Old PC just died, do we need to buy XP again?

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Hi folks,

The gf's Fujistu PC just croaked so its time for an upgrade :) Only thing is, it came with a restore CD and not a plain vanila XP CD. Does this mean that we'll need to buy another copy of XP even though we've got a legit one and its just the PC thats met it maker?

Thanks,

Rikki
 
I think if you were to get the Fujitsu PC repaired (the faulty components replaced) then you could continue to use the licence with it, even if the motherboard is replaced - OEM licences will transfer in the event of motherboard failure.

I'm not sure about the technicalities of this though, that is if you need to specifically send it back to Fujitsu - someone else will have to answer that.

If you build a fresh PC though, the licence will NOT transfer to the new PC. The only way to save it is to fix the old one. :)
 
I think if you were to get the Fujitsu PC repaired (the faulty components replaced) then you could continue to use the licence with it, even if the motherboard is replaced - OEM licences will transfer in the event of motherboard failure.

I'm not sure about the technicalities of this though, that is if you need to specifically send it back to Fujitsu - someone else will have to answer that.

If you build a fresh PC though, the licence will NOT transfer to the new PC. The only way to save it is to fix the old one. :)

^^ This is pretty much correct. If the PC motherboard dies then it must be repaired by FS for the licence to stay intact.

Burnsy
 
Hi folks,

The gf's Fujistu PC just croaked so its time for an upgrade :) Only thing is, it came with a restore CD and not a plain vanila XP CD. Does this mean that we'll need to buy another copy of XP even though we've got a legit one and its just the PC thats met it maker?

Thanks,

Rikki

You need to remember that you have never had a license for WinXP - rather the Fujitsu PC had a WinXP license assigned to it.
Had it been a full retail license (one you'd bought seperately) you would have been able to just move it to another machine.
Not so the case with the OEM one supplied by Fujitsu.
 
As well as all the above you'll probably find that the restore CD won't restore as it won't detect an FJ PC.
 
You cannot legally re-use an OEM key for another PC. the only version you can move between machines is a Retail one.

This is why it is generally cheaper to buy OEM software.
 
XP OEM could be transferred across motherboards. BUT the version that came with your PC is almost certainly tied to a Fujitsu bios/motherboard. So you are kind of hosed :-(

My suggestion just buy a new PC - most will come with a new OS and will be faster and cheaper than trying to repair an old PC.
 
legally, you can reinstall if you get that computer repaired. If you buy a new computer, then technically you'll need a new license. Although the chances are that they will activate it with out any hassle
 
I've moved XP licences from machine to machine to machine in the past with no activation problems. It's not a legal matter, it's a licensing deal between you and MS. If they detected from the activation that you'd moved it between motherboards then they could send the suits round & drag you through courts.

But as you've only broken a licence agreement it is rather unlikely.


Ps. All my XP / Vista stuff has been bought from shops and verified by Microsoft

PPs. My latest Vista DVD was bought from OcUK , it did a online validation then three days later it told me it was going to shutdown. I had to phone MS to get them to sort it out. The licence was pukka , the MS validation procedure was ****
 
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