Mocrosoft Hologram CD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Craig
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Craig

I'm going to be getting my os soon and I'm wondering what the significance
of the subjected cd is? I'm getting the impression that I will only be able
to install it on one system? That if I upgrade my system down the road I
won't be able to install it again? Is that correct?

Craig
 
I'll have to presume you mean XP. I purchased mine around 6 months ago (XP
Home-to keep cost down). I think the actual cd can be used on any machine
you intend to install xp on. It's the Certificate of Authenticity that's
important. This of course can only be used on one pc. I rang microsoft when
I was about to do a major upgrade and they said it would be fine as long as
I kept the same mobo (I'm using WinXP OEM ) I upgraded anyway replacing
pretty much everything and when re-installing WinXP registered by internet
when prompted. Had no problems at all and use windows update etc.

I posted a message on this or a similiar group before I upgraded and one of
the replies said not to worry as he had re-intalled (and re-registered) 5
times with no problems.

HTH

David
 
I'm going to be getting my os soon and I'm wondering what the significance
of the subjected cd is? I'm getting the impression that I will only be able
to install it on one system? That if I upgrade my system down the road I
won't be able to install it again? Is that correct?

Craig
Click to expand...


The CD is irrelevant, a hologram is simply an
anti-counterfeit measure against anyone selling fake
"product" but the license is NOT tied to the CD itself,
rather the certificate or sticker (on OEM boxes/license).

In other words, you could buy the appropriate license and
throw away the CD and be fine installing on any (single, as
per your license) system, providing you have other source of
the OS version (files) you're licensed to use. For example,
you might make a backup of the CD and use that to avoid
damaging original CD, or you might have multiple licenses
and be installing from a common file-store over a LAN.
 
If you're referring to XP, your concern would be with product activation.
You can install XP on any number of machines, but you're only supposed to
activate it on one at a time. (The rule: one paid license per machine.)

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

What you can do with XP is, at least in principle, dependent on what type of
license you get.

A retail license (full or upgrade) can be transferred to a new machine any
number of times. An OEM license is supposed to be only installed on one
machine, ever, but I don't know how that machine is defined. (If the hard
disk dies, I believe that Microsoft will give you an activation code for a
re-install.) I suspect that, in reality, you could install an OEM license on
a 100% new machine, although you might have to be less than truthful in
describing it as a "repair". (I don't know from personal experience. My only
XP license is a retail upgrade one, which has been installed in a series of
systems, all within the one license/one machine limit.)

There are also manufacturer's restore disks, and BIOS-locked OEM copies,
with different limits. I have no experience with them. If you're not getting
an OS with an appliance PC, you shouldn't get either of those.

Product activation is a bit of a pain, but if you have to re-activate by the
slowest means (telephone), it still takes only about five minutes (at least
in the US, by toll-free call).

I suggest that if you're given a choice between an OEM version and a retail
one, get the retail. It will cost more, but it may save you some future
aggravation.

HTH.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
 
Bob Knowlden said:
If you're referring to XP, your concern would be with product activation.
You can install XP on any number of machines, but you're only supposed to
activate it on one at a time. (The rule: one paid license per machine.)

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

What you can do with XP is, at least in principle, dependent on what type
of license you get.

A retail license (full or upgrade) can be transferred to a new machine any
number of times. An OEM license is supposed to be only installed on one
machine, ever, but I don't know how that machine is defined. (If the hard
disk dies, I believe that Microsoft will give you an activation code for a
re-install.) I suspect that, in reality, you could install an OEM license
on a 100% new machine, although you might have to be less than truthful in
describing it as a "repair". (I don't know from personal experience. My
only XP license is a retail upgrade one, which has been installed in a
series of systems, all within the one license/one machine limit.)

There are also manufacturer's restore disks, and BIOS-locked OEM copies,
with different limits. I have no experience with them. If you're not
getting an OS with an appliance PC, you shouldn't get either of those.

Product activation is a bit of a pain, but if you have to re-activate by
the slowest means (telephone), it still takes only about five minutes (at
least in the US, by toll-free call).

I suggest that if you're given a choice between an OEM version and a
retail one, get the retail. It will cost more, but it may save you some
future aggravation.

HTH.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
Click to expand...

Bob,
This is just from personal experience as a system builder. The OEM and
Retail EULAs are identical. I use one CD to install all XP Home and Pro OSs
(of course I use the proper version and their key....) and give the customer
a "newly packaged" copy with their system and the only difference is that I
usually put the sticker on the case unless the customer does a lot of
upgrading of his system. In those cases, I just give him/her the whole OEM
package. In my experience, as far as upgrading or even building a completely
different system, the activation and reactivation is the same as Retail, IE,
one copy/one machine. If I change major components like the MB, I need to
call MS to reactivate, just like with retail. I just tell them the truth
that I just upgraded my HW and they give me a new number. Same as with the
retail version. These are just my personal experiences and NOT what the
MSMVPs on the MS groups tell you. The major difference I have seen between
OEM and Retail is that the Retail versions have more documentation and a
box. I couldn't even guess as to how many times my personal systems have
been reactivated seeing as I change things so often. I have never once had
any problems with my OEM activations and neither have my customers.

Cheers,
Ed
 
Thanks for the information.

That's rather more liberal than I expected - I thought that MS would decline
to re-activate an OEM license on a replacement system.

It sounds like the only significant limitation to a generic OEM license is
that you can't run it as an upgrade. (Some would say that is more of a
virtue than a limitation.)

Bob Kn.

