upgrade of full retail version?

[Debbliz]

Hi. I am trying to decide if I should purchase the
upgrade version, or the full retail version of Win XP. I
have a computer that has Win 98 se on it and I would like
to install Win XP on it. I am also going to purchase a
new computer and would like to then uninstall Win XP from
my old computer (and possibly reinstall win98se), and
install win xp on my new computer. Can I do this? And
can I do this with an upgrade version? Will I need to
actually install win98se on the new computer to upgrade to
win xp? or will I simply need to insert the 98se CD at
some point during XP install to verify that I have
previous version? I want to fully comply with EULA, but
don't want to pay more than necessary to get running with
XP.

thanks!
Debbliz

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

You need a valid license for a previous operating system for your new
computer, before you can legally perform an install on the new computer.

In my case, I have 3 retail copies of Win 98, 1 of Win 2k, 1 of NT 4.0 and 3
of Windows ME. Since I have only 2 computers at this time (the others have
been scrapped) I can use any of the unused O/S's that are in the upgrade
path to install on a new computer.

You, I'm afraid, will have to buy the full install version, to be legal.

 

[Bill Snedden]

You need a valid license for a previous operating system for your new
computer, before you can legally perform an install on the new computer.

In my case, I have 3 retail copies of Win 98, 1 of Win 2k, 1 of NT 4.0 and 3
of Windows ME. Since I have only 2 computers at this time (the others have
been scrapped) I can use any of the unused O/S's that are in the upgrade
path to install on a new computer.

You, I'm afraid, will have to buy the full install version, to be legal.

So hypothetically a person has two computers. Has a full install
version of Win 98 (valid licence) and an upgrade version of XP. You say
that legally XP cannot be installed on one computer if Win 98 is
installed on the other computer? I did not know that. Off to jail with
me I guess...

Technically though WinXP will only ask for the Win98SE CD during the
install for verification and then the XP (Upgrade Version) installation
will continue and will activate without any problems, despite Win98's
presence on another computer.

My $.02 (which I saved by buying the upgrade version instead of the full
XP version)

 

[Candace]

But Bill, it will cost you in the Afterlife...

 

[Alex Nichol]

Hi. I am trying to decide if I should purchase the
upgrade version, or the full retail version of Win XP. I
have a computer that has Win 98 se on it and I would like
to install Win XP on it. I am also going to purchase a
new computer and would like to then uninstall Win XP from
my old computer (and possibly reinstall win98se), and
install win xp on my new computer. Can I do this? And
can I do this with an upgrade version?

You could install the upgrade on the present machine (even doing a clean
install if you want).

But if you transfer it to another, having removed from the present one,
use of an Upgrade there would need its license based on some earlier
version - and the Win98 CD would not meet the terms of the license in
that respect if you were using it on machine 1.

You are entitled to move a Retail version from machine to machine - but
not one of the 'OEM' ones sold with hardware

Bear in mind that a new machine is almost certain to come with Windows
XP preinstalled, unless you get it built to order by a small or
specialist maker