Windows XP License Question

qBot

I was thinking of getting a copy of windows xp.. Now the thing is, i know someone who got a copy of it with a machine he got from dell which he doesn't want. Is there anything in that license that states that i can't use it cause i didn't buy the hardware that it came with.

ColmOT [MSFT]

You can't use that version on your machine. Dell sold your mate an OEM version licence. He cannot legally sell that OEM version to you.

Secondly, your licence agreement is a licence to use the software, it's not a licence to own it.

Hope this helps,

Colm.

vibe666

if you have the oem cd and the licence is unused you will still be able to install it and use it, but you might have trouble getting it activated with M$.

the OEM licence doesn't differentiate between brands of PC's though, so you might be OK.

according to the EU Law. (1991 Computer Software Directive, Article 4 (c).) if the licence is unused it can be sold and used on a different system. there are plenty of people selling licences for XP on ebay, and nobody is stopping them, so I don't see a problem personally.

Hobart

ColmOT is correct, if the licence is infact an OEM licence. However you will have no trouble registering this with M$, even if previously activated. ring them up and they will supply a registration key. If you want to be fuly legit. Go to the M$ website and pay for an non-oem version.

K!LL!@N

You shouldn't have much bother installing an oem version on a different machine.
My mate had to format his machine, a Dell, and reinstall xp home.
All he had to do was call the number for microsoft that asked him to enter the code, then it called out an authentication code. Which he then took down incorrectly cos he was laughing too hard at the voice that was calling it out.
Anyway, he called back up the line again and it gave him another code, with no hassles.

Killian

qBot

Thanks,,

What i was looking 4 was a cheap way to get a legit copy of XP. So i don't think that option there anymore. I saw an oem version on kompett €102 http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?action=info&sku=108598&p=&t=443&l=2&AvdID=1&CatID=21&GrpID=5&cks=PRL
Whats the story with that then, it's still an oem, so what's the catch. I might take a look at ebay.

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Komplett can legally sell you an OEM license if you buy some hardware at the same time. Keep in mind, an IDE cable or a floppy drive is considered hardware so it will still work out cheaper than buying a full retail version but it also means you will get no support from Microsoft because you are esentially providing yourself with the software so you are expected to provide support for yourself if you get what I mean. But if you don't need support from Microsoft then by all means, buy a couple of rounded IDE cables and an OEM copy of XP from Komplett.

Also, if you are a student or teacher then look into Microsoft educational licenses... roughly the same if not cheaper than OEM licenses.

Capt'n Midnight

AFAIAA hardware means motherboard
you can't get way with a mouse. Also the OEM licence would be bound to the Hardware you bought.

RANT
M$'s licencing conditions are geting more stringent all the time. And because it's a LICENSE you have no rights under sale of goods act - it does not have to be of merchantable quality - they can put almost any conditions on it etc. And your entire refund (if any) is limited to just another CD ...
/RANT

Now WHY do you NEED XP ?
Unless you have new HW it ain't gonna be faster.
If you have a stable OS then no need to change ?
If you have old HW eg: winmodems, serial mice, some scanners then XP might not have the drivers.

joePC

You can't use that version on your machine

why is Microsoft gona kick down your door.......I think not.......

qBot

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
AFAIAA hardware means motherboard
you can't get way with a mouse. Also the OEM licence would be bound to the Hardware you bought.

RANT
M$'s licencing conditions are geting more stringent all the time. And because it's a LICENSE you have no rights under sale of goods act - it does not have to be of merchantable quality - they can put almost any conditions on it etc. And your entire refund (if any) is limited to just another CD ...
/RANT

Now WHY do you NEED XP ?
Unless you have new HW it ain't gonna be faster.
If you have a stable OS then no need to change ?
If you have old HW eg: winmodems, serial mice, some scanners then XP might not have the drivers.

I just like it. I built my machine myself so i got no version of windows packed with it. i ran linux solely for a year, i'm just simply sick of it. It's beautiful as a server, but awful as a desktop. XP is just simply a no hastle OS. and i just want to know how much it would cost to run windows. The next version isn't due out for another 2 years so i figure it would be a good investment.

Capt'n Midnight

Fair enough - another option is to pick up an OEM copy of 95/98 and upgrade it. Almost all Dell Dimensions sold had a copy of windows preinstalled (Linux wasn't an option back then and you can count the number of copies of windows returned on your fingers). So if you know of a machine being scrapped (so no one would be tempted to reuse the OEM ) then you could upgrade it's OS to a upgrade copy which can only be installed on one machine at a time.

If you can get the academic discount then that's the way to go - only if you have a recognised student card.

RANT
M$ have killed the competition, so very few buy sw off other vendors , the only way to increase market share is go to after those who don't buy off anyone. And given M$'s policy of ZERO copy protection with any software before '98 I hold them partialy responsible for all but encouraging ordinary users to pirate software. Now it's payback time. - look at what the RIAA are trying to do.
/RANT

qBot

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
Fair enough - another option is to pick up an OEM copy of 95/98 and upgrade it. Almost all Dell Dimensions sold had a copy of windows preinstalled (Linux wasn't an option back then and you can count the number of copies of windows returned on your fingers). So if you know of a machine being scrapped (so no one would be tempted to reuse the OEM ) then you could upgrade it's OS to a upgrade copy which can only be installed on one machine at a time.

