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Hi All,

I have ben offered a machine from a client who is closing shop and is
clearing out their desktops.

specs are good and so is price.

It was bought with a WinXP Pro OEM license and the CoA is firmly stuck
to the machine so all seems to be fine there (I know the vendor so I
am not concerned).

However, they have lost the original CDs that came with the machine.
They *think* it would have been a 'recovery' CD (one of the ones that
comes with eveything pre-installed in an image with the correct
drivers etc for the machine).

If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
machines as described above).

If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
machine I acquire, will it activate okay?

Thanks,

Alan.

--

The views expressed are my own, and not those of my employer or anyone
else associated with me.

My current valid email address is:



This is valid as is. It is not munged, or altered at all.

It will be valid for AT LEAST one month from the date of this post.

If you are trying to contact me after that time,
it MAY still be valid, but may also have been
deactivated due to spam. If so, and you want
to contact me by email, try searching for a
more recent post by me to find my current
email address.

The following is a (probably!) totally unique
and meaningless string of characters that you
can use to find posts by me in a search engine:

ewygchvboocno43vb674b6nq46tvb

Alan wrote:

> If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
> machine I acquire, will it activate okay?

Probably. My OEm CD (supplied with a box of bits I assembled into a
machine) will install with the CD key off Compaq desktop PC and IBM
Thinkpad COAs. However when it comes time to run thru activation you
end up having to phone MS and go sort it out the hard way, however they
happily do this.

--
EMB

Alan wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have ben offered a machine from a client who is closing shop and is
> clearing out their desktops.
>
> specs are good and so is price.
>
> It was bought with a WinXP Pro OEM license and the CoA is firmly stuck
> to the machine so all seems to be fine there (I know the vendor so I
> am not concerned).
>
> However, they have lost the original CDs that came with the machine.
> They *think* it would have been a 'recovery' CD (one of the ones that
> comes with eveything pre-installed in an image with the correct
> drivers etc for the machine).
>
> If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
> install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
> versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
> machines as described above).
>
> If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
> machine I acquire, will it activate okay?

I think so Alan (as long as the key and the CD are the same version, as in
XP, XPsp1 or XPsp2) but maybe one of the resident Microsoft emloyees will
give you a definitive answer. However, your timing may be bad with the
weekend upon us, I think they mainly post from work, (although Nathan has
been known to post from home).

Cheers,
--
~Shaun~

"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:NaoSf.6702$...
>
> Hi All,
>
> I have ben offered a machine from a client who is closing shop and is
> clearing out their desktops.
>
> specs are good and so is price.
>
> It was bought with a WinXP Pro OEM license and the CoA is firmly stuck to
> the machine so all seems to be fine there (I know the vendor so I am not
> concerned).
>
> However, they have lost the original CDs that came with the machine. They
> *think* it would have been a 'recovery' CD (one of the ones that comes
> with eveything pre-installed in an image with the correct drivers etc for
> the machine).
>
> If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to install
> from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade versions (plus
> some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their machines as described
> above).
>
> If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
> machine I acquire, will it activate okay?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan.
>
> --
>
> The views expressed are my own, and not those of my employer or anyone
> else associated with me.
>
> My current valid email address is:
>
>
>
> This is valid as is. It is not munged, or altered at all.
>
> It will be valid for AT LEAST one month from the date of this post.
>
> If you are trying to contact me after that time,
> it MAY still be valid, but may also have been
> deactivated due to spam. If so, and you want
> to contact me by email, try searching for a
> more recent post by me to find my current
> email address.
>
> The following is a (probably!) totally unique
> and meaningless string of characters that you
> can use to find posts by me in a search engine:
>
> ewygchvboocno43vb674b6nq46tvb
>
>
>
>

Been there, done that a number of times. The sticker proves a valid license
and where the media comes from to load the bits doesn't actually matter.

In article <NaoSf.6702$>,
"Alan" <> wrote:
>
>If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
>install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
>versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
>machines as described above).
>
>If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
>machine I acquire, will it activate okay?

Technically, it'll probably work to use an OEM "full" copy to reinstall.
Licensically, it's not allowed. The OEM EULA states that it is only valid
for the specific OEM image that was licensed to the vendor who built the
machine. Using any other image to reinstall invalidates the license. This
has traditionally been honoured in the breach, and Microsoft appear to have
turned a blind eye to it so long as the spirit of the license was met, if
not the letter. (In short, no problem if you're just fixing a mate's busted
machine, but could be a problem if you're clearing/reloading machines for
resale.)

I don't know if Microsoft can tell if such a reloaded XP machine is valid
for reactivation or not. Maybe someone here has tried it?

--
Don Hills (dmhills at attglobaldotnet) Wellington, New Zealand
"New interface closely resembles Presentation Manager,
preparing you for the wonders of OS/2!"
-- Advertisement on the box for Microsoft Windows 2.11 for 286

Don Hills wrote:
> In article <NaoSf.6702$>,
> "Alan" <> wrote:
>
>>If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
>>install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
>>versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
>>machines as described above).
>>
>>If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
>>machine I acquire, will it activate okay?
>
>
> Technically, it'll probably work to use an OEM "full" copy to reinstall.
> Licensically, it's not allowed. The OEM EULA states that it is only valid
> for the specific OEM image that was licensed to the vendor who built the
> machine. Using any other image to reinstall invalidates the license. This
> has traditionally been honoured in the breach, and Microsoft appear to have
> turned a blind eye to it so long as the spirit of the license was met, if
> not the letter. (In short, no problem if you're just fixing a mate's busted
> machine, but could be a problem if you're clearing/reloading machines for
> resale.)
>
> I don't know if Microsoft can tell if such a reloaded XP machine is valid
> for reactivation or not. Maybe someone here has tried it?
>
I've founhd that if you tell them exactly what you have done, and there
is a sticker stuck to the machine, they will validate it. I've never
been turned down on the phone for validation, and I haven't lied to them.

