Guest Juki Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register the CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? Or is this only for one computer?
Guest Gordon Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5DA03475-C324-49ED-BC1E-6EFA4339A447@microsoft.com... >I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register >the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? > > > Nope - ONE computer only.
Guest Gary S. Terhune Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers I doubt your desktop at home and your laptop use the same Product Key, not if they came pre-installed from the factory. I further doubt that the new CD will be unlocked by either of the Keys you now have. What's the matter with the PK that came with the new CD? Or isn't there one? If not, that copy isn't worth a hill of beans. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User http://www.grystmill.com "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5DA03475-C324-49ED-BC1E-6EFA4339A447@microsoft.com... >I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register >the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? > >
Guest Juki Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Gary S. Terhune" wrote: > I doubt your desktop at home and your laptop use the same Product Key, not > if they came pre-installed from the factory. I further doubt that the new CD > will be unlocked by either of the Keys you now have. What's the matter with > the PK that came with the new CD? Or isn't there one? If not, that copy > isn't worth a hill of beans. > > -- > Gary S. Terhune > MS-MVP Shell/User > http://www.grystmill.com > > "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:5DA03475-C324-49ED-BC1E-6EFA4339A447@microsoft.com... > >I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register > >the > > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > > Or is this only for one computer? > > > > > > > No it`s not that. I just bought a new copy of windows XP because the computers didn`t come with windows installed. Now i only want to know if i can use the same CD and key to install windows on the two computers or do i need to buy separate licenses?
Guest PA Bear Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers One CD/one machine. Period. -- ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User) AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org Juki wrote: > I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register > the CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at > home? Or is this only for one computer?
Guest Gordon Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:A4EEF607-10B2-4A0B-93D0-44A4AB0B1091@microsoft.com... >> >> No it`s not that. I just bought a new copy of windows XP because the >> computers didn`t come with windows installed. Now i only want to know if >> i can use the same CD and key to install windows on the two computers or >> do i need to buy separate licenses? > You can use the same CD on both machines but you need a separate Licence (Product Key) for each.
Guest Juki Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Gordon" wrote: > "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:A4EEF607-10B2-4A0B-93D0-44A4AB0B1091@microsoft.com... > >> > >> No it`s not that. I just bought a new copy of windows XP because the > >> computers didn`t come with windows installed. Now i only want to know if > >> i can use the same CD and key to install windows on the two computers or > >> do i need to buy separate licenses? > > > > You can use the same CD on both machines but you need a separate Licence > (Product Key) for each. > > > > Ok, thank you!
Guest Alias Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers PA Bear wrote: > One CD/one machine. Period. False. Period. One *Product Key* per machine. You can use the media on as many machines as you have product keys. One would think an MVP would know this ... Alias
Guest Gordon Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "PA Bear" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eyqTdpyvHHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > One CD/one machine. Period. Uhuh! One KEY per machine - you can use the same CD on as many machines as you like as long as you have a different key for each machine!
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5DA03475-C324-49ED-BC1E-6EFA4339A447@microsoft.com... >I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register >the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? With a couple of exceptions that don't apparently apply to you, it's one product key per machine. If the systems all use the same windows type (i.e., retail, OEM, upgrade, home, pro) you can use the same CD, but have to use different keys, or the later ones won't activate. So in your case you do need to buy two licenses for two machines. The exceptions are with mass-produced OEM versions, where you still will have a unique key on the system, and Volume License versions. Those allow installs with the same key and CD for as many licenses as you have purchased, starting at 5. HTH -pk
Guest Gary S. Terhune Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers A License is not a Product Key. Licenses are unique, Product Keys are not. There are Product Keys that work on hundreds of thousands or millions of PCs. -- Gary S. Terhune MS-MVP Shell/User http://www.grystmill.com "Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message news:unvAslyvHHA.4528@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:A4EEF607-10B2-4A0B-93D0-44A4AB0B1091@microsoft.com... >>> >>> No it`s not that. I just bought a new copy of windows XP because the >>> computers didn`t come with windows installed. Now i only want to know if >>> i can use the same CD and key to install windows on the two computers or >>> do i need to buy separate licenses? >> > > You can use the same CD on both machines but you need a separate Licence > (Product Key) for each. > > >
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers On Thu, 5 Jul 2007 09:04:00 -0700, Juki <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? No. 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 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. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted July 6, 2007 Posted July 6, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers Juki wrote: > I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? > > You need to purchase a separate WinXP license for each computer on which you install it. Just as it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and U.S. copyright law http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/117.html), if not technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on which it is installed. (Consult an attorney versed in copyright law to determine final applicability in your locale.) The only way in which WinXP licensing differs from that of earlier versions of Windows is that Microsoft has finally added a copy protection and anti-theft mechanism, Product Activation, to prevent (or at least make more difficult) multiple installations using a single license. One can buy additional licenses, assuming one already has a retail license. Naturally, Microsoft cannot sell additional OEM licenses. Be aware, however, that you'll probably pay more this way than you would if you were to buy a second copy of WinXP from a discount retailer; Microsoft will only offer you a 15% discount off their MSRP. Additional Licenses for Windows XP Home Edition http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/addlic.asp Additional Licenses for Windows XP Professional http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html 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
Guest Plato Posted July 6, 2007 Posted July 6, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers =?Utf-8?B?SnVraQ==?= wrote: > > I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? Best bet overall is to get a retail copy of XP for each PC you want to install it on. -- http://www.bootdisk.com/
Guest M.I.5¾ Posted July 6, 2007 Posted July 6, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers "Juki" <Juki@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5DA03475-C324-49ED-BC1E-6EFA4339A447@microsoft.com... >I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register >the > CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? > Or is this only for one computer? > You can only officially use one product key on one machine (there are exceptions such as volume licensing, but that is not applicable here). A work around is to install XP on your desktop machine and then wait 4 months before installing on you laptop. The activation drops off Microsoft's database after a period of time of around 120 days. They naturally don't publish (or admit) this.
Guest Alias Posted July 6, 2007 Posted July 6, 2007 Re: Useing one product key on two computers Plato wrote: > =?Utf-8?B?SnVraQ==?= wrote: >> I just bought a fresh copy of Windows XP Prof. Can I install and register the >> CD with the same product key on my laptop and stationary computer at home? >> Or is this only for one computer? > > Best bet overall is to get a retail copy of XP for each PC you want to > install it on. > The most expensive, anyway. The least expensive is a generic OEM version, followed by a retail upgrade. Alias
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