XP Home on 2 computers

[Jon]

Hi

When I bought my computer from a major computer retailer it had XP Home
pre-installed and pre-activated on it using an OEM Product Code. Attached to
the back of my computer there is a second different product code on an XP
Home Certificate of Authenticity, which I believe to be my own personal one.
This product code (as far as I know) is currently unused. I was not supplied
with an XP Home CD but instead received a "Recovery disk", which is a ghost
image of the drive (and whose files are therefore readily extractable using
say Ghost Explorer). Reinstallation with the Recovery disk reinstalls
Windows XP using the OEM Product Code.

My first question is this. Were this computer to pack up (in terms of
hardware etc), could I legally transfer XP Home to another computer by
transfering the files from the recovery disk and then presumably reactivate
(since XP would presumably notice the hardware changes) using my personal
product code, or would this violate the EULA etc?

Secondly, given that I currently have a second unused product code - could
I currently use XP Home on a second computer using that personal product
code while continuing to use the computer with the OEM pre-installed XP
Home? ie do I effectively have 2 licenses for XP Home - the OEM one and my
own personal one?

Thanks

Jon

 

[Lorne Smith]

No to both your questions. You only have 1 license, and it's permanently
tied to your computer. The Product ID used to install XP is a key the
factory uses to install on 1000's of PC and cannot be used to reinstall XP,
but this is NOT your key. Your key is the one stuck on the side of your PC.

See www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm for all the fact's you need.

Lorne

 

[purplehaz]

You don't have an unused product code. The coa sticker on your case is the
product key that is tied to your windows xp and that oem computer. Sure the
oem used their product key to get it installed, but the legal key tied to
the license and the computer is the one on the case, thus it is being used.
You don't have two keys.
Also it is a violation of the eula to transfer an oem xp version to another
computer/motherboard. Oem version are tied to the original
computer/motherboard in which it was first installed on. This is one reason
why oem versions are cheaper.

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

No - your OEM product is tied to your OEM machine - if it dies so does you
license to use the product. OEM products are a "one time use" license and
non transferable.

The fact the OEM reactivated your install using their bulk key does not mean
you have an unused key/license. The key is not the license. The key you
have is for reinstating the OS should you need to. It is possible the OEM
recovery disk are an image but it may still require activation - you use
your key on the sticker to do that.
So you may not use another install of Windows XP on another machine.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Any transference of an OEM version of XP to another PC is illegal. No, you won't be able to use the second product code for any other PC. OEMs are sometimes 'non-knowing' - they will install XP with an 'X' XP CD that they have and then supply the end user with another Product Code that doesn't have any semblance to the installed version. It's about someone sorted this out.

If the OS 'packed up' you would have to contact your PC supplier.

 

[Jon]

Ok just to clarify the situation since i believe there are a couple of
misunderstandings

(1) Use of the Recovery Disk DOES reinstall Windows XP using the original
OEM Product Code. It also restores it to an activated state requiring no
further activation using my personal product code

(2) Secondly I have no intention of transferring the OEM installed version
to a second computer. My intention was to install XP on a second computer
using my own personal product code. Surely it's the OEM Product Code that is
tied to this computer and not my own personal product code?

Thanks for your speedy replies

Jon

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Also, the Recovery CD will not work correctly is used on a different PC than
the one it came with. The CD is an exact image of the PC with all the
drivers correctly configured for that motherboard/components. The XP
activation will need to be redone after and may fail.

Also, some manufacturers place special code in the recovery process so that
only the PC BIOS of the original PC can allow the recovery to complete
successfully.

The Certificate of Authenticity for this PC is an OEM version and will only
work with an OEM installation CD. You need to buy an PC from a computer
assembler/maker in order to get such a CD.

Y.

 

[Jon]

Ok well thanks for all your replies. I think I've got the message lol

It's all academic right now since this computer is working fine anyway, but
I was curious to know the legal postion on a potential future transfer. So
thanks for your comments

Jon

 

[Jon]

Very true but i wasn't envisaging using the recovery disk directly in the
second computer. I was thinking more of extracting the files from the Ghost
image (using say Ghost explorer) and then transferring the whole lot to the
new computer via CD and then reactivating using the unused product code.

Thanks for your reply

Jonathan

 

[purplehaz]

Ok just to clarify the situation since i believe there are a couple of
misunderstandings

(1) Use of the Recovery Disk DOES reinstall Windows XP using the original
OEM Product Code. It also restores it to an activated state requiring no
further activation using my personal product code

Correct, but your personal key(coa sticker) is the one tied to the xp
installation and computer, not the oem product key, even though the oem key
was used to install xp. This is just done so oems can install
hundreds/thousands of xps using a single master copy. The coa is what it's
tied too. Forget about what the oem used to get it installed, its
irrelavant.

(2) Secondly I have no intention of transferring the OEM installed version
to a second computer. My intention was to install XP on a second computer
using my own personal product code. Surely it's the OEM Product Code that is
tied to this computer and not my own personal product code?

Again, your personal product code(the coa sticker) is what is tied to the xp
install and computer. You bought that personal key, not the oem key they
used to install it with. You own your key, the oem owns their key. Once they
sell it to you, their key is un-tied from the computer/xp and your coa is
then tied to it. So you can't install xp again as you only have one key and
it's an oem key which according to the eula can't be used on any other
computer/xp install except the original one it was installed on, so it can't
be transfered either.

 

[Gary Tait]

Very true but i wasn't envisaging using the recovery disk directly in the
second computer. I was thinking more of extracting the files from the Ghost
image (using say Ghost explorer) and then transferring the whole lot to the
new computer via CD and then reactivating using the unused product code.

Thanks for your reply

Jonathan

Whose to say it isn't Ghost?

Anyway, you may have the XP OEM CD setup files on your HDD, you can
use to make an OEM setup CD, which MAY be able to be use to do a
straight OEM install.

I don't get where yo get the code on the COA is unused, that COA
(regardless of what product ID cose was used to install it), is the
license to the OS installed on your computer.

 

[Jon]

Thanks for your reply and for yours too Purplehaz

I suppose because it feels a bit like being licensed to use one set of
number plates for your car when in reality you drive around with a
completely different set and the one's you're licensed to use are just
rusting on the shelf.

Good point about the Ghost though

 

[purplehaz]

Think of it like using dealer license plates then. The dealer can put his
plates on and drive the car, but when he sells it to you you don't keep
using his plates. Bad analogy, I know, cause "his plates"(the oem product
key) are still technically on the computer, but your not using it, your now
using your "plates"/license.

 

[Jon]

Yes perhaps that is a better analogy

Well on that note folks I'll drive off into the sunset with my dealer plates
on and my personal licence plates stuck to the side of my car and bid you
all a fond good night.

Thanks again

Jon

 

[purplehaz]

LOL - have a good one.

 

[Alex Nichol]

When I bought my computer from a major computer retailer it had XP Home
pre-installed and pre-activated on it using an OEM Product Code. Attached to
the back of my computer there is a second different product code on an XP
Home Certificate of Authenticity, which I believe to be my own personal one.
This product code (as far as I know) is currently unused.

The one that was used for the original setup was one user by the maker
to make an 'image' that he could then copy to a whole batch of
machines. It is the one on the label on the back that relates to *your*
specific machine, and which you would have to use should you restore the
system. It is not a second code you could use on a different machine -
indeed in terms of the license for the machine it is as an OEM
installation solely for use with that machine, and it may not be
transferred at all, even if that one should pack up