Guest laura Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 I gave my stepmother an old computer. The computer originally had Windows 98 on it and upgraded it to XP Home addition. She recently passed away and we are disposing of the computer. This computer is actually older than my father's computer which has ME on it. Can I take my operating disks from the the computer that will be disposed of and install them on my Dad's computer which has Windows ME on it? The system was licensed to the old computer. If we can't do that, we probably will switch out the drives, but it will still be easier to upgrade my Dads than doing all the switching. When I upgraded the computer I gave to my mom, I put in a new hard drive. Because I had also replaced the monitor and the printer, we had a miserable time getting XP to be valid. We spent hours with Microsoft on the phone (It was free then). Will have this same problem if I try to upgrade my Dad's computer??? Remember . . .The other computer is too old to give away so we are getting rid of.
Guest Mike M Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Re: Ugrading from Windows ME to XP Laura, If the copy of XP was an OEM copy then legally it cannot be installed on another computer but given that you used the disks to upgrade a system running Win 98 then your copy of XP Home is in all likelihood a retail copy which is a good thing. You should be able to check this from reading what is written on the disks or packaging. Whilst OEM operating systems are tied to the computer on which they were first installed this is not the case for retail copies which are freely transferable between computers PROVIDE THAT only one PC is running the operating system at any one time. If, having installed XP, it does not activate when you attempt this on-line ring Microsoft (you should use the number offered when your activation fails) and explain that you are installing a retail copy of XP Home and that the PC on which it was originally installed has now been destroyed/broken up. Don't say sold or given away as that might suggest that it still has the operating system installed and could still be capable of working. -- Mike Maltby mike.maltby@gmail.com laura <laura@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > I gave my stepmother an old computer. The computer originally had > Windows 98 on it and upgraded it to XP Home addition. She recently > passed away and we are disposing of the computer. This computer is > actually older than my father's computer which has ME on it. > > Can I take my operating disks from the the computer that will be > disposed of and install them on my Dad's computer which has Windows > ME on it? The system was licensed to the old computer. > > If we can't do that, we probably will switch out the drives, but it > will still be easier to upgrade my Dads than doing all the switching. > > When I upgraded the computer I gave to my mom, I put in a new hard > drive. Because I had also replaced the monitor and the printer, we > had a miserable time getting XP to be valid. We spent hours with > Microsoft on the phone (It was free then). Will have this same > problem if I try to upgrade my Dad's computer??? > Remember . . .The other computer is too old to give away so we are > getting rid of.
Guest Ron Martell Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Re: Ugrading from Windows ME to XP laura <laura@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: >I gave my stepmother an old computer. The computer originally had Windows 98 >on it and upgraded it to XP Home addition. She recently passed away and we >are disposing of the computer. This computer is actually older than my >father's computer which has ME on it. > >Can I take my operating disks from the the computer that will be disposed of >and install them on my Dad's computer which has Windows ME on it? The system >was licensed to the old computer. > >If we can't do that, we probably will switch out the drives, but it will >still be easier to upgrade my Dads than doing all the switching. > >When I upgraded the computer I gave to my mom, I put in a new hard drive. >Because I had also replaced the monitor and the printer, we had a miserable >time getting XP to be valid. We spent hours with Microsoft on the phone (It >was free then). Will have this same problem if I try to upgrade my Dad's >computer??? >Remember . . .The other computer is too old to give away so we are getting >rid of. Mike has given you the information you need. To double check and ensure that the installed Windows XP is not an OEM open Control Panel - System and look at the 20 character product i.d. value shown as the last line in the "Registered to:" section. If the second segment (3 characters) of the product i.d. reads OEM then the installed XP is an OEM version and the OEM license restrictions apply. If the secod segment is numeric then the installed XP is not OEM (could be retail, volume license, academic etc etc). Good luck Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada -- Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008) On-Line Help Computer Service http://onlinehelp.bc.ca "Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never been in bed with a mosquito."
Recommended Posts