Switching OS's

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bruce
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Bruce

I have the retail upgrade to XP Pro that came with a CD and product key
installed on my current computer. I am buying a new Emachines that comes
with XP Home, can
I just run this on the new machine to upgrade and then activate or do I need
to do something to remove it from the old computer first.

Then, I also wanted to know if the new computer which I haven't picked up
yet that
comes with XP Home can be used to install on my old pc.

Thanks
 
OK you asked a couple of questions but to answer the last first.

When you purchase a computer with XP installed that copy is 99% of the time
tied to that hardware (OEM). You cannot move that license anywhere. If you
trash the computer the license goes with it. Your current machine had an OS
on it before and you installed XP pro as an upgrade. if you remove that
copy of XP or reformat/erase the hard drive then you can transfer the
license to your new computer.

Wayne
 
Bruce said:
I have the retail upgrade to XP Pro that came with a CD and product
key installed on my current computer. I am buying a new Emachines
that comes with XP Home, can
I just run this on the new machine to upgrade and then activate or
do
I need to do something to remove it from the old computer first.
Click to expand...

You need to remove the WinXP Pro upgrade from the first computer
before you can install it on the new computer.

Then, I also wanted to know if the new computer which I haven't
picked up yet that
comes with XP Home can be used to install on my old pc.
Click to expand...

This, you cannot do.

First of all, you have an OEM license for WinXP Home. An OEM
version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a motherboard
or hard rive, if not an entire PC) and is permanently bound to the
first PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once installed, is
not legally transferable to another computer under any circumstances.
You can remove or replace it, if you like, but you can neither reuse
it on a different computer or resell it.

Additionally, If you use an Upgrade version of WinXP Pro, the
license for WinXP Home will be subsumed (became an integral part of)
by the WinXP Pro Upgrade license. Basically, you have no license to
use the Upgrade version without there also being an earlier qualifying
license permanently in place.



--

Bruce Chambers

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having
both at once. - RAH
 
wayne said:
OK you asked a couple of questions but to answer the last first.

When you purchase a computer with XP installed that copy is 99% of the
time tied to that hardware (OEM). You cannot move that license anywhere.
If you trash the computer the license goes with it. Your current machine
had an OS
Click to expand...

Sorry but untrue. Six months after activation, if your computer dies
horrendously and you get a brand new computer without any OS on it, you can
install that same XP from the first machine with the same serial number on
it and activate it without a problem.
 
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