If you can get the academic discount then that's the way to go - only if you have a recognised student card.

RANT
M$ have killed the competition, so very few buy sw off other vendors , the only way to increase market share is go to after those who don't buy off anyone. And given M$'s policy of ZERO copy protection with any software before '98 I hold them partialy responsible for all but encouraging ordinary users to pirate software. Now it's payback time. - look at what the RIAA are trying to do.
/RANT

Ya actually, i should have mentioned it earlier when
OrangeRhino said it but ya , i am a student... where can i pick a copy of xp up with a student discount and how much does it cost

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
AFAIAA hardware means motherboard
you can't get way with a mouse. Also the OEM licence would be bound to the Hardware you bought.

Any system-level component (i.e. motherboard, ram, PSU, cabling) makes the purchase of an OEM license valid and the license is in no way tied to the motherboard/whatever. It's just a run of the mill OEM license. Once he buys it he can install it on absolutely any machine he wants to and then when the installation is activated it will become "bound" to that hardware configuration (including 3 [8?] changes to non-motherboard/NIC pieces of hardware) through Mircosoft's activation system. Komplett doesn't sellotape the license and the motherboard/cable/whatever together so they can only be used with each other.

As I said, buy an OEM license with an IDE cable and throw the IDE cable somewhere in a box as a spare. Problem solved nice and legally. (Or, if possible, get an academic license as I said earlier.)

Capt'n, with all due respect (I only pop into this forum occassionally), surely someone so apparently anti-Microsoft / Windows would be better suited in a *nix or Mac forum? Why come in here trying to get someone who has already tried Linux to "try again" when they have already decided that Windows would be better suited to their current needs.

And Microsoft's licensing systems are set up to protect their property, that's how simple it is. They are not doing anything except protecting a product they have made. Set aside your feelings about the quality of that product and surely you can understand it is an entirely logical course of action for Microsoft to take.

Edit: Just saw your post. You can pick one up in almost any PC World / Compustore type place (as far as I can remember) as long as you have a valid student ID. I'll get you more concrete details tomorrow when I ask a teacher friend of mine where he got his academic copy of Office although I'm fairly sure PC World will sell you a copy provided you have current ID.

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by OrangeRhino
Capt'n, with all due respect (I only pop into this forum occassionally), surely someone so apparently anti-Microsoft / Windows would be better suited in a *nix or Mac forum?

Actually I'm more against the LICENCING CONDITIONS & Costs / Hobbling of HOME / PRO / SERVER compared to ENTERPRISE and the frequent changes in terms (cf. CAL's for terminal server 2003) and removal of Upgrade paths and Downgrade rights (Xp retail upgrade). (Veritas also due a bollocking for foisting 9 and 9.1 on people who liked 8.x) do Tax consultants like paying Tax ?

Why come in here trying to get someone who has already tried Linux to "try again" when they have already decided that Windows would be better suited to their current needs.

I was just pointing out that if the system was old might be better off with the current OS - which I took to be 98/XP- Certainly didn't mention www.knoppix.net

And Microsoft's licensing systems are set up to protect their property, that's how simple it is. They are not doing anything except protecting a product they have made. Set aside your feelings about the quality of that product and surely you can understand it is an entirely logical course of action for Microsoft to take.

I'll say it again - IMHO microsoft have made no effort to protect their product before 1998 - eg: there are about 150,000 valid serial numbers in the 01 phone directory - and as I posted I believe their next logical step now that they have protected thier product is to go after those with unlicensed copies of their software - hopefully they will wait for obsolesence rather than go for RIAA style bad publicity

They are not doing anything except protecting a product they have made.

There have been quite a few anti-trust cases on that particular issue.

Still can't find a link with eligable Hardware list on Microsofts site AFAIAA it's CPU / motherboard only. - If cables are allowed then what about jumpers or those little brass mounting posts ? "how much are dem little red washers each ?"
Then again these are the same people who have priced works + office standard upgrade cheaper than standalone Excel for most of the last decade. :rolleyes:

Colm has confirmed that the OEM was non transferrable - are you saying they could swap IDE cables and move the license that way - seeing as how it is unregistered ?? - if only it were so easy

BTW: I'm not arguing as to what is right, proper, fair or logical - it's really an interpertation of M$'s current licencing policy - and I belive that for one of the media players or service packs the license specifically states that the terms and conditions are the ones stated on their web not necessarily the ones you are looking at !

qBot

Originally posted by OrangeRhino
Just saw your post. You can pick one up in almost any PC World / Compustore type place (as far as I can remember) as long as you have a valid student ID. I'll get you more concrete details tomorrow when I ask a teacher friend of mine where he got his academic copy of Office although I'm fairly sure PC World will sell you a copy provided you have current ID.

I have a valid student card alright.. any word on how much a copy might set me back?

Joeface

u can get cheap license off www.buycheapsoftware.com

XP pro is $143 (120euro approx)

sceptre

Originally posted by Joeface
u can get cheap license off www.buycheapsoftware.com

XP pro is $143 (120euro approx)

That's an OEM licence. Which would bring us back to the start except that a student licence will still be cheaper.