Who Owns XP

Hi

I just purchased a computer with an XP identification sticker on it.. But no
copy of XP came with the computer. Can I legally install a copy of XP on
this computer...

thx


*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
*** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from http://www.SecureIX.com ***

 

Nothing boots when you turn it on?

 

By "XP Identification sticker" do you mean a Licence sticker with the
product (ie Home/Pro) and the 25 digit product key on it?

If this is the case, yes you will be legally able to install (that)
version of XP on it.

Mark

 

Assuming you mean a Certificate of Authentication, yes, this means you
are entitled to install Windows XP, using the numbers on the sticker.

 

Assuming the EULA wording has not changed since Windows 2000, you are
almost certainly incorrect. Machines with the sticker attached to the case
are almost always loaded with an OEM version of Windows that is machine
specific. The only valid reload is the recovery partition, recovery CD or
OEM Windows CD supplied with the machine. No CD? Then you go back to the
machine builder to get it reloaded. Any other course of action invalidates
the license. I've debated whether Microsoft care about this or not in
another post close to this one.

 

so there was NO version of XP on the hard disk then??


James

 

Be a pretty hard thing to miss wouldn't it?

 

It may be a second hand computer?

 

Yes the identification Sticker. with the code you need to install XP..

I bought a second hand computer to run linux on. I would like to sell
another computer and put both XP and the sticker on. Just want it all legal.
As I may be doing this to a number of computers..

*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
*** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from http://www.SecureIX.com ***

 

I doubt you can do that legally.

Usually, the license is specific to that machine - it cannot be
transferred to another machine by moving the sticker.

lan.

--

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

 

My understanding is an OEM version stays with the machine, retail
versions can be transferred.

Regards,
John.

 

Yes, but if the sticker is on that machine, it stands to reason that
that is the machine the license is tied to, therefore making it
entirely legitimate to install WinXP.

 

yes if it has a license sticker it is licensed
you may find your key doesnt work with all CDs though

 

If it is an OEM license this cannot legally be done. The OEM license is
bound to the original machine, and the sticker can't be removed legally,
or in one piece.

 

Don't take the sticker off, swap the cases.

 

This is incorrect, and we have sought formal confirmation of this from
Microsoft in the past.

Assuming the COA originally came with that computer (ie it is
non-transferable, so had to have originally come with that computer),
then that machine is licensed to run Windows XP. How you install it
(ie via recovery partition or third party CD) is totally irrelevant.

If you need a CD, you can order one directly from Microsoft for $50.
However, the media is secondary to the license - you can completely
legitimately use a mate's CD, if you have the COA. If it doesn't
activate, you can ring Microsoft, explain the situation, and they will
activate it for you.

 

That's been my experience with several machines in the last few weeks -
Microsoft have been perfectly understanding and had no problem
whatsoever in activating the software.

 

Do you have that in writing from Microsoft? It does appear to be contrary to
the EULA. If it's valid, that's good news.

 

What particular clause in the EULA states that you cannot install
Windows?

 

The OEM EULA clause that says you can't install any other version than the
one shipped with the system. I'll see if I still have the hardcopy...