Windows Key

kleefarr

Is the key married to the CD?

My dad has his key written down in his notebook but doesn't know where the CD is. :rolleyes:

Can I use a another CD and use his key?

All of this a week before I go out to upgrade his PC.

seamus

Technically....no, it's not locked to the CD. It's a licence to use the software. However it doesn't provide a right to duplicate the CD.

Using a friends CD to install the software and your own key to activate it is fine though afaik.

Mr. Presentable

Seamus is correct. The key is in effect a license to use the software - it doesn't have any link with a particular CD, though later versions of windows keys are linked to the PC ...

RobbieMc

The key code is normally written on a label on your computer.
This code is meant to be for your PC and no one else.
If you try to use a code from another PC you MAY run into issues when you go to register with Microsoft.


But to answer your question, no it is not specific to one CD.

But be VERY careful,



Piracy is a crime against corporations who make stupid amounts of money for buggy software that requires hours of online time to update and takes up gigabytes of hard drive space.Just look at Windows Vista, enough said.

kleefarr

seamus wrote: »

Technically....no, it's not locked to the CD. It's a licence to use the software. However it doesn't provide a right to duplicate the CD.

Using a friends CD to install the software and your own key to activate it is fine though afaik.

Great. That's just what I plan on doing if we can't find it when I get there.

Thanks.

And thanks to the rest of you who replied as well. Want to keep everything above board and won't be doing any dodgy stuff.

dr.bollocko

I was under the impression, and as far as I know I was mistaken but never checked up, that the key is allowed to be used for at least two other PCs?
I put XP on my laptop using my old desktop key and registered it with microsoft and didnt have any problems.

kaimera

Piracy is a crime against corporations who make stupid amounts of money for buggy software that requires hours of online time to update and takes up gigabytes of hard drive space.Just look at Windows Vista, enough said

Not a thread about vista tbh.

You'll be fine using a diff cd; the key is all ya need to keep

kleefarr

RobbieMc wrote: »

But be VERY careful,
.

He has the key that he paid for and is registered in his name, what do I have to be careful about?

Boom_Bap

Its generally a licence key for one software installation. There are certain conditions that exist with every licence distributed and really depends on the licence type.

It's not something that is policed much by MS, only if there are extreme levels of duplication of keys.

But, i have heard rumours that some people have been caught out by having automatic updates enabled and there is key checks on certain patch updates.

BOOM

seamus

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I was under the impression, and as far as I know I was mistaken but never checked up, that the key is allowed to be used for at least two other PCs?

No. For XP, it depends on the licence.
An OEM key can be used on one specific machine only. If the machine dies, the key dies.
A retail key can be installed once on any desktop (or multi-user) PC and once on a single-user laptop. If more than one person uses the laptop, you're in breach of the key conditions.
A corporate licence provides one licence key for use on multiple machines. Normally big companies are given a single license key and can purchase licences for as many PCs as they need.

Boom_Bap wrote: »

But, i have heard rumours that some people have been caught out by having automatic updates enabled and there is key checks on certain patch updates.

There are key "checks", but no information is sent to Microsoft, because that would be legally dodgy at best. So if you're trying to install Internet Explorer 7 or a non-security patch, it'll fail saying that your key is invalid. That's all. Microsoft don't get a big flashing popup telling them that you're using an invalid key.

RobbieMc

kleefarr wrote: »

He has the key that he paid for and is registered in his name, what do I have to be careful about?

Rabbit hunting seaon......what else?

RobbieMc

kaimera wrote: »

Not a thread about vista tbh.

You'll be fine using a diff cd; the key is all ya need to keep

What is Vista NOT a version of the Windows family?

RobbieMc

seamus wrote: »

No. For XP, it depends on the licence.
An OEM key can be used on one specific machine only. If the machine dies, the key dies..

Not true..... If the machine dies the key can still be used again and again and again....;)

RobbieMc

seamus wrote: »

There are key "checks", but no information is sent to Microsoft, because that would be legally dodgy at best. So if you're trying to install Internet Explorer 7 or a non-security patch, it'll fail saying that your key is invalid. That's all. Microsoft don't get a big flashing popup telling them that you're using an invalid key.

But, when you try to activate the product key you may find it will fail, so ring MS on the free number,press to speak to a rep and answer the standard questions.
1) Is this the only machine that this copy of windows is installed on ?
2) What are your reasons for activating your copy of windows today?

Etc,Etc

Standard on the screen questions, normally you can say you were infected with a virus and needed to reformat, that seems to work fine.

seamus

RobbieMc wrote: »

But, when you try to activate the product key you may find it will fail, so ring MS on the free number,press to speak to a rep and answer the standard questions.
1) Is this the only machine that this copy of windows is installed on ?
2) What are your reasons for activating your copy of windows today?

Totally different situation. The machine is "activated", but you can't install updates because your key is invalid. Believe it or not, MS have a record of all the keys they've ever issued, so they know when one has been generated or stolen. In this case you need to get a new key to install updates.

kaimera

RobbieMc wrote: »

What is Vista NOT a version of the Windows family?

pointless dig at vista for no reason at the end of your post was helpful how?

