What to prevent selling XP and still using it?

[Al Smith]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows
XP, and the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person
installing XP, activating it, making a copy and recording the key,
then selling the original CD and booklet and box to some
unsuspecting doofus?

If the original owner had it activated, wouldn't the buyer be
unable to activate it legally, even though he possessed the
original CD? What's the deal in this situation?

 

[_Vanguard_]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows XP,
and the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person installing XP,
activating it, making a copy and recording the key, then selling the
original CD and booklet and box to some unsuspecting doofus?

If the original owner had it activated, wouldn't the buyer be unable
to activate it legally, even though he possessed the original CD?
What's the deal in this situation?

Never heard of stealing? Never heard of piracy? Or adaptive morality
(which lets the person do whatever they want when there is no punishment
or perceived threat thereof)?

If you go to activate and find that the product is already activated,
and if Microsoft cared to investigate, maybe they know the IP address of
the host used to perform the activation and could trace the pirate that
way. Or maybe they will activate the duped buyer who now has the legit
copy which will then cause problems for the pirate should they ever need
to re-activate the product.

 

[CS]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows
XP, and the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person
installing XP, activating it, making a copy and recording the key,
then selling the original CD and booklet and box to some
unsuspecting doofus?

If the original owner had it activated, wouldn't the buyer be
unable to activate it legally, even though he possessed the
original CD? What's the deal in this situation?

Buyer beware! Still good advice. The buyer would be out whatever he
paid for the purchase unless he could somehow convince MS customer
service to give him another product key to activate.

 

[Guest]

MS said that it would be impossable to do what you are saying but i know
first hand (not me) that it is possable. Originally the idea was to check
each installation and if the hardware from one to the other was too different
you had to call and convince them it was and upgrade. in reality the only
thing that would get their attention would be installations too close to each
other or a really high total amount of reinstalls

 

[Alex Nichol]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows
XP, and the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person
installing XP, activating it, making a copy and recording the key,
then selling the original CD and booklet and box to some
unsuspecting doofus?

In a word - Honesty. Microsoft introduced the activation system as a
means of discouraging people from making multiple installations without
realising the conditions for use. And that most people would then go
along. If people are determined dishonestly to avoid this there are
bound to be ways round; especially when the system has been made to
allow reinstallation on changed hardware and transfers.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows XP, and
the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person installing XP,
activating it, making a copy and recording the key, then selling the
original CD and booklet and box to some unsuspecting doofus?

Do the words honesty and integrity mean anything to you?



--

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

 

[Al Smith]

Saw in a post on another group that someone was selling Windows XP, and the thought came to me, what's to prevent a person installing XP, activating it, making a copy and recording the key, then selling the original CD and booklet and box to some unsuspecting doofus?

Do the words honesty and integrity mean anything to you?

Does the word "hypothetical" mean anything to you?

 

[Leythos]

Do the words honesty and integrity mean anything to you?

Actually, I've had to register XP manually after reinstalling on crashed
systems in a corporate environment (not the Volume license version).
When calling MS to register by phone, they ask some minor questions, and
then give you a new Activation Key. It was fairly simple, and I could
see where some lamer would install XP Retail, then sell it, with the
same key, and the purchaser could call MS and register it and then
manually activate it.

Keep in mind, I advocate only licensed copies, and spend thousands per
year maintaining our licenses. My post was only from what I've seen.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Does the word "hypothetical" mean anything to you?

Sure, but it hardly applies, here. You asked what prevents someone
from fraudulently selling a copy of WinXP. The correct answer would be
that person's honesty and integrity. How is this unclear?


--

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

 

[Al Smith]

Do the words honesty and integrity mean anything to you?

Sure, but it hardly applies, here. You asked what prevents someone from fraudulently selling a copy of WinXP. The correct answer would be that person's honesty and integrity. How is this unclear?

It's unclear because your brief comment might have been directed
at me (as I assumed it was). No way to tell from what you wrote.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

It's unclear because your brief comment might have been directed at me
(as I assumed it was). No way to tell from what you wrote.

Well..., it was directed at you, insofar as I was responding to your
question. It was not, as you apparently inferred, meant as a personal
"attack," though.

--

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