Moving Vista to a new computer (and taking it off the old one)

[Guest]

Here is the situation...

I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with Windows
XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work on
Vista, since it's older.

The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.

I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system I'd
ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had already
activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to use
it on another computer.

Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro

Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the laptop)
and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered on
the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be able
to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.

So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?

Thanks.
Jamie.

 

[David B.]

By the letter of the EULA (assuming your Vista is an OEM copy), the shop is
correct, once an OEM has been activated on a PC it cannot be transferred to
another, however, I suspect that if you do move it, and it won't activate,
if you call the Microsoft activation number and explain the situation, that
they would activate it for you on the second PC.

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[Richard G. Harper]

Personally, I think you're trying to get satisfaction from the wrong people
here. If you ordered your computer with XP and the shop put Vista on it,
they should have made it right at no cost to you. Whether or not the copy
of Vista will work on another computer (and I am not even going to go there)
is immaterial. You didn't order it and should not have paid for it and
should not have paid to have it replaced.

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Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
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[Charlie Tame]

Ah, well the question is really who activated it...

On my MSDN disks the "Activate Now" box is pre checked and you have to
actually uncheck it to avoid activation during install. Not only is this
bullshit, because if the install encounters a problem early on in it's use
it's trashed but it also implies the liability is not really on the user.

If the OEM install was "Not" activated then how did the retailer keep the
machine until purchased, if it had ever been used then activation would have
expired by the time the purchaser got it.

Personally, I think you're trying to get satisfaction from the wrong
people here. If you ordered your computer with XP and the shop put Vista
on it, they should have made it right at no cost to you. Whether or not
the copy of Vista will work on another computer (and I am not even going
to go there) is immaterial. You didn't order it and should not have paid
for it and should not have paid to have it replaced.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Here is the situation...

I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with
Windows
XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work
on
Vista, since it's older.

The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.

I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system
I'd
ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had
already
activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to
use
it on another computer.

Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro

Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the
laptop)
and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered
on
the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be
able
to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.

So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?

Thanks.
Jamie.