Thirsty wrote:
> "Alan" <> wrote in message
> news:NaoSf.6702$...
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>I have ben offered a machine from a client who is closing shop and is
>>clearing out their desktops.
>>
>>specs are good and so is price.
>>
>>It was bought with a WinXP Pro OEM license and the CoA is firmly stuck to
>>the machine so all seems to be fine there (I know the vendor so I am not
>>concerned).
>>
>>However, they have lost the original CDs that came with the machine. They
>>*think* it would have been a 'recovery' CD (one of the ones that comes
>>with eveything pre-installed in an image with the correct drivers etc for
>>the machine).
>>
>>If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to install
>>from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade versions (plus
>>some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their machines as described
>>above).
>>
>>If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
>>machine I acquire, will it activate okay?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Alan.
>>
>>--
>>
>>The views expressed are my own, and not those of my employer or anyone
>>else associated with me.
>>
>>My current valid email address is:
>>
>>
>>
>>This is valid as is. It is not munged, or altered at all.
>>
>>It will be valid for AT LEAST one month from the date of this post.
>>
>>If you are trying to contact me after that time,
>>it MAY still be valid, but may also have been
>>deactivated due to spam. If so, and you want
>>to contact me by email, try searching for a
>>more recent post by me to find my current
>>email address.
>>
>>The following is a (probably!) totally unique
>>and meaningless string of characters that you
>>can use to find posts by me in a search engine:
>>
>>ewygchvboocno43vb674b6nq46tvb
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> Been there, done that a number of times. The sticker proves a valid license
> and where the media comes from to load the bits doesn't actually matter.
>
>
Same here, if the sticker hasn't been used on another computer, you will
be ok for validation whatever disk you use.

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 20:37:02 +1300, Jerry <>
wrote:

>Don Hills wrote:
>> In article <NaoSf.6702$>,
>> "Alan" <> wrote:
>>
>>>If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
>>>install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
>>>versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
>>>machines as described above).
>>>
>>>If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
>>>machine I acquire, will it activate okay?
>>
>>
>> Technically, it'll probably work to use an OEM "full" copy to reinstall.
>> Licensically, it's not allowed. The OEM EULA states that it is only valid
>> for the specific OEM image that was licensed to the vendor who built the
>> machine. Using any other image to reinstall invalidates the license. This
>> has traditionally been honoured in the breach, and Microsoft appear to have
>> turned a blind eye to it so long as the spirit of the license was met, if
>> not the letter. (In short, no problem if you're just fixing a mate's busted
>> machine, but could be a problem if you're clearing/reloading machines for
>> resale.)
>>
>> I don't know if Microsoft can tell if such a reloaded XP machine is valid
>> for reactivation or not. Maybe someone here has tried it?
>>
>I've founhd that if you tell them exactly what you have done, and there
>is a sticker stuck to the machine, they will validate it. I've never
>been turned down on the phone for validation, and I haven't lied to them.

I've heard (but can someone confirm) that the 90 day evaluation CD's
of Windows are the full version but with a 90 day product key

A wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 20:37:02 +1300, Jerry <>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Don Hills wrote:
>>
>>>In article <NaoSf.6702$>,
>>>"Alan" <> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>If I buy the machine from him, can I use one of our XP Pro CDs to
>>>>install from? We have some OEM 'full' XP copies and also upgrade
>>>>versions (plus some OEM CDs that are probably specific to their
>>>>machines as described above).
>>>>
>>>>If I use one of our OEM 'full' CDs and use the Product Key from the
>>>>machine I acquire, will it activate okay?
>>>
>>>
>>>Technically, it'll probably work to use an OEM "full" copy to reinstall.
>>>Licensically, it's not allowed. The OEM EULA states that it is only valid
>>>for the specific OEM image that was licensed to the vendor who built the
>>>machine. Using any other image to reinstall invalidates the license. This
>>>has traditionally been honoured in the breach, and Microsoft appear to have
>>>turned a blind eye to it so long as the spirit of the license was met, if
>>>not the letter. (In short, no problem if you're just fixing a mate's busted
>>>machine, but could be a problem if you're clearing/reloading machines for
>>>resale.)
>>>
>>>I don't know if Microsoft can tell if such a reloaded XP machine is valid
>>>for reactivation or not. Maybe someone here has tried it?
>>>
>>
>>I've founhd that if you tell them exactly what you have done, and there
>>is a sticker stuck to the machine, they will validate it. I've never
>>been turned down on the phone for validation, and I haven't lied to them.
>
>
> I've heard (but can someone confirm) that the 90 day evaluation CD's
> of Windows are the full version but with a 90 day product key

I would imagine so. Back a few years ago, you could put the service
pack on

NT4 server evaluation, and it would become a full version. That hole has

long since been plugged though

In article <>, Jerry <> wrote:
>>
>Same here, if the sticker hasn't been used on another computer, you will
>be ok for validation whatever disk you use.

Thanks for the data point. I wonder what the response would be if you were
reloading several hundred old desktops prior to selling them off from your
business? The provision for Microsoft to refuse to reactivate does exist in
the EULA, even though they don't appear to enforce it.

--
Don Hills (dmhills at attglobaldotnet) Wellington, New Zealand
"New interface closely resembles Presentation Manager,
preparing you for the wonders of OS/2!"
-- Advertisement on the box for Microsoft Windows 2.11 for 286