Switching Win Xp home on different comp?

ahmed5

ahmed5

ahmed5

Associate
Joined
2 Aug 2006
Posts
22
Hello,

I have an oem copy of windows xp w/ sp2. Today i was forced to reactivate due to a change in hardware. I'm thinking of selling my comp and buying a new one but i don't intend on buying a new win xp license. How do i go about switching the comp my windows is running on? Do i simply format my old and install on the new? I'm worried it won't work due to my recent reactivation.

Also, where do i find a FREE M$ helpline?

Thank you
 
Well the answer is simple really- you can't do it. The OEM license which you have is tied to the motherboard of the PC you currently have it installed on so that license dies with the PC and you will need a new license for you new PC. If you plan on upgrading again soon though, buy a retail license :)
 
You're probably best talking to burnsy2003 about this but the way I understand the retail license, you are allowed to remove it from one PC and install it onto another but you can't have it installed on more than one machine at any one time. Anyway, hopefully burnsy2003 will pop in and clarify that for you :)
 
again microsoft has found a way to screw us.

i would say that you could install xp on a different computer (not more than one, just move the licence sticker). if MS give you a hard time say that you've got the Licence sticker on the side of the PC and they have a legal obligation to activate the product.

if they wont activate it...there are other ways which are not allowed to be discussed on these forums.
 
Freakish_05 said:
i would say that you could install xp on a different computer (not more than one, just move the licence sticker).
Click to expand...

Only if you have a retail license- OEM licenses die with the machine they are installed on and that is that :)
 
Freakish_05 said:
So all of us who like upgrading our machines need to fork out extra cash????
Click to expand...

If you plan on changing the motherboard quite often then yes it would make sense to get the retail license because the OEM license dies when the motherboard is changed- you can change graphics, CPUs etc without a new license but not the mainboard :)
 
As Trigger has said - if you plan on replacing a lot of your machine during the lifetime of the OS then you are better off with the retail license over the OEM one.

The OEM license is tied to the machine it is first installed on, it cannot be transferred.
The Retail Full or retail upgrade license can be transferred any number of times between any number of machines so long as it is only ever installed on one machine at a time.

I'm really not sure where the poster above gets any idea that MS have any "Legal Obligation" to activate software.
At the end of the day it is their software and they can do what they like with it.
The agreement about not transferring an OEM license is part of the EULA you agreed to when you first installed the OS - not reading this is not a valid defence.

I am mainly talking about the legality of licenses here.
I'm sure someone will pop on here before long and tell you to call MS if you wish to transfer an OEM license and how it "Can be done".
All I'm telling you is what the license agreement actually says on the subject.

The retail upgrade version of WinXP Home (which can be installed on an empty HD in the same way that an OEM version can be) doesn't cost a great deal more and is 100x more flexible than the OEM license is.
 
Someone called?:p

I'll just confirm a lot that has been said here. An OEM license is tied to the PC itself. If you replace the motherboard, this is considered an intergral part of the machine and so is thought to change the system as a whole.

The retail license grants you one concurrent license. This means it can be transferred from one PC to another indefinetly, as long as you keep the other terms of the EULA. For this privalidge, it is more substantially expensive and so you must weight up flexibility vs cost.

stoofa said:
I'm really not sure where the poster above gets any idea that MS have any "Legal Obligation" to activate software.
At the end of the day it is their software and they can do what they like with it.
Click to expand...

When you buy the license, you are entering into a contract with Microsoft, where most terms are written in the EULA. As long as you keep to the terms of the EULA, MS do have a legal obligation to activate your product. If, however, you change motherboard for upgrade purposes, you forfiet this right. Although MS have plenty of control over their products, they can't do 'whatever they want'.


stoofa said:
The agreement about not transferring an OEM license is part of the EULA you agreed to when you first installed the OS - not reading this is not a valid defence.
Click to expand...

By installing the software, you are agreeing to the terms of the EULA, which are legally binding.

stoofa said:
I'm sure someone will pop on here before long and tell you to call MS if you wish to transfer an OEM license and how it "Can be done".
Click to expand...
Which, will quickly be deleted my a passsing Don. :)

Freakish_05 said:
again microsoft has found a way to screw us.

i would say that you could install xp on a different computer (not more than one, just move the licence sticker). if MS give you a hard time say that you've got the Licence sticker on the side of the PC and they have a legal obligation to activate the product.

if they wont activate it...there are other ways which are not allowed to be discussed on these forums.
Click to expand...

Microsoft aren't 'screwing' you. They have a licensing scheme (which, I believe is overpriced) which makes a lot of sense. You bought a license with certain restrictions and they are screwing you just because you can't do everything you want? That makes bad business sense.

And may I add, just becuase you aren't legal doesn't mean you can't activate. MS are very sloppy on this. But you will still be using unlicensed and therefore illegal software.

So, basically, I'm suggesting that you think about you licensing needs. If you are going to keep rebuilding your pc, then buy a retail license. If this is just a one off upgrade, buy another OEM license.

Burnsy
 
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