Reimage and licensing

[Guest]

Trying to understand proper licensing.

We buy ABC brand computers with OEM copies of XP pre-installed.

We would like to reimage those machines with XP from our RIS server so that
we have uniform images across the domain.

Do I have to buy a seperate XP volume license for each machine? Or does the
OEM version allow for a reimage. There is no upgrade or change in the OS,
simply installing "over" the OEM version that was preinstalled.

 

[Guest]

as long as you have individual licensing for each PC you can do that with no
issue.

 

[Guest]

Can you clarify "individual licensing for each PC" for me? Every machine that
is brought into the orginzation will have the OEM version of XP preinstalled
by the manufacturer. The goal is to simply reinstall using a volume license
copy of the media so that we can have unified desktop images. BUT, I don't
want to 're-buy' a license for each of these machines. I already paid for the
OEM version...

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Q. "Do I have to buy a separate XP volume license for each machine?"

A. Yes.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| Trying to understand proper licensing.
|
| We buy ABC brand computers with OEM copies of XP pre-installed.
|
| We would like to reimage those machines with XP from our RIS server so that
| we have uniform images across the domain.
|
| Do I have to buy a seperate XP volume license for each machine? Or does the
| OEM version allow for a reimage. There is no upgrade or change in the OS,
| simply installing "over" the OEM version that was preinstalled.

 

[Guest]

So I have to buy XP twice for each machine? Is there another way to achieve
what I want to do? My understanding is that a volume license is an 'upgrade'
in that the machine it is being installed on must have an OS licensed
already.

I don't understand what the difference is here. I can't order my machines
with no OS, so do I get linux installed and then change them over to XP via a
volume license? or something similar?

Again, the goal is to have images that can be rolled out to each machine to
aid in administration. There are obviously activation issue unless we are
using a volume license media to create the images. I'm sure this is happening
at other companies besides mine...what method do these users have?

Thanks!

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A Volume License is an upgrade, so you must have an
existing valid Microsoft Windows license in order to
use a Volume License.

Volume Licensing
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/default.mspx

The following resources will help you learn more about Microsoft Volume
Licensing programs and Product Use Rights.
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/downloads/default.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| So I have to buy XP twice for each machine? Is there another way to achieve
| what I want to do? My understanding is that a volume license is an 'upgrade'
| in that the machine it is being installed on must have an OS licensed
| already.
|
| I don't understand what the difference is here. I can't order my machines
| with no OS, so do I get linux installed and then change them over to XP via a
| volume license? or something similar?
|
| Again, the goal is to have images that can be rolled out to each machine to
| aid in administration. There are obviously activation issue unless we are
| using a volume license media to create the images. I'm sure this is happening
| at other companies besides mine...what method do these users have?
|
| Thanks!

 

[Dave Harry]

Well that's possibly the dumbest thing you've ever said. And reading your
licensing posts in general, that's no mean feat.

If I have 5.1.2600 and I install 5.1.2600, it's hardly an upgrade is it?

I contacted my local Microsoft distributor to buy Open License / Volume /
whatever media for my new computers. MS don't OFFER specifically non-upgrade
media, but the upgrade media allows clean installation as well. If they
didn't want clean installs, they wouldn't allow it, as with the retail
upgrade packs.

My MS distrib told me that if I have OEM's I can put the stickers on the
back and use the OLP media.
I buy 10 copies of Windows XP. I use 10 copies of Windows XP.
They are locked in as OEM by that unremovable sticker: If I replace a
machine, I still need a new XP license, with a new sticker, for the new
machine.

Let's say I had no computers and want to buy 10. Why should I buy 20
licenses, just so I can upgrade to the same version?
You could point out your disjointed interpretation of some clause in the
EULA, but noone will ever buy the software twice.

 

[Dave Harry]

If you buy a license for each copy of Windows you install, no court on
planet Earth would find you guilty of piracy.

But I can't vouch for licensing nazis who clearly haven't visited here.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Well, all I can say is your job
may be on the line if you fail
an audit.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| If you buy a license for each copy of Windows you install, no court on
| planet Earth would find you guilty of piracy.
|
| But I can't vouch for licensing nazis who clearly haven't visited here.
|
| | > So I have to buy XP twice for each machine? Is there another way to
| > achieve
| > what I want to do? My understanding is that a volume license is an
| > 'upgrade'
| > in that the machine it is being installed on must have an OS licensed
| > already.
| >
| > I don't understand what the difference is here. I can't order my machines
| > with no OS, so do I get linux installed and then change them over to XP
| > via a
| > volume license? or something similar?
| >
| > Again, the goal is to have images that can be rolled out to each machine
| > to
| > aid in administration. There are obviously activation issue unless we are
| > using a volume license media to create the images. I'm sure this is
| > happening
| > at other companies besides mine...what method do these users have?
| >
| > Thanks!
| >
| > "Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:
| >
| >> Q. "Do I have to buy a separate XP volume license for each machine?"
| >>
| >> A. Yes.
| >>
| >> --
| >> Carey Frisch
| >> Microsoft MVP
| >> Windows - Shell/User
| >> Microsoft Community Newsgroups
| >> news://msnews.microsoft.com/
| >>
| >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| >>
| >> "Edog" wrote:
| >>
| >> | Trying to understand proper licensing.
| >> |
| >> | We buy ABC brand computers with OEM copies of XP pre-installed.
| >> |
| >> | We would like to reimage those machines with XP from our RIS server so
| >> that
| >> | we have uniform images across the domain.
| >> |
| >> | Do I have to buy a seperate XP volume license for each machine? Or does
| >> the
| >> | OEM version allow for a reimage. There is no upgrade or change in the
| >> OS,
| >> | simply installing "over" the OEM version that was preinstalled.

 

[Dave Harry]

You are absolutely right, Carey.
Working on fear _IS_ all you can do.

 

[Guest]

Another point about this OEM sticker business is that the CASE cannot be
replaced thanks to this sticker. We met this issue with a machine whose
nonstandard PSU failed, requiring a mobo-tranfer to a new case, and with
another where the plastic door broke off the case. Both trivial faults, both
technically meant we lost our Windows license.

 

[John Smith]

According to our licence distributor, as long as we have a licence for the
version we want to install (IE I have 300 PCs, and so long as I have 300
licences - in my case 200 XP Pro OEM & 100 Volume Upgrades to XP Pro
(original PCs have 2000 Pro OEMs on them). I can use which ever media I want
/ need to be able to install windows XP Pro on them. I use RIS which uses my
Volume Licence Disk on it.

 

[Guest]

Thanks John,

But now I am confused. One side says that I can re-install the volume
license version on top of my OEM versions, the other side says that I have to
re-buy a new license for each machine that I want to install a volume license
version on...guess I need to talk to MY distributor.

Thanks.