Moving XP to new computer

[Douglas Barber]

Reference: HP Pavilion 503N
With Windows XP
S/N MX239C4554
I purchased this computer on October 21, 2002 and
had a problem with it on October 31, 2003, it just quit,
so I took it in for service at Best Buy, where I bought it
and they said that it was the mother board. Due to cost of
the replacement part and the thought that it could still
be the processor or something else, plus the low price of
a new computer, they told me not to repair it.
Now to my problem. If the software is mine and I
must take it off the computer if I sell it, how can I move
it to one of my old computers, which are running “Windows
Me” now. I am sending this to both Hewlett Packard and
Microsoft at the same time

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Since the computer came with XP, you cannot legally move it to another
computer. The license ties it to the machine that it was purchased with.
Additionally, OEM versions of XP (particularly from vendors like HP, Dell
and etc.) are locked to the computer's BIOS and won't even install on
another brand of computer.

 

[Guest]

Just swap the hard drives, remove as much hardware as you
can and if it will run, most do and re-activate.

 

[purplehaz]

Activation will not go thru cause of the hardware change. They will then
have to call ms to get activated and will be denied cause it is an oem
product key that they have. According to the ms eula you cannot transfer and
oem install to another computer/motherboard.

 

[Guest]

Do it everyday, When is the last time you tried. This is
bunk, they have no idea if your changing a hard drive or
if your changing every part but for one screw.

 

[purplehaz]

That's just what I heard and read. I would never own an oem computer so I
never tried. Guess ms is just letting them thru then if you never had a
prob. Oh well, then the op could just go for it it they want.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I purchased this computer on October 21, 2002 and
had a problem with it on October 31, 2003, it just quit,
so I took it in for service at Best Buy, where I bought it
and they said that it was the mother board. Due to cost of
the replacement part and the thought that it could still
be the processor or something else, plus the low price of
a new computer, they told me not to repair it.
Now to my problem. If the software is mine and I
must take it off the computer if I sell it, how can I move
it to one of my old computers, which are running “Windows
Me” now. I am sending this to both Hewlett Packard and
Microsoft at the same time

The software was supplied as part of the original computer, under a
license that is for use solely on that and is not transferable (for that
reason among others the price component included in the price of the
machine is much lower than for a retail version. You may not move it
to another machine

 

[Alex Nichol]

Activation will not go thru cause of the hardware change. They will then
have to call ms to get activated and will be denied cause it is an oem
product key that they have.

At the technical level, the activation goes to the activation center in
the ordinary way as it is no longer meeting the BIOS lock. As it is
the first time, it may go through - that is what happens if you change
board and lose BIOS lock on a machine that is otherwise unchanged

 

[purplehaz]

At the technical level, the activation goes to the activation center in
the ordinary way as it is no longer meeting the BIOS lock. As it is
the first time, it may go through - that is what happens if you change
board and lose BIOS lock on a machine that is otherwise unchanged

Ya I guess that makes sense. As long as it was after 120 days since last
activation how would the activation servers know you changed the
motherboard? They would just let you activate. Kinda defeats the oem eula
doesn't it?

 

[Alex Nichol]

Ya I guess that makes sense. As long as it was after 120 days since last
activation how would the activation servers know you changed the
motherboard? They would just let you activate. Kinda defeats the oem eula
doesn't it?

That OEM EULA is a bit weird and sloppily drafted in any case. But
this was not really the intention of WPA - it is known that you *could*
do things like make a new machine after 120 days, or tell lies to the
phone activation. It had to be watered down to some extent to prevent
it being too much of a PITA for those (for example) who do a lot of
hardware trialling and upgrading - hence the 120 days. But its main aim
is the casual, and largely unaware, people who want to buy one copy and
then think they are entitled to put it on every machine in sight. The
example I heard of, pre-WPA, was a *law* office with about 15 machines,
and only a single copy of any software

 

[Michael Stevens]

Do it everyday, When is the last time you tried. This is
bunk, they have no idea if your changing a hard drive or
if your changing every part but for one screw.

And if the mother board swap goes south, how do you restore using the
restore media? <G> HP only supplies restore disks, and they will not work on
changed hardware.
Click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into the address box
if using the web based newsgroup.
Move XP to new hardware.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
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