Registering previously installed Windows XP Home Edition

[Guest SDUSER]

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]

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

 

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[Guest Alias]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.