reuse xp

[lalala]

I am building a new pc from scratch I have xp which was preinstalled on my old system is there any way of copying it off my old system burning it and installing it on my new pc I am trying to get out of shelling out an extra $150.Any help will be appreciated.

[bailey]

what is the old machine
did it come preinstalled
did it have a recover cd
will the hard drive ever be reused.
if it was preinstalled, probly not

[RayH]

Everything is a definite maybe. You probably have some UPGRADE rights. What kind of machine is it? Dells seem to prertty upgradeable. Others....

[glc]

Legally, you cannot reuse a preinstalled OEM XP on any other computer, it's licensed to only that computer. If it were retail or an upgrade, that's legally transferrable. Physically, it's not possible to do what you want unless you have the installation media and it's not bios keyed to a particular machine. If it's a restore CD, no way. If you have no media, not a chance in he-double-hockey-sticks.

Buy an OEM copy of XP, that's not $150 unless you want Pro. Home is around $90.

[edfair]

Whats the gray area, GLC? You've got to be able to replace the hard drive or the M/B, or the memory.
Haven't read the EULA for the latest OEM version, but MS has to give some wiggle room. Maybe a new case calls for a new license.

[glc]

You can certainly replace components, but you can't use it on a different machine. The OEM licensing requires the COA be affixed to the case.

[edfair]

This gets to the heart of one of my problems. I want to convert an IBM netvista from a desktop to a tower, retaining all the internals except the power supply. Everything critical fits.
At the end I have a netvista in a tower. What was legal 2 hours ago is now illegal and I am guilty of software piracy.
Just so happens that the OS is 98SE preloaded but the concept holds.
And MS wonders why people hate them.

[Confused]

This whole thing is so confusing that MS really needs some clear and easy to understand guidelines.

I have a OEM copy of XP and if I buy a new case and just move everything over it requires no activation and no one knows it happened except me.

If I have a HD failure and have to reload XP on a new drive I have to reactivate. If it has been less than 6 months since last activation I have to call MS for new code (It happened to me).

This activation thing is always going to be a gray area for the home builder like myself. I'm not going to buy a new copy of XP just because I want a new case.

Down the road if I decide to upgrade the mobo, HD, and video card and keep the same case I'm just going to load the copy I have onto the new drive. May not be entirely legal, but it is the same case.
Chas

[RayH]

How much you can upgrade before the XP says "tilt," I don't know. Sometimes, people circumvent local building permit laws by replacing decks a few boards at a time!

[glc]

Down the road if I decide to upgrade the mobo, HD, and video card and keep the same case I'm just going to load the copy I have onto the new drive. May not be entirely legal, but it is the same case.

That's totally legal, it will just require reactivation, unless you are using a restore CD that's keyed to the bios.

[Confused]

Well George as I stated I have a OEM copy of XP running on a PC I built. I did not attach the COA to case (truth is, I lost it). And if I want a new case, no one including MS knows I changed it as it doesn't require activation but if I read your earlier reply correctly I am in violation just for changing cases and nothing else.

This whole activation thing is very confusing. I understand why MS is doing it and have no problem with them trying to protect their product. I have no desire to try and run XP on more than one PC. We have two active PC's and I purchased two copies of XP.

I will give MS credit that so far the activation thing is pretty easy even when you have to call as I did in December. But we all know how things have a tendancy to change. If their income starts falling help desk people will be cut and the wait to activate will be longer. That will tee people off and hacking the activation will begin and those like myself will be caught between a rock and a hard place. No desire to break the law or steal product from someone but frustated because of activation on a legally paid for product.

I just feel with a little effort they could make it clear as to what is legal and what is not. Average home user does not understand legal documents as written by corporations like MS.

Chas

[glc]

Technically you are in violation for not putting the sticker on your case. I hope you wrote down your key somewhere.

In reality, you can move an unrestricted OEM XP from system to system as long as it's never installed on 2 systems at the same time, just like a retail copy, as long as you reactivate when necessary. It's the preloads that can't be moved, and they often lock it to the bios so you really can't.

[TtlRecall]

So I can install a retail version of XP on as many computers as I like as long as it's on only one computer at a time and I call Microsoft to reactivate, but I can't do this with the OEM version?

[glc]

Gray area again.

[andyms18a]

Originally posted by TtlRecall So I can install a retail version of XP on as many computers as I like as long as it's on only one computer at a time and I call Microsoft to reactivate, but I can't do this with the OEM version?

to comply with the OEM licencing if the copy of xp was sold with a piece of hardware it can be any hardware a ide cable a sound card to cdrom lead any thing as long as you take the hardware to the new computer its legal if the hardware brakes the replacement part is all so legal

but if you have a preinstalled operating system or a shop built one from one of the big stores then when the computer dies so dose the operating system as its not transferable as its licenced to the computer as a hole

[i486]

If it is locked to the bios, (deleted by moderator)

[andyms18a]

Originally posted by i486 If it is locked to the bios, (deleted by moderator).

this sort of post is not allowed on this web site

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Moderator comment:

Please use the "report this post to moderator function" instead of taking matters into your own hands. Thank you.

[RayH]

This becomes another reason most of us like to always build our own computers. Our OEMs are just total upgrades of an existing computer! We don't move it to another computer. We just completely upgrade! That is important!

[glc]

i486: This is an official warning. Read the forum FAQ.