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Reuse Windows Product Key?

  • 03-02-2009 5:15pm
    #1
    annieobrien8
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭


    Hi guys

    I'm thinking of putting XP on my oldest computer. A friend has a broken laptop (will never be used again) which had xp on it and I can get the licence key for that. Would it be legal to use the old key on the computer, considering the laptop is dead and will not be used again?

    If it's not legal only because it was registered to a different person would it be legal if I used the licence key from my newer pc on the old one and changed that pc to vista??

    I'm fairly sure that both the laptop and newer computer came with OEM o/s pre-installed.

    I was looking at this thread but I think it just confused me even more than I already was!

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055341523&highlight=change+windows+registration+updates


    Any advice would be appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    annieobrien8
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭annieobrien8


    Just continued my reading on this topic and this article seems to say that no matter what an OEM licence cannot be transferred.

    As I said in the first post, I think that both machines have OEM but I don't know for sure about the laptop. Is there a way of finding out if a licence is OEM??


  • #3
    Stephen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    If the licence was sold with the computer (i.e. the product key is on a sticker on the PC) then its OEM. Strictly speaking, an OEM licence lives and dies with the computer it came with and is nontransferrable, except under warranty replacement type situations.

    That said, if you tried it it would probably work.


  • #4
    mp22
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 6,854 Mod ✭✭✭✭mp22


    buy the laptop for a nominal sum you should own latop and its os


  • #5
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    You never own XP unless you buy MS.

    An OEM licence on a laptop/PC generally isn't transferrable to another computer except in warrenty replacement. A retail licence is transferable.

    If the licence key doesn't work automatically, you ring MS. They ask some questions and if you have the right answers they give you a new key. Curiously this works at 3AM.


  • #6
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,438 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    mp22 wrote: »
    buy the laptop for a nominal sum you should own latop and its os
    you don't own software , you just get a license to use it subject to any and all terms the software owner insists on

    OEM is cheaper precisely because you can't re-use it


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