Greetings --
Some people claim that the motherboard is the key component that
defines the "original computer," but the OEM EULA does not make any
such distinction.
According to the EULA, an OEM license may not be transferred from
one distinct PC to another PC. However, this doesn't prevent one from
repairing/upgrading that PC.
Microsoft has, to date, been very careful _not_ to define when an
incrementally upgraded computer ceases to be the original computer.
The closest I've seen a Microsoft employee come to this definition is
to tell the person making the inquiry to consult the PC's
manufacturer. As the OEM license's support is solely the
responsibility of said manufacturer, they should determine what sort
of hardware changes to allow before the warranty and support
agreements are voided. An incrementally upgraded computer ceases to
be the original computer, as pertains to the OEM EULA, only when the
*OEM* says it's a different computer.
If you've built the PC yourself, and used a generic OEM WinXP CD,
*you* are the OEM, and *you* get to decide when you're going to stop
supporting the system and its OS.
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
Frank Jelenko said:
A little tangential, but - is there a definition of 'original computer'. I
am constantly adding new hardware, changing the motherboard, but only a
component at a time.
Thanks
Carey Frisch said:
A preinstalled OEM version of Windows XP cannot be transferred
or reactivated on a different computer. The only solution is to
purchase a conventional copy of Windows XP, reformat your
drive and proceed to perform a "clean install".
The license (EULA) to use the Gateway Windows XP version specifically
states it can only be used on the original Gateway computer it
was originally installed on. The license is not valid for use on a
different computer.
Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
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| A family bought a Gateway pc with XP Home preinstalled.
| Later on, XP Pro was installed on that computer and XP
| Home deleted. I used the XP Home CD that came with the
| Gateway pc to install on an older Dell system. It works,
| but I wanted to activate it. Upon every boot-up the
| activation reminder comes up, but then says "Windows is
| already activated. Click OK to exit." Does XP Home need
| to be "deactivated" and then re-activated?
