Stolen laptop - status of Windows XP license

[CRS]

A couple of weeks ago my laptop was stolen from my car, and there's no
real chance of recovering it. It had Windows XP Home Edition installed.
I'm in the middle of an almighty scrap with my insurance company about
the claim, but for a variety of reasons they're being more than a little
uncooperative.

My daughter (bless her heart) has given me a "spare" 2-year old laptop
she had, which has Windows 98 SE installed. However, I've grown used to
Windows XP and would like to scrap Windows 98 and do a clean install of
Windows XP (although the laptop is getting on a bit, it is up to running
XP).

My question - I still have the original Windows XP Home Edition CD (and
key) that came with the stolen laptop; am I allowed to install this on
my replacement laptop without contravening anything in the license, and
will I be able to activate it?

I have the same question about MS Office, but I guess I should address
that in another group.

Any advice appreciated.

CRS.

 

[Pat Garard]

The software is yours.
You have the CD(s).
The thief will likely cream the HDD, and install something
like Win 98, aand sell the Notebook.
You also have the CD key(s) - GO!!!
--
Regards,
Pat Garard
Australia

Anne & Pat Garard.
apgarardATbigpondDOTnetDOTau
_______________________________________________

 

[CRS]

Many thanks Pat. I was hoping that would be the answer.

CRS.

________________________________________________________________________
Original message from follows ...

 

[Jim Macklin]

It is the wrong answer most likely. Your laptop probably
came with XP installed by the mfg'r. That makes the
software OEM and licensed ONLY for that computer. It is
also possible that the CDs you have are "BIOS locked" to
that brand/model of computer.

If you bought a retail XP upgrade CD, you can transfer that
to another computer, but not an OEM.

If your version of OFFICE was also OEM, it too is licensed
only on that machine.

Your insurance company owes you for the hardware and
software that was stolen. That means computer, which will
come with an installed OS and the software you installed.



|
| Many thanks Pat. I was hoping that would be the answer.
|
| CRS.
|
|
____________________________________________________________
____________
| Original message from follows ...
|
| > The software is yours.
| > You have the CD(s).
| > The thief will likely cream the HDD, and install
something
| > like Win 98, aand sell the Notebook.
| > You also have the CD key(s) - GO!!!
| >

 

[Cerridwen]

The software is yours.
You have the CD(s).
The thief will likely cream the HDD, and install something
like Win 98, aand sell the Notebook.
You also have the CD key(s) - GO!!!

Patty, dear, *DO* read the question before giving someone false hope. Do
some research on the term 'OEM' for me, there's a dear...

 

[f/fgeorge]

You are correct, unless the software is removed!
If the software is removed it can be reinstalled to another machine.
Now XP probably will NOT reinstall with the old number, just the way
XP is, tied to the Bios as you stated.
My wife's computer came with Word Perfect, I called Dell and they said
that if I remove it I can then install it on another machine with the
original serial number. BUT I must remove it first!!!

 

[Steve C. Ray]

Maybe for WordPerfect, but NOT for XP. An OEM version is licensed for the
first machine it is installed on, no others. It doesn't matter if the
computer is stolen, trashed, thrown away, etc.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

If that WinXP CD (and the Office CD, for that matter) is an OEM
license, and it probably is, if it came pre-installed on the laptop,
then you may _not_ re-use it.

OEM versions must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally
a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although Microsoft
has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people
avoid OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Not if it was an OEM license.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

NO. An OEM license may _not_ be transferred to a new computer.
Period. It lives and dies with the first computer on which it was
installed. (And whatever rules may or may not apply to an OEM license
for WordPerfect are completely irrelevant to a discussion of Windows
and Office.)

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[CRS]

Thanks one and all. It was indeed an OEM installation, so it looks like
my CDs are worthless. Oh well, time for another call to the insurance
company.

Thanks again.

CRS.

________________________________________________________________________
Original message from CRS follows ...