Guest SDUSER Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition on an older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old registration before I can register my new version? If so what would that be?
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition SDUSER wrote: > Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition on an > older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't > registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old > registration before I can register my new version? If so what would that be? By your own admission, you have an OEM license for WinXP. An OEM version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a motherboard or hard rive, if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another computer under _any_ circumstances. You'll have to purchase a new WinXP license to go with the new computer. -- 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
Guest Alias Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition Bruce Chambers wrote: > SDUSER wrote: >> Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition >> on an older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I >> haven't registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my >> old registration before I can register my new version? If so what >> would that be? > > > By your own admission, you have an OEM license for WinXP. An OEM > version must be sold with a piece of hardware (normally a motherboard or > hard rive, if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_ bound to the first > PC on which it's installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not > legally transferable to another computer under _any_ circumstances. > > You'll have to purchase a new WinXP license to go with the new > computer. > > No, MS *wants* you buy it (and, apparently, you, too). If it's been over 120 days since the last activation/hardware replacement, one can install it on another computer, activate and become genuine. If and when MS grows the balls to take someone to court in every single country in the world, the EULA is just a worthless words. Alias
Guest Alias Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition SDUSER wrote: > Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition on an > older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't > registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old > registration before I can register my new version? If so what would that be? Your EULA says you can't move a generic OEM version of XP to a new computer you should buy a new copy of XP. In practice, if it's been over 120 days since your last activation or hardware change, you can activate on line and become genuine if you so desire. If you want to be sure you aren't violating the EULA, use a screw from the old computer and call the new computer an "upgraded" computer. There is no deactivation process so don't worry about that. Alias
Guest SDUSER Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 RE: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition When I said OEM I mispoke. It is an over the counter Windows XP Home Edition that I bought from an Office Depot store. When I said register I meant activate. "SDUSER" wrote: > Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition on an > older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't > registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old > registration before I can register my new version? If so what would that be?
Guest Daave Posted August 30, 2008 Posted August 30, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition That's much clearer. :-) Since it's impossible to "deactivate" Windows, formatting the hard drive on the old PC will suffice. "SDUSER" <SDUSER@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:B3485D7A-2CFB-44A6-B7E2-193D655B0C5D@microsoft.com... > When I said OEM I mispoke. It is an over the counter Windows XP Home > Edition > that I bought from an Office Depot store. When I said register I > meant > activate. > > "SDUSER" wrote: > >> Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition >> on an >> older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't >> registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old >> registration before I can register my new version? If so what would >> that be?
Guest Frank-FL Posted September 3, 2008 Posted September 3, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition "SDUSER" <SDUSER@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:87982352-FF76-455A-AC3F-4D59A56157AC@microsoft.com... > Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition on an > older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't > registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old > registration before I can register my new version? If so what would that be? Save your data. Write zeros to the drive. If it has been 120 days since last install with no hardware changes. It should activate.
Guest Clarebear Posted October 1, 2008 Posted October 1, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition Hi there, but if you re-format your old computer how does Microsoft know that you are no longer using the license on that old computer? I have two old computers that I want to get rid of and de-activate my bought copy of Win XP Pro on them and two new computers that I use now which have XP on them. So if I want to install XP on another computer of mine, either I just cant, (which is rediculous when I am dumping the old comps.), or ideally I would like to de-activate two licenses. Yeah fair enough having 4 licenses per copy of Windows - that is fine but not being able to de-activate it with Microsoft. So is that true that 120 days after the last install and activation of Windows that one can install another copy on another machine?? Cheers, Clare "Daave" wrote: > That's much clearer. :-) > > Since it's impossible to "deactivate" Windows, formatting the hard drive > on the old PC will suffice. > > > "SDUSER" <SDUSER@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:B3485D7A-2CFB-44A6-B7E2-193D655B0C5D@microsoft.com... > > When I said OEM I mispoke. It is an over the counter Windows XP Home > > Edition > > that I bought from an Office Depot store. When I said register I > > meant > > activate. > > > > "SDUSER" wrote: > > > >> Months ago I installed and registered my OEM Windows XP Home Edition > >> on an > >> older computer. I just installed it on my new computer but I haven't > >> registered it yet. Do I have to do anything to de-activate my old > >> registration before I can register my new version? If so what would > >> that be? > > >
Guest Alias Posted October 1, 2008 Posted October 1, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition Clarebear wrote: > > So is that true that 120 days after the last install and activation of > Windows that one can install another copy on another machine?? > > Cheers, > Clare Yes, it's true, although not the way you worded it. If it's been over 120 days since the last activation/hardware change, the activation slate will have been wiped clean and you can install a generic OEM copy of XP on any computer your little heart desires. It is against the EULA, however. Alias
Guest Daave Posted October 1, 2008 Posted October 1, 2008 Re: Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition Clarebear wrote: > but if you re-format your old computer how does Microsoft know that > you are no longer using the license on that old computer? It doesn't "know." Example: You build a PC from components. You install XP from a Retail XP CD you have. You build a second PC. You give the old PC to a friend but neglect to format the hard drive. As far as Microsoft is concerned, until you activate XP on your new PC, it is the old PC that has the license to run XP (the license associated with your CD's Product Key). The license doesn't transfer *officially* until you install it on the new PC and then activate. If the time frame is less than 120 days, you will need to phone Microsoft. It should be a brief call and you should then be official. It is at this point that Microsoft recognizes that the license has been transferred to another PC. Even if the old PC still has XP installed, as long as it isn't online, Microsoft won't know if it is running the same licensed Windows. It will only know if the user of that PC goes online and attempts to run Windows Update. And since you will have already transferred the license to your new PC, the owner of the old PC will get a message to the effect that the license he has is no longer valid. > I have two old computers that I want to get rid of and de-activate my > bought copy of Win XP Pro on them and two new computers that I use > now which have XP on them. They don't really get "deactivated." But it is a de facto deactivation once you transfer the licenses to the new PCs. Keep in mind that only Retail versions of licenses are transferrable according to the EULA > So if I want to install XP on another computer of mine, either I just > cant, (which is rediculous when I am dumping the old comps.), or > ideally I would like to de-activate two licenses. See above. > Yeah fair enough having 4 licenses per copy of Windows - that is fine > but not being able to de-activate it with Microsoft. You're too hung up on the idea of deactivation! > So is that true that 120 days after the last install and activation of > Windows that one can install another copy on another machine?? It's also true that this can be done before 120 days pass! After 120 days, it may activate automatically online. But keep in mind that you can always activate by phone.
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