XP Home License

[Jeff K]

I bought an HP desktop with XP Home and Office XP
Professional. I also have an HP laptop....What is the
situation about License use. Am I able to use the disks
an upgrade my other computer?

If I do upgrade using the XP installation disk, does it
just change over the operating system ...or does it
reformat and load the XP ...so I'd lose all my files?

thanks in advance

 

[P Cost]

Not sure about Office but you can only have one install XP Home on one
machine per licensed copy owned. I have two comps as well and had to get two
copies of XP myself.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings

OEM licences are not transferable. The Windows licences allows you to
install Windows on one PC. A retail version of Office allows you to install
on one desktop and one laptop, but you have an OEM copy.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

As it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating systems, it's
necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and copyright laws,
if not technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on
which it is installed. The only way in which WinXP licensing differs
from that of earlier versions of Windows is that Microsoft has finally
added a copy protection and anti-theft mechanism, Product Activation,
to prevent (or at least make more difficult) multiple installations
using a single license.

Further, OEM versions are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on
which they are installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not
legally transferable to another computer under _any_ circumstances.


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

 

[Alex Nichol]

Not sure about Office but you can only have one install XP Home on one
machine per licensed copy owned. I have two comps as well and had to get two
copies of XP myself.

The position on Office is the same, where it was supplied OEM with a
machine, like this. For a retail copy Office (but *not* Windows) also
allows the owner of the main machine to install it on his personal
laptop

 

[Gary Tait]

I bought an HP desktop with XP Home and Office XP
Professional. I also have an HP laptop....What is the
situation about License use. Am I able to use the disks
an upgrade my other computer?

The License is one wholly separate one per machinne.
Since HP comes with restore discs (as opposed to an install disc), you
probably cannot use that to install the XP OS onto your laptop if you
were to resolve the licens per machine issue.

If I do upgrade using the XP installation disk, does it
just change over the operating system ...or does it
reformat and load the XP ...so I'd lose all my files?

Backup your files anyway. The upgrade you will buy and use will most
likely keep your files intact. You may have to install your apps
again.

 

[techie]

Greetings --

As it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating systems, it's
necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and copyright laws, if
not technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on
which it is installed. The only way in which WinXP licensing differs
from that of earlier versions of Windows is that Microsoft has finally
added a copy protection and anti-theft mechanism, Product Activation, to
prevent (or at least make more difficult) multiple installations using a
single license.

And it's just pure happenstance that the anti-theft mechanism is also an
anti-fair-use mechanism...

Further, OEM versions are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on
which they are installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not
legally transferable to another computer under _any_
circumstances.

Of course, there's always the question of just what constitutes "another
computer". More than once I've upgraded everything but the case and
thrown the old parts in a junk bin. Would this mean I also have to buy a
new copy of the OS that I've already paid for?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

If you believe that, feel free to take Microsoft to court; do what
the US Department of Justice and several states' Attorneys' General
knew better than to even try. But until you have the courage to put
your money where you mouth is, give up this tired old claim.

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