XP activation code

[Catz2k]

Whilst out my "son in law" lovely man that he is!
developed a problem with his pc which he then brought
round to my son who is 17 to fix as he knows the
basics.
During this time he told my son that he needed
to "borrow" his windows XP disc but it would be ok as it
was not piracy cos he had his own code (which he also
forgot) but told my son that if he activated it using my
sons code and contacted microsoft for a £7 phone call he
could somehow "magicaly" get it authorised for his pc!!
under his own "existing" code.
I am unaware of all the copyright laws and what can
and cant be shared, using his disc was fine as i am aware
but to use my sons code? this does not sound right to me
and would like it verified by someone who knows whats what.
Can my son in law change the code by telling
microsoft that he has upgraded his system and in effect
steal my sons XP?

 

[Bastet]

Whilst out my "son in law" lovely man that he is!
developed a problem with his pc which he then brought
round to my son who is 17 to fix as he knows the
basics.
During this time he told my son that he needed
to "borrow" his windows XP disc but it would be ok as it
was not piracy cos he had his own code (which he also
forgot) but told my son that if he activated it using my
sons code and contacted microsoft for a £7 phone call he
could somehow "magicaly" get it authorised for his pc!!
under his own "existing" code.
I am unaware of all the copyright laws and what can
and cant be shared, using his disc was fine as i am aware
but to use my sons code? this does not sound right to me
and would like it verified by someone who knows whats what.
Can my son in law change the code by telling
microsoft that he has upgraded his system and in effect
steal my sons XP?

No he cannot - it's theft - as well as piracy. Tell your SIL to go and buy
his own! Doubtless kurttrail will read this and give you his own twisted
view of things, but please don't listen to him.

That licence code belongs to your son - the only way your SIL can use it is
if your son were to surrender it to him (either by gift or sale) and your
son would then have to remove it from his system.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Actually, Kurt's opinion, while I do respect it and his feelings on the
issue even if I don't always agree is of no consequence. There's a
technical issue here and if the son in-law uses the CD as he suggests as
well as the son's CD key, it will no longer be usable on the son's PC, his
activation requests will be rejected and he will be locked out of his own
system after 30 days because of his inability to activate.

Essentially, under the activation scheme, giving someone your CD and then
letting them activate using your code is the same as giving away your CD.

The son in-law is either misinformed or he's not the lovely man the father
in-law perceives.

 

[The Unknown P]

Oh to be this naive and innocent. Bastet needs to jump
into the real world. If what you say were true then there
wouldn't be piracy or code cracks and so on. The sad truth
is that, while what the SIL is doing is not honourable, he
probably can and will get away with it. Oh BTW Bastet the
war with Iraq wasn't faked no matter what you hear. Have
fun.

 

[Bastet]

Oh to be this naive and innocent. Bastet needs to jump
into the real world. If what you say were true then there
wouldn't be piracy or code cracks and so on. The sad truth
is that, while what the SIL is doing is not honourable, he
probably can and will get away with it. Oh BTW Bastet the
war with Iraq wasn't faked no matter what you hear. Have
fun.

I am *NOT* naive. I worked in technical support for over a decade. I never
said it wasn't possible, I said - if you'd bothered to read my post
properly, that it was theft.

Now bugger off and take your political opinions with you!