OEM vs. original CDs - Win XP

PauloMN

First off, apologies if this is already covered in another thread.

I have 3 PCs, one a new aquisition and 2 older ones. 2 of them (incl. the new one) came with pre-installed XP Home and recovery CDs (ghost images) rather than original CDs. I have an original XP Pro CD also.

Now I basically want to put XP Pro on my new machine as it's the main PC now. I want XP Home on the other 2. Given that the 3 are valid licenses, and I've valid keys for each one, should I be able to get an XP Home install CD from MS free-of-charge? How does this work?

Any information would be great, thanks.

jaqian

Interesting idea. Let me know if it pans out. Sorry I couldn't help.

Capt'n Midnight

Bad news is that the OEM license is bound to the HW it was supplied with so you can't move OEM licenses. Also they do not provide support or media replacement for OEM stuff. That's why OEM is cheaper, that and the Faustian clauses re downgrading etc.

OEM CD's and images may be brand specific so it don't install on another brand it's very delibrate. BTW: after applying SP2 to my PC I had to borrow an SP2 CD to run \i386\winnt32 /cmdcons to get the recovery console installed :rolleyes:

From the EULA for XP OEM PRO - check yours .
looks like you can't use the OEM PRO license to use HOME or 95 or first edition 98.

the definition of computer is vague. computers originally referred to people who did maths all day - they computed sums and who knows if the COA applies to the case it was stuck to or the cpu or mother board ? - If anyone has a link to a microsoft.com web page that clearly states what defines a computer (not a forum/opinion page) I'll take a look

The term "COMPUTER" as used herein shall mean the HARDWARE, if
the HARDWARE is a single computer system, or shall mean the
computer system with which the HARDWARE operates, if the
HARDWARE is a computer system component.
...
The SOFTWARE is licensed with the COMPUTER as a single
integrated product and may only be used with the COMPUTER. If
the SOFTWARE is not accompanied by HARDWARE, you may not use
the SOFTWARE.
...
* Use of Previous Version Of Software. If the COA which
accompanies the HARDWARE identifies the SOFTWARE as Microsoft
Windows XP Professional SOFTWARE, then in lieu of installing
and using Microsoft Windows XP Professional SOFTWARE, you may
install, use, access, display and run the same language
version of ONE (1) of the following versions:
Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 2000 Professional,
Microsoft(r) Windows(r) NT Workstation version 4.0 or
Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 98 (Second Edition)
("Downgrade Software") on the COMPUTER
...
If you exercise the downgrade
rights granted herein, you may install, use, access, display
and run the Microsoft Windows XP Professional SOFTWARE,
provided (1) you remove the Downgrade Software from your hard
drive:

Cryos

PauloMN wrote:

First off, apologies if this is already covered in another thread.

I have 3 PCs, one a new aquisition and 2 older ones. 2 of them (incl. the new one) came with pre-installed XP Home and recovery CDs (ghost images) rather than original CDs. I have an original XP Pro CD also.

Now I basically want to put XP Pro on my new machine as it's the main PC now. I want XP Home on the other 2. Given that the 3 are valid licenses, and I've valid keys for each one, should I be able to get an XP Home install CD from MS free-of-charge? How does this work?

Any information would be great, thanks.

PauloMN,

As midnight has already pointed out the OS Recovery disk you refere to is hardware specific; im not sure what manufacturer your pc is but i work for hp and from what i know with working with the products i install you are not aloud put that copy of windows on another computer; basically a manufacturer signs a contract with microsoft for near unlimited licences and product keys technically (say for example this is an hp machine) HP own the Copy of windows you are running on your system and it is at hp's conviencence that they provide you a leased facility to use Windows XP Home/ Pro on your system.

As you technically dont own windows so you are not aloud to put it on a different computer; this was different back in the days of 95, 98 and ME where you acctually owned the disk also but as licencing changed to make it cheaper for manufacturers to get windows on their system you are these days only provided with a Recovery disk.

Capt'n Midnight

Blitz wrote:

As you technically dont own windows so you are not aloud to put it on a different computer; this was NOT different back in the days of 95, 98 and ME where you acctually owned the disk but not the software on it also but as licencing changed to make it cheaper for manufacturers to get windows on their system you are these days only provided with a Recovery disk.

Nope - Billl Gates biggest/main/only real innovation was to tie down the licencing, before then software & code was more freely shared. IIRC even older DOS/Windows had these restrictions too.

No customer has ever owned software sold by microsoft. Look up the whole story of how Microsoft BOUGHT QDOS from Seattle university and then sold the license to use it to IBM.

I love that bit Licencing changed to make it cheaper for manufacturers to get windows on their system LOL, microsoft lost court cases where it was charging customers a royalty on very machine sold regardless of whether their OS was on it or not. ( looking at Dell Prices for Linux desktops , that still happens , they aren't cheaper ! ) IMHO the license change was just another round of confusing the users. eg: Windows XP/2003 OEM license will allow you to use Windows NT, But Windows 2000 license doesn't.