Ed Medlin said:
Bob,
This is just from personal experience as a system builder. The OEM and
Retail EULAs are identical. I use one CD to install all XP Home and Pro
OSs (of course I use the proper version and their key....) and give the
customer a "newly packaged" copy with their system and the only difference
is that I usually put the sticker on the case unless the customer does a
lot of upgrading of his system. In those cases, I just give him/her the
whole OEM package. In my experience, as far as upgrading or even building
a completely different system, the activation and reactivation is the same
as Retail, IE, one copy/one machine. If I change major components like the
MB, I need to call MS to reactivate, just like with retail. I just tell
them the truth that I just upgraded my HW and they give me a new number.
Same as with the retail version. These are just my personal experiences
and NOT what the MSMVPs on the MS groups tell you. The major difference I
have seen between OEM and Retail is that the Retail versions have more
documentation and a box. I couldn't even guess as to how many times my
personal systems have been reactivated seeing as I change things so often.
I have never once had any problems with my OEM activations and neither
have my customers.

Cheers,
Ed
Click to expand...
(snip)
 
Bob Knowlden said:
Thanks for the information.

That's rather more liberal than I expected - I thought that MS would
decline to re-activate an OEM license on a replacement system.

It sounds like the only significant limitation to a generic OEM license is
that you can't run it as an upgrade. (Some would say that is more of a
virtue than a limitation.)

Bob Kn.
Click to expand...

hehe......Actually, when you run the install, it does have the upgrade
option just like the retail version....... I really don't see much, if any,
difference between the OEM and the retail version except the cheaper
packaging.......... Of course, these are just my observations over the past
couple of years and not "The Gospel According to Microsoft". If you mean you
cannot buy an OEM upgrade package, you are, of course, correct. A small
business like mine cannot buy OEM copies in bulk and must buy major upgrade
parts before I can purchase the OEM copy. So whenever I can, I buy a copy.
The local resellers have a lot of leeway, so it is not a problem keeping
enough copies in stock for my needs.

Ed
 
dave said:
I'll have to presume you mean XP. I purchased mine around 6 months ago (XP
Home-to keep cost down). I think the actual cd can be used on any machine
you intend to install xp on. It's the Certificate of Authenticity that's
important. This of course can only be used on one pc. I rang microsoft when
I was about to do a major upgrade and they said it would be fine as long as
I kept the same mobo (I'm using WinXP OEM ) I upgraded anyway replacing
pretty much everything and when re-installing WinXP registered by internet
when prompted. Had no problems at all and use windows update etc.

I posted a message on this or a similiar group before I upgraded and one of
the replies said not to worry as he had re-intalled (and re-registered) 5
times with no problems.

HTH

David
Click to expand...
Ok. I was curious because I will eventually upgrade, possibly changing the
mobo, and wanted to know if i'd have to go and buy another copy of the
software.
 
kony said:
The CD is irrelevant, a hologram is simply an
anti-counterfeit measure against anyone selling fake
"product" but the license is NOT tied to the CD itself,
rather the certificate or sticker (on OEM boxes/license).

In other words, you could buy the appropriate license and
throw away the CD and be fine installing on any (single, as
per your license) system, providing you have other source of
the OS version (files) you're licensed to use. For example,
you might make a backup of the CD and use that to avoid
damaging original CD, or you might have multiple licenses
and be installing from a common file-store over a LAN.
Click to expand...

No, I wasn't looking to do anything like that. I was more concerned about
installing it on my current system, then, down the road, if I upgrade to
another completely new system, would I still be able to use the software or
would I have to go and buy another copy. I read about someone who's mobo
died. He replaced the mobo and when he went to reinstall the software, the
installation program said it was a different computer and wouldn't install
the software. Now, as I recall he was using a Dell and was using the system
restore disk. My concern with the hologram cd was if it somehow recorded or
remembered my current system configuration.
 
Craig said:
No, I wasn't looking to do anything like that. I was more concerned about
installing it on my current system, then, down the road, if I upgrade to
another completely new system, would I still be able to use the software or
would I have to go and buy another copy. I read about someone who's mobo
died. He replaced the mobo and when he went to reinstall the software, the
installation program said it was a different computer and wouldn't install
the software. Now, as I recall he was using a Dell and was using the system
restore disk.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be surprising that a "Dell" restore CD didn't 'restore' to a
non Dell motherboard.
My concern with the hologram cd was if it somehow recorded or
remembered my current system configuration.
Click to expand...

You can't write to a pressed CD. Not to mention, how would a CD-ROM reader
do it even if you could?
 
No, I wasn't looking to do anything like that. I was more concerned about
installing it on my current system, then, down the road, if I upgrade to
another completely new system, would I still be able to use the software or
would I have to go and buy another copy.
Click to expand...

Technically, if you buy an OEM license it is only usable on
the first system it's installed on. In reality, if you
called MS they may reactivate it on a different system, but
not for TWO systems. The full, non-OEM license allows
moving to a different system officially.
I read about someone who's mobo
died. He replaced the mobo and when he went to reinstall the software, the
installation program said it was a different computer and wouldn't install
the software.
Click to expand...

That is Dell's image restoration program, checking for the
Dell BIOS ID string. It has nothing in particular to do
with Windows, that just "happened" to be what was in the
image that the Dell restoration software was going to
restore.

Some Dell systems have regular OEM WinXP CDs, not (or in
addtion to) the restoration CD/image. If you tried to
install from one of those, it should install but it would
not be recognizing the Dell system (since it isn't one) and
you'd have to activate it. This gets back to the issue I
mentioned above, that technically you can't activate for use
on a different system,, but you might be able to if you call
MS. So to that extent, yes buying a 'hologram windows CD'
does avoid the issue of the Dell image, and a full license
completely avoids the issue of whether you are officially
licensed to uninstall from the old system and install on the
new one.
Now, as I recall he was using a Dell and was using the system
restore disk. My concern with the hologram cd was if it somehow recorded or
remembered my current system configuration.
Click to expand...

There is no way the CD can "record or remember".
 
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