RobbieMc

seamus wrote: »

Totally different situation. The machine is "activated", but you can't install updates because your key is invalid. Believe it or not, MS have a record of all the keys they've ever issued, so they know when one has been generated or stolen. In this case you need to get a new key to install updates.

But, you had to register your key first to actiavte your windows, so how can you then have an invalid code when you update??????

dr.bollocko

The man hates vista.
Let him vent.
He's helping.

RobbieMc

kaimera wrote: »

pointless dig at vista for no reason at the end of your post was helpful how?

Okay, change that to Just Windows... in general after installing a fresh windows on a new machine, you then spend the next while installing ALL the updates that are needed to Secure you new fresh windows install.

Not pointless as such, just had to do a Vista install from scratch, took it's sweet time, then it needed to down load and install 56 " vital" updates from Microsoft.

BKtje

Not true..... If the machine dies the key can still be used again and again and again....

I'm afraid you are mistaken.
http://windows.about.com/od/buyupgrade/f/vista_oem.htm
http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=4004

RobbieMc

dr.bollocko wrote: »

The man hates vista.
Let him vent.
He's helping.

No, I don't "Hate" vista, I NEED Vista cause all my new games "Run better" or "only run on " Vista.

The Devil you know and all that.

If I want to play the like's of age of conan or Halo 2, Vista is the man... So say Microsoft.

RobbieMc

B-K-DzR wrote: »

I'm afraid you are mistaken.
http://windows.about.com/od/buyupgrade/f/vista_oem.htm
http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=4004

Ahhh, yes. But I never said Vista in that post. XP however is another matter.

seamus

RobbieMc wrote: »

But, you had to register your key first to actiavte your windows, so how can you then have an invalid code when you update??????

A few ways:
Because the key may have been fine for activation, but it was subsequently marked by MS as "stolen".
Or in the case of a keygen, most people with generated keys use activations cracks to get past the need to activate the software.
Or in the case of a corporate install, the software only requires a valid corporate key, it doesn't activate. So if you generate a VLK and use a VLK CD, there is no activation requirement.

Jonathan

RobbieMc wrote: »

Not true..... If the machine dies the key can still be used again and again and again....;)

No.. OEM is licenced to the motherboard. What are you talking about? Piracy? :rolleyes:

RobbieMc

jmccrohan wrote: »

No.. OEM is licenced to the motherboard. What are you talking about? Piracy? :rolleyes:

Guys and girls and others,

We have gone so far OT here, so I think it's time to get back on OT.

What say ye all?

RobbieMc

jmccrohan wrote: »

No.. OEM is licenced to the motherboard. What are you talking about? Piracy? :rolleyes:

Oh gone on then, I just have to answer this last one.

AHHH, NO it's not licenced to the mainboard, if that was the case everytime you had a warranty repair to any PC you would have to get a new code.
Total BS, no really it is.

Jonathan

RobbieMc wrote: »

Okay, change that to Just Windows... in general after installing a fresh windows on a new machine, you then spend the next while installing ALL the updates that are needed to Secure you new fresh windows install.

Not pointless as such, just had to do a Vista install from scratch, took it's sweet time, then it needed to down load and install 56 " vital" updates from Microsoft.

That is only because Microsoft releases 2-3 service packs over the course of an os (3-4 years). Ubuntu on the otherhand releases new versions every 6 months. I'm sure you would be complaining at reinstalling ubuntu every 6 months too. Some people are never happy.

RobbieMc

jmccrohan wrote: »

That is only because Microsoft releases 2-3 service packs over the course of an os (3-4 years). Ubuntu on the otherhand releases new versions every 6 months. I'm sure you would be complaining at reinstalling ubuntu every 6 months too. Some people are never happy.

Ubuntu, now thers a sweet little easy to install OS, Ahh yes, Linux, another of my favourite things to install and setup.

Who said I wasn't happy. I'm the happiest guy I know. At least right now I am.

Now, were did I put my meds????

Jonathan

RobbieMc wrote: »

Oh gone on then, I just have to answer this last one.

AHHH, NO it's not licenced to the mainboard, if that was the case everytime you had a warranty repair to any PC you would have to get a new code.
Total BS, no really it is.

No. You can technically clone it to an identical model pc. But that is not the issue here.

You can change the motherboard to an identical one as many times as you like.. Hence it doesnt matter whether your motherboard breaks or not..

RobbieMc

jmccrohan wrote: »

No. You can technically clone it to an identical model pc. But that is not the issue here.

You can change the motherboard to an identical one as many times as you like.. Hence it doesnt matter whether your motherboard breaks or not..

Yeah, but were talking about the licence key here. I have been using the same CD from my original machine now for the past feww years. It came with my Compaq Presario 5000 laptop I had from new. Laptop died ages ago, but I have since changed to a desktop, upgraded mainboard and hard drive's and graphics and each time I would always start with my OEM, windows XP cd and code from the Compaq.

Never had any issues with " sorry sir, but your mainboard is not the one you bought so you can't use this code...."
:P

kleefarr

:eek: What have I started? :eek:

RobbieMc wrote:

Rabbit hunting seaon......what else?

Rabbit hunting season eh?