Media Center Licencing Question

[pntva]

Hello,

I want to reinstall my home PC using my Home PC licence key and the
MSDN subscription CD that I have through my company.

I have a legal licence key for XP Media Center for my home PC. The only
problem is that the PC Manufacturer (HP) doesn't distribute the
original windows XP media center CD with their computers. They
distribute some crappy "Recovery CDs" which will automatically install
the OS with bunch of stupid application that I don't need. Being a
developer, I want a clean crisp system for my home use also, but not
some junk packaged by the manufacturer.

So basically I want to reinstall my home computer using the MSDN CDs
that I have through work. Offcourse, I want to use the XP Media center
licence key that I already have for my home PC.

I don't see any licencing issues here. But can any support person from
microsoft please confirm this.

Thank you.

 

[Mike Williams]

Hello,

I want to reinstall my home PC using my Home PC licence key and the
MSDN subscription CD that I have through my company.

I have a legal licence key for XP Media Center for my home PC. The only
problem is that the PC Manufacturer (HP) doesn't distribute the
original windows XP media center CD with their computers. They
distribute some crappy "Recovery CDs" which will automatically install
the OS with bunch of stupid application that I don't need. Being a
developer, I want a clean crisp system for my home use also, but not
some junk packaged by the manufacturer.

So basically I want to reinstall my home computer using the MSDN CDs
that I have through work. Offcourse, I want to use the XP Media center
licence key that I already have for my home PC.

I don't see any licencing issues here. But can any support person from
microsoft please confirm this.

You will have to call support to get a Microsoft person. Newsgroups are
public, peer-support. There is also a dedicated MediaCenter newsgroup
which might be able to help - check through earlier posts to see if the
question has been answered (ad nauseum ;-) ) already.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You cannot use your HP issued Product Key with
MSDN media. That HP OEM Product Key is only valid with
the HP computer it shipped with. What you are trying to
do is tantamount to software piracy and thus illegal.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

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

:

| Hello,
|
| I want to reinstall my home PC using my Home PC licence key and the
| MSDN subscription CD that I have through my company.
|
| I have a legal licence key for XP Media Center for my home PC. The only
| problem is that the PC Manufacturer (HP) doesn't distribute the
| original windows XP media center CD with their computers. They
| distribute some crappy "Recovery CDs" which will automatically install
| the OS with bunch of stupid application that I don't need. Being a
| developer, I want a clean crisp system for my home use also, but not
| some junk packaged by the manufacturer.
|
| So basically I want to reinstall my home computer using the MSDN CDs
| that I have through work. Offcourse, I want to use the XP Media center
| licence key that I already have for my home PC.
|
| I don't see any licencing issues here. But can any support person from
| microsoft please confirm this.
|
| Thank you.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want to reinstall my home PC using my Home PC licence key and the
MSDN subscription CD that I have through my company.

I have a legal licence key for XP Media Center for my home PC. The
only problem is that the PC Manufacturer (HP) doesn't distribute the
original windows XP media center CD with their computers. They
distribute some crappy "Recovery CDs" which will automatically install
the OS with bunch of stupid application that I don't need. Being a
developer, I want a clean crisp system for my home use also, but not
some junk packaged by the manufacturer.

So basically I want to reinstall my home computer using the MSDN CDs
that I have through work. Offcourse, I want to use the XP Media center
licence key that I already have for my home PC.

I don't see any licencing issues here. But can any support person from
microsoft please confirm this.

This is a peer support newsgroup. We are all just Windows XP users here,
helping each other if and when we can. We are not Microsoft employees (not
even those of us with "Microsoft MVP" behind our names; that's an honorary
title for having provided consistently helpful advice) except for an
occasional employee who posts here unofficially on his own time.

But to answer your question, you can't do this. The issue isn't simply a
licensing one, but your OEM Product key will not work with your MSDN CD.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

If you wish to install Windows XP Media Center Edition,
you'll have to purchase it. Example:

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16832102357

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

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

| Hello,
|
| I want to reinstall my home PC using my Home PC licence key and the
| MSDN subscription CD that I have through my company.
|
| I have a legal licence key for XP Media Center for my home PC. The only
| problem is that the PC Manufacturer (HP) doesn't distribute the
| original windows XP media center CD with their computers. They
| distribute some crappy "Recovery CDs" which will automatically install
| the OS with bunch of stupid application that I don't need. Being a
| developer, I want a clean crisp system for my home use also, but not
| some junk packaged by the manufacturer.
|
| So basically I want to reinstall my home computer using the MSDN CDs
| that I have through work. Offcourse, I want to use the XP Media center
| licence key that I already have for my home PC.
|
| I don't see any licencing issues here. But can any support person from
| microsoft please confirm this.
|
| Thank you.
|