Graham said:
What will happen if I install xp from my original -oem cd- onto a
second PC ? I now have a laptop and wish to change over , If i re-
install and have to get a new validation number from -ms-as the old
one has reached its limit of re-run's- for the laptop, what happens
to the original install on the original pc ?
Tnx - G ..
By your own admission, you have an OEM license for WinXP. An OEM
version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a motherboard or
hard rive, if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_ bound to the first
PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not
legally transferable to another computer under _any_ circumstances.
You need to purchase a separate WinXP license for each computer on
which you install it. (As long as you have multiple identical licenses,
it doesn't matter if you use the same CD for the installations, as long
as you use a different license each time.)
Just as it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating
systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and U.S.
copyright law
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/117.html), if not
technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on which it
is installed. (Consult an attorney versed in copyright law to determine
final applicability in your locale.) 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.
One can buy additional licenses, assuming one already has a retail
license. Naturally, Microsoft cannot sell additional OEM licenses. Be
aware, however, that you'll probably pay more this way than you would if
you were to buy a second copy of WinXP from a discount retailer;
Microsoft will only offer you a 15% discount off their MSRP.
Additional Licenses for Windows XP Home Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/addlic.asp
Additional Licenses for Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp
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Bruce Chambers
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