Guest beebeeslee Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for distribution only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not want to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. beebeeslee
Guest Gordon Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... > is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for > distribution > only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought > this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not > want > to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. > beebeeslee > > Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a) you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you cannot transfer it to another machine. Period. HTH
Guest dobey Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional "Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message news:OAHtZl3yHHA.1776@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... >> is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for >> distribution >> only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I >> bought >> this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not >> want >> to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. >> beebeeslee >> >> > > > Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a) > you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean > install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you > cannot transfer it to another machine. Period. > > HTH > Sounds like an upgrade edition, so he will need Win98 to as a qualifying product. I don't know about the OEM version, but my retail XP pro upgrade edition required me to put the Win98 disk in the drive during installation to verify that the machine qualified for an upgrade. Also there is a chance it will work with Win95. On the box it said the minimum requirement was Win98, but in the EULA, (during installation), it has Win95 listed as minimum requirement, (which I tried out of curiosity and it worked).
Guest John John Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional dobey wrote: > "Gordon" <gbplinux@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message > news:OAHtZl3yHHA.1776@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > >>"beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... >> >>>is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for >>>distribution >>>only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I >>>bought >>>this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not >>>want >>>to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. >>>beebeeslee >>> >>> >> >> >>Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a) >>you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean >>install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you >>cannot transfer it to another machine. Period. >> >>HTH >> > > > Sounds like an upgrade edition, so he will need Win98 to as a qualifying > product. > > I don't know about the OEM version, but my retail XP pro upgrade edition > required me to put the Win98 disk in the drive during installation to verify > that the machine qualified for an upgrade. > > Also there is a chance it will work with Win95. On the box it said the > minimum requirement was Win98, but in the EULA, (during installation), it > has Win95 listed as minimum requirement, (which I tried out of curiosity and > it worked). It isn't an upgrade version. All versions labeled "for distribution only with a new PC" are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) versions and as Gordon correctly stated those version can only be cleanly installed, they cannot be used to upgrade earlier Windows versions. John
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:43:46 GMT, "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote: > is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for distribution > only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought > this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not want > to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. Yes, but you can only install it cleanly, not as an upgrade. You have an OEM version, and OEM versions come with several disadvantages, the mot significant of which is that, once you install it, it can never legally be moved to another computer, not even if the original one dies. For that reason I recommend against OEM versions, and instead suggest the Retail Upgrade version, which usually costs only slightly more than the OEM version. Contrary to what many people think, the Upgrade version *can* do a clean installation, as long as you have a CD of a previous qualifying version to show it when prompted as proof of ownership. Most people have such a CD, but worst case, if you don't, you can buy a used copy of Windows 98 very inexpensively. If you can still return your OEM version, and get an Upgrade instead, that's what I recommend you do. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest Alias Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional Gordon wrote: > "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... >> is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for >> distribution >> only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought >> this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not >> want >> to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. >> beebeeslee >> >> > > > Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a) > you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean > install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you > cannot transfer it to another machine. Period. > > HTH > > False. If 120 days have past since the last activation, you can install it on another machine and it will activate on line and pass all the flavors of WGA with no problems. Now, what you should have said is that it's technically possible but it will violate the EULA. It's up to the OP to decide if violating MS' unconscionable EULA bothers him/her or not. Alias
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... > is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for > distribution > only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought > this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not > want > to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. > beebeeslee This is what's called an OEM release. Your *real* problem is not with the licensing, but with whether XP will work on hardware designed for Win98. That hardware may simply be inadeqate.
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Re: windows xp professional "beebeeslee" <u36019@uwe> wrote in message news:757e51152b4ff@uwe... > is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for > distribution > only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought > this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not > want > to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks. > beebeeslee That's what is called an OEM release, and one thing it can't do is upgrade your Win98 install. You have to either use another clean hard disk, or wipe the existing disk clean, losing all data in the process. A new 80 gig hard disk should be in the $50 range, but your w98 machine may have difficulties with this size. You must check. This actually makes things a little easier for you, because you won't have to figure out what exactly has to be uninstalled prior to loading XP - it ALL goes. There's no choice with the OEM format. The *real* practical problem, though, is less licensing than whether hardware intended for Win98 is even adequate for XP. On many XP CDs, there's a copy of the Upgrade Advisor (you can also download this). Run this, and it will tell you if the hardware will work with XP. This is extremely important, as there is hardware that *will not work* with XP at all, and that includes things like some video cards. Take the results seriously. You may find that new system prices have dropped significantly, and that you can get used or all-new, fast, compatible hardware for not a lot of money. As an example, I recently purchased for clients a number of 2.6 gHz Pentium 4 systems, 512 meg ram, 40 gig drives, with legal XP Pro licenses and restore CDs, for around $250 each. HTH -pk
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