Guest naukki Posted July 29, 2008 Posted July 29, 2008 i have windows vista in my computer but i would like to change it to xp we have xp in our second computer. i have the xp cd but i don't have another product key. so my question is: were can i get new product key to the xp cd and is it free?
Guest Mike Hall - MVP Posted July 29, 2008 Posted July 29, 2008 Re: from vista to xp problem. "naukki" <naukki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F5D7DEB2-C0D3-4B5A-BFF6-273928802307@microsoft.com... >i have windows vista in my computer but i would like to change it to xp we > have xp in our second computer. i have the xp cd but i don't have another > product key. so my question is: were can i get new product key to the xp > cd > and is it free? The rule is one installation per key. You will have to purchase the version of XP that you want, and then do a clean install.. -- Mike Hall - MVP How to construct a good post.. http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups.. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc Mike's Window - My Blog.. http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted July 29, 2008 Posted July 29, 2008 Re: from vista to xp problem. On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:10:02 -0700, naukki <naukki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > i have windows vista in my computer but i would like to change it to xp we > have xp in our second computer. i have the xp cd but i don't have another > product key. so my question is: were can i get new product key to the xp cd > and is it free? It is certainly not free. The rule is quite clear. It's one copy (or one license) for each computer. There's nothing new here. This is exactly the same rule that's been in effect on every version of Windows starting at least with Windows 3.1. The only thing new with XP is that there's now an enforcement mechanism. If yours is a retail version, not an OEM one, you can buy extra licenses (see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp). But it's not generally a good deal. The problem is that Microsoft sells additional licenses at only a small savings over the list price. You're almost certainly better off just buying a complete second copy from a discount source. When you buy a copy, you have a choice of a generic OEM version, a Full Retail copy, or a Full Upgrade copy. I recommend against the OEM copy because it comes with the severe restriction that once installed in a computer, it can never be moved to another. I recommend the Upgrade (usually only slightly more expensive than the OEM version) over the Full version, because it's considerable less expensive, and despite what some people think, *can* do a clean installation as long as you own a CD of a previous qualifying version to show it as proof of ownership when prompted. Most people have a Windows 98 CD around, but worst case, if you don't, you can buy one inexpensively on eBay. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest DL Posted July 29, 2008 Posted July 29, 2008 Re: from vista to xp problem. And of course you would need to ensure your Vista PC's hardware supports winxp, not all do, and it may invalidate any warranty or support "naukki" <naukki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F5D7DEB2-C0D3-4B5A-BFF6-273928802307@microsoft.com... >i have windows vista in my computer but i would like to change it to xp we > have xp in our second computer. i have the xp cd but i don't have another > product key. so my question is: were can i get new product key to the xp > cd > and is it free?
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 Re: from vista to xp problem. naukki wrote: > i have windows vista in my computer but i would like to change it to xp we > have xp in our second computer. i have the xp cd but i don't have another > product key. so my question is: were can i get new product key ... By purchasing a new WinXP license. >... to the xp cd > and is it free? No, of course not. It's your computer, so the choice is, ultimately, yours. (Although it would have been a lot simpler to have just purchased a computer with WinXP installed, to start with.) However, there could be a couple possible adverse repercussions of which you should be aware. First and foremost, if the specific computer model in question was designed specifically for Vista, there may well be no WinXP-specific device drivers available to make the computer's diverse components work properly. Consult the computer's manufacturer about the availability of device drivers. Secondly, removing an OEM-installed operating system and replacing it with another will almost invariably void any and all support agreements and, sometimes, even the warranty. You would, at the very least, have to re-install Vista before getting any support from the manufacturer. Again, consult the computer's manufacturer for specifics. Thirdly, there may be the additional cost involved in purchasing a WinXP license for this new computer. After backing up any data you wish to transfer to the new OS installation, simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.) HOW TO Install Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941 http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm Then, assuming you were successful in obtaining WinXP-specific device drivers so that the computer can be made to work with WinXP, the backed up data can be restored and applications (those that are WinXP-compatible, that is) re-installed. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot
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