I certainly don't speak for Microsoft, so
all I can do is offer my personal view. Yes, the license is the
key, and if you have a legitimate key, there's nothing wrong with
borrowing a friend's CD of the same type (Home vs Professional;
Full vs Upgrade; Retail vs generic OEM) and making a copy of it.
The result of doing this is exactly the same as if you had been
prudent enough to copy your own CD for backup purposes in the
first place, so it's hard for me to see how this could be illegal
or objected to.

 

[Galen]

In Ken Blake <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I'm not a lawyer, and I certainly don't speak for Microsoft, so
all I can do is offer my personal view. Yes, the license is the
key, and if you have a legitimate key, there's nothing wrong with
borrowing a friend's CD of the same type (Home vs Professional;
Full vs Upgrade; Retail vs generic OEM) and making a copy of it.
The result of doing this is exactly the same as if you had been
prudent enough to copy your own CD for backup purposes in the
first place, so it's hard for me to see how this could be illegal
or objected to.

That's my opinion as well and I don't expect Microsoft to weigh in on this
in a public forum. Some people might expect them to but I understand the
business model to some extent and were I in their shoes I'd not say a word
and I imagine anyone with the [MSFT] after their name (if it's legit as
we've seen it's not always in the past) who did so would probably be called
down to either the legal department or to HR for a bit of a lecture.

I can see, on the other hand, Microsoft objecting to it. While the result is
the same as if they'd retained the original or made a backup of the disc the
EULA may be violated but when I read it this clause wasn't specifically
mentioned. Though there's the exclusion of all rights not expressly granted
probably. It makes me wonder. Now that I think about it I guess I would like
an official answer because this isn't a question that's uncommon and I'd
like a clear answer aside from the typical link to send them to attempt to
get a replacement product or a stop-gap measure that they can take while
waiting for their new CD to arrive.

Galen