Where to get windows xp full retail version?

[M]

Mark, I am not out to convince you to not get around WGA. I
understand where you're coming from. It's your PC. You purchased a
genuine copy of XP. You know everything is genuine. You want to
control the traffic in and our of your PC, especially since one can
argue there is always a chance for some glitch to occur which could
cause you a significant inconvenience (a very small chance, I am
sure, but a chance nonetheless). That's fine. If you want to disable
WGA, go for it.

But, to Greg:

If you wind up buying any legit version of XP (Retail *or* generic
OEM), WGA should not be an issue for you. Although there is some
rationale behind Mark's advice, from a practical viewpoint, you don't
need to do it IMO. Your XP will be genuine and there is a 99.999%
chance that WGA will concur. You can certainly get around WGA if you
wish (as Mark and others have chosen), but you don't *have* to do
this!

Microsoft hasn't set up WGA forums because WGA never has false
positives. It will not improve your computer one iota and why take a
chance on a false positive and having to jump through all the hoops that
that would involve?

M

 

[Greg]

Microsoft hasn't set up WGA forums because WGA never has false
positives. It will not improve your computer one iota and why take a
chance on a false positive and having to jump through all the hoops that
that would involve?

M

This is why I was going for a retail version. If you buy a new
retail version of xp and it wont activate or wga wont approve, it is
up to Microsoft to provide a replacement copy of equal or greater
value or a refund. If I buy an OEM copy, Microsoft does not have
to honor the warranty. Now, if Microsoft is no longer honoring the
warranty of new xp disk that are still being sold, then yes an OEM
would be fine if it is legal.

WGA, does have false positives by the way.

Greg

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This is why I was going for a retail version. If you buy a new
retail version of xp and it wont activate or wga wont approve, it is
up to Microsoft to provide a replacement copy of equal or greater
value or a refund. If I buy an OEM copy, Microsoft does not have
to honor the warranty. Now, if Microsoft is no longer honoring the
warranty of new xp disk that are still being sold, then yes an OEM
would be fine if it is legal.

Leaving aside any warranty issues, I highly recommend the retail
Upgrade version over an OEM one. Although if you get a complete
generic OEM version, it contains the same software, its license ties
it permanently to the first computer it's installed on. It can never
legally be moved to another computer, sold, or given away (except with
the original computer). That means that if the computer dies, your
Windows license dies too. The Retail Upgrade is usually around the
same price as, or only slightly more expensive than, the OEM version.

The reason I recommend the Retail Upgrade over the Full is that it's
much cheaper and the requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own*
a previous qualifying version's installation CD, not to have it
installed. When setup doesn't find a previous qualifying version
installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership.
Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts.
Everything proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.


Most people already own a previous qualifying version, but worst case
if you don't, you can inexpensively buy a copy of Windows 98 someplace
like eBay.

 

[M]

This is why I was going for a retail version. If you buy a new
retail version of xp and it wont activate or wga wont approve, it is
up to Microsoft to provide a replacement copy of equal or greater
value or a refund. If I buy an OEM copy, Microsoft does not have
to honor the warranty. Now, if Microsoft is no longer honoring the
warranty of new xp disk that are still being sold, then yes an OEM
would be fine if it is legal.

WGA, does have false positives by the way.

Greg

NewEgg would have to answer to you if you buy an OEM copy from them.
Neither will give you a refund on an opened package.

M

 

[Mark Adams]

This is why I was going for a retail version. If you buy a new
retail version of xp and it wont activate or wga wont approve, it is
up to Microsoft to provide a replacement copy of equal or greater
value or a refund. If I buy an OEM copy, Microsoft does not have
to honor the warranty. Now, if Microsoft is no longer honoring the
warranty of new xp disk that are still being sold, then yes an OEM
would be fine if it is legal.

If you buy a retail copy and it "wont activate or wga wont approve", getting
a replacement disk of the same type won't change anything because the disks
are all the same. It's the Product Keys that are different, and the keys are
not on the disk. A new purchase of any type (OEM, Retail Upgrade, or Full
Retail) should activate on any machine because the key that came with it has
never been used before. If you buy a used disk from eBay (package open), all
bets are off. As far as WGA goes, I have already explained how to keep that
off your computer, YOU NEVER ALLOW IT ON IN THE FIRST PLACE. I agree that the
Retail Upgrade is probably best, because the EULA does allow you to move it
from machine to machine, but it does cost more and you may not easily be able
to get an unopened one.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I agree that the
Retail Upgrade is probably best, because the EULA does allow you to move it
from machine to machine, but it does cost more and you may not easily be able
to get an unopened one.

Amazon.com currently sells unopened new copies of both retail and OEM
versions. For XP Home, the retail upgrade is actually cheaper than the
OEM! For XP Professional, the retail is upgrade is only $5 more than
the OEM.

 

[Mark Adams]

Understood. But something tells me he won't want to get around it (which
is fine, of course). Heck, he seems to be jumping through all sorts of
hoops trying to convince himself it's illegal to buy the generic OEM
version of XP Home! LOL

Jeeeze, you weren't kidding!

 

[Mark Adams]

Amazon.com currently sells unopened new copies of both retail and OEM
versions. For XP Home, the retail upgrade is actually cheaper than the
OEM! For XP Professional, the retail is upgrade is only $5 more than
the OEM.

Well, there's Greg's answer.