Where is the license key attached?

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Guest

I have an older retail copy of WinXP professional on a machine I've now
scrapped. and I'm going to install it on a new machine I purchased. I also
have a newer retail XP professional with SP2 already part of the installation
on another machine.

My question is, can I install the newer version of XP on my newest machine
but activate it with the old key to avoid having to install SP2 separately?

In other words, is the license key attached to itself via MS or is it in
some way tied to the particular copy of the Windows CD I'm working with?
 
B.Rubin said:
I have an older retail copy of WinXP professional on a machine I've
now scrapped. and I'm going to install it on a new machine I
purchased. I also have a newer retail XP professional with SP2
already part of the installation on another machine.

My question is, can I install the newer version of XP on my newest
machine but activate it with the old key to avoid having to install
SP2 separately?

In other words, is the license key attached to itself via MS or is it
in some way tied to the particular copy of the Windows CD I'm working
with?
Click to expand...

The CD key and the CD have little in common.

Certain CD Keys only work for certain CDs (OEM, Retail, Upgrade) - but it
doesn't matter which OEM, Retail or Upgrade CD you use with a particular
OEM, Retail or Upgrade CD key...

However, the CD Key is tied to the license. If it is a single installation
license associated with that CD Key, then using it to install multiple times
(while it may work) is against the spirit (if not legalities) of the EULA
you agree to when installing/using the OS.
 
B.Rubin said:
I have an older retail copy of WinXP professional on a machine I've
now scrapped. and I'm going to install it on a new machine I
purchased. I also have a newer retail XP professional with SP2
already part of the installation on another machine.

My question is, can I install the newer version of XP on my newest
machine but activate it with the old key to avoid having to install
SP2 separately?

In other words, is the license key attached to itself via MS or is it
in some way tied to the particular copy of the Windows CD I'm working
with?
Click to expand...

You say that both copies of XP are Retail. This means they both have Retail
Keys (and licenses).

You may transfer ONE of the licenses (and keys) to another machine, as long
as the installation of XP which uses the key you want to transfer has been
deleted completely from the machine it was originally installed on.

You will probably have to call the Activation Center when you go to activate
this copy of XP when you install it on a different machine. (You will
receive an "Installed too many times" error.) All you will need to do is
call the Activation Center and explain to the Activation person what you
have done, explaining that all installations of XP using that key (except
the new installation, of course) have been deleted.
 
B.Rubin said:
Donald,

Thanks, that's the answer I was hoping for.

--B.Rubin
Click to expand...
Let me refine my answer to the original post a little:
As long as the CD keys you have were issued for RETAIL (boxed) copies of XP,
you may transfer them to another machine, AS LONG as you delete any
installation of XP on any hard drive before transferring the licenses.

This is NOT true for OEM keys such as those issued with copies of XP
installed at the factory, or keys for so-called "FULL OEM" CDs, or keys for
so-called "FULL OEM -- DSP" CDS, none of which can be transferred to another
machine under ANY circumstance.
 
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