multiple installation of xp

[Guest]

i am not in any way trying to do any piracy. i just want to do what is right.
I have a dell computer that came with a win xp pro cd. i use the dell for my
use. i am reworking two computers i had laying around for my two children. I
would like to load xp on those as well. Is there a particular number of uses
per install of this xp cd. I know they have to be activated within 30 days.
does microsoft activate so many copies per cd for so many installations or
personal computers per household, and also would the cd work on other
computers other than the dell system. Someone told me that all you have to do
is tell microsoft that you are upgrading and they would activate it with no
questions. thanks

 

[Bill James]

The license is for one installation on one computer. You might get away with lying and saying additional installs are just upgrades of the same computer, but you start out by saying you are not trying to do any piracy and that is exactly what this would be.

--

Bill James
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User

Windows VBScript Utilities » www.billsway.com/vbspage/
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[Colin Barnhorst]

No. Activation is tied to the specific computer it is installed on. If you
activate on another machine the activation on the first will be void. The
PID on the second machine will not match the PID generated on the first and
the product key will be recorded as having been installed previously on
another machine.
It is true that you can tell Microsoft that you are upgrading and they will
activate for you, but that does not change the fact that your prior
activation will be voided. That part is automatic.

 

[Malke]

i am not in any way trying to do any piracy. i just want to do what is
right. I have a dell computer that came with a win xp pro cd. i use
the dell for my use. i am reworking two computers i had laying around
for my two children. I would like to load xp on those as well. Is
there a particular number of uses per install of this xp cd. I know
they have to be activated within 30 days. does microsoft activate so
many copies per cd for so many installations or personal computers per
household, and also would the cd work on other computers other than
the dell system. Someone told me that all you have to do is tell
microsoft that you are upgrading and they would activate it with no
questions. thanks

You need a license for each copy of XP that you put on a computer. You
can buy a "family discount" but it is so slight as to be worthless.
Besides, the Dell XP cd is an OEM one and tied to the Dell machine. So
you need to buy two copies of XP for your children's machines. The
activation is per XP license, not per cd.

Malke

 

[jeffrey]

Hi,

Unfortunately its one OS per computer. If you have an official windows CD,
be it 98, 2000 or XP, you can save some money by buying XP upgrade CD`s and
use that to install XP on the other computers. When it searchs for the
previous OS, just stick the Official install CD for the other OS and point
the installer to it.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

That is correct. I have used my Win98SE Upgrade cd several times that way
and have not had a problem.

 

[Guest]

I think i may have one of the installs ellimanated. I was doing a fresh
install on my dell, when i noticed on the win xp tag on the side of the cpu
case the product key, next to the key the it said "windows xp professional
1-2 cpu"
As i was talking to the dell tech who was walking me through the install
process, when i noticed this caption i asked the tech eactly what it meant
and he said that it was for intalling the xp cd that came with my system for
the dell that the software came with and up to an additional computer. He did
mention i do need to call microsoft to let them know and they would activate
the second system as well. It might be because the dell i bought is a small
business system and they allow a license for two systems. Now it's to get the
second computer for the children installed with xp.

 

[Alex Nichol]

i am not in any way trying to do any piracy. i just want to do what is right.
I have a dell computer that came with a win xp pro cd. i use the dell for my
use. i am reworking two computers i had laying around for my two children. I
would like to load xp on those as well. Is there a particular number of uses
per install of this xp cd

Yes. It may be installed on one machine at any time, and one only.
This has always been the case for Windows; it is because people with
several machines in the house were installing one copy on them all that
the activation system was brought in

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Unfortunately its one OS per computer. If you have an official
windows CD, be it 98, 2000 or XP, you can save some money by
buying
XP upgrade CD`s and use that to install XP on the other
computers.
When it searchs for the previous OS, just stick the Official
install
CD for the other OS and point the installer to it.

Although you may be able to get away with doing this, it is very
much against the license agreement. When you do an upgrade from
an older version, that older version's CD becomes part of the
license for Windows XP and is permanently tied to it. That CD is
no longer available to be used on another computer, either to run
the older version or to serve as qualification for another
upgrade.

 

[David Senior [MVP - Most Valued Person]]

If you want to be clever and install on all three machines and still activate it (or no need to activate it) then let me know. The trick is to change the file setupp.ini which is located in D:\I386 ON YOUR dell CD. Effectively, you will recreate the CD so that it accepts a VLK (Volume License Key) which can be obtained from:

http://www.serialarchive.com

I also suggest have a look at this site for multiple installations of WinXP:

http://www.micoscum.com

Michael Stevens [our resident pirate] has a utility to assist you to pirate MS software. It is a good idea to visit his site.

Hope this proves useful.
Michael Stevens' [MS-MVP] Lies: http://www.microscum.com/ns/mlslies/index.htm

i am not in any way trying to do any piracy. i just want to do what is right.
I have a dell computer that came with a win xp pro cd. i use the dell for my
use. i am reworking two computers i had laying around for my two children. I
would like to load xp on those as well. Is there a particular number of uses
per install of this xp cd. I know they have to be activated within 30 days.
does microsoft activate so many copies per cd for so many installations or
personal computers per household, and also would the cd work on other
computers other than the dell system. Someone told me that all you have to do
is tell microsoft that you are upgrading and they would activate it with no
questions. thanks

--
I use non Microsoft products wherever possible which requires no activation.

I use Netscape 7.2 as my default browser which has everything I need for my work.

I believe in good Financial Management!! I do not believe in enriching rich jerks!

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

That is correct. I have used my Win98SE Upgrade cd several times that way
and have not had a problem.

Colin,

Your multiple use of the same same is an invalid and piracy use of the CD.
The reason the upgrades are cheaper is that you license for the previous
product which you paid for is subsumed into the XP license. So you can only
use your product that you are using to prove your upgrade rights from once.
So unless you purchased several 98 CDs for your other installs - all you
other installs you did as upgrades from the single 98 license are not
properly licensed/pirate/invalid installs.


--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

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