1 xp disc, 2 keys

[anonymous-user]

hi

i used to have 2 win xp home oem disks and corresponding product keys
ive lost one of the discs but still have both keys on their stickers
will the same install disc work with both keys for 2 seperate installs?

cheers



ps this is absolutely not dodgy, both were genuine discs and unique keys, neither machine exists in any form any more.

Edited by fbrs on Monday 10th December 22:50

[joewilliams]

fbrs said:

ps this is absolutely not dodgy, both were genuine discs and unique keys, neither machine exists in any form any more.

Strictly speaking, OEM licences apply to one machine. Once that machine ceases to exist, so does the licence.

However, as long as the version is the same (Home/Pro, service pack level, etc), then both keys should work with the disk.

[anonymous-user]

joewilliams said:

Strictly speaking, OEM licences apply to one machine. Once that machine ceases to exist, so does the licence.

However, as long as the version is the same (Home/Pro, service pack level, etc), then both keys should work with the disk.

great answer thanks joe. yep both xp home oem pre SP1

raises an insteresting question... one of the machines is dead and binned the other has had new psu, cd/dvd, memory, graphics card and hdd...so at the moment its the same upgraded machine BUT its now going to get new m/b and cpu - if i change the case, nothing is left of the original machine - at what point is the license invalid?

cheers

francis

Edited by fbrs on Monday 10th December 23:35

[joewilliams]

fbrs said:

raises an insteresting question... one of the machines is dead and binned the other has had new psu, cd/dvd, memory, graphics card and hdd...so at the moment its the same upgraded machine BUT its now going to get new m/b and cpu - if i change the case, nothing is left of the original machine - at what point is the license invalid?

I forget... I believe that MS sees the motherboard as the heart of the PC, if that is replaced for any reason other than hardware failure than a new licence is required.

[anonymous-user]

it definately failed. as i was removing it it accidently brutaly snapped itself in half

thx joe

[tank slapper]

joewilliams said:

fbrs said:

raises an insteresting question... one of the machines is dead and binned the other has had new psu, cd/dvd, memory, graphics card and hdd...so at the moment its the same upgraded machine BUT its now going to get new m/b and cpu - if i change the case, nothing is left of the original machine - at what point is the license invalid?

I forget... I believe that MS sees the motherboard as the heart of the PC, if that is replaced for any reason other than hardware failure than a new licence is required.

That isn't the case - the product activation does use a hardware checksum to determine what has changed on the machine, and if too much differs it requires reactivating. There should be no problem doing this, especially if you have the disk and original licence. It would otherwise make a new OS necessary if you were to upgrade the PC.

Sometimes you have to ring them up, but I have never had a problem activating a machine after substantial upgrades - effectively a new machine. Another machine I sorted had been 'fixed' by some cowboy, who when reinstalling the OS used a pirate licence key instead of using the one stuck to the machine. This subsequently threw up problems with WGA, so I used a tool to reset the key to the proper one, and had to phone up. They took my word for it that the particular licence in question was not installed on another machine and activated it straight away.

They do claim in the licence terms that you can't sell the OS on, but good luck to them enforcing that.

[joewilliams]

tank slapper said:

joewilliams said:

fbrs said:

raises an insteresting question... one of the machines is dead and binned the other has had new psu, cd/dvd, memory, graphics card and hdd...so at the moment its the same upgraded machine BUT its now going to get new m/b and cpu - if i change the case, nothing is left of the original machine - at what point is the license invalid?

I forget... I believe that MS sees the motherboard as the heart of the PC, if that is replaced for any reason other than hardware failure than a new licence is required.

That isn't the case - the product activation does use a hardware checksum to determine what has changed on the machine, and if too much differs it requires reactivating. There should be no problem doing this, especially if you have the disk and original licence. It would otherwise make a new OS necessary if you were to upgrade the PC.

Sometimes you have to ring them up, but I have never had a problem activating a machine after substantial upgrades - effectively a new machine. Another machine I sorted had been 'fixed' by some cowboy, who when reinstalling the OS used a pirate licence key instead of using the one stuck to the machine. This subsequently threw up problems with WGA, so I used a tool to reset the key to the proper one, and had to phone up. They took my word for it that the particular licence in question was not installed on another machine and activated it straight away.

They do claim in the licence terms that you can't sell the OS on, but good luck to them enforcing that.

Well, there's a world of difference between the licence terms, the requirements of the activation wizard, and what you can get past the phone activation monkeys

[tank slapper]

joewilliams said:

Well, there's a world of difference between the licence terms, the requirements of the activation wizard, and what you can get past the phone activation monkeys

It's a bit like the broom that's had 3 new heads and 4 new handles isn't it. It is the 'same' computer, even though its constituent parts may well have changed completely over time. What they don't like is you taking an existing copy and then re-using it on a different machine. As you say, practically they can do nothing about it.

[LordGrover]

I suppose different OEMs use different methods, but reinstalling XP on Dell machines with the OEM CD I've never been asked to enter a key - it must validate with MS update but I never notice it. OEM MS Office however is a different matter - once I've reinstalled it on the same machine three or four times it won't validate online - a call to MS is required.

[malman]

tank slapper said:

It would otherwise make a new OS necessary if you were to upgrade the PC.

If its an OEM install then correct, if you replace the motherboard thats exactly what they say you have to do.

OEM lives and dies with the original machine. OEM can only be sold with a new or refurbished PC no more here have a mouse and a copy of XP\vista

Boxed product you can move from machine to machine and re-activate possibly by having to call MS. Very unlikely to get refused unless you have changed your machine about 50 times in the last 6 months