Re: XP repair install / EULA issue...

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Thanks for your response, ...much appreciated, ...I think ...... :-(

"Someone had to pay for that CD/product key though - otherwise, where'd you
get it?"

Not sure if you've slightly misconstrued my question ?
....it would have been bought, by me, with my money, ...of course ...how else
?! :-)
....and then charged to customer :-) ...where else would I get one ???

Not knowing, (and not being interested in, AND not having the time to read
up on), how an MS product code gets "embedded," into a specific Windows
installation), I simply wanted to know if it is functionally possible, and
legally acceptable, to "repair install" a pirate Windows installation, with
ONE THAT HAS BEEN BOUGHT. ...which really couldn't have been politely
interpreted, in any other way from my original post, ...thinking about it !

I work along these "lines," when, on the odd occasion, I get a machine with
pirate Windows in it. Back out any required user data | flatten the system
| sometimes zero fill the hard disk and | and reinstall from scratch,
....with a new, PREVIOUSLY UNUSED, UNACTIVATED, BOUGHT, BRAND SPANKING
NEEEEEEEW copy of Windows :-) ...sorry, didn't mean to shout.

To save a little time, compared to installing from scratch, and at the same
time clean up some possible security risks likely to be lurking "in there,"
(i.e. a repair install helps clean away many sins :-), ...I thought I'd ask
about over-installing, and what the implications are with the
license/product code, ...that was all ?

....in any event, I wouldn't fancy just changing the Product Code on one of
these, (relatively), rare babies, ...I wouldn't feel as though I'd done a
thorough job !

regards, Richard


"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uEmq$9cZIHA.984@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
RJK wrote:
I've tried to ask this question before, in here, and to be frank,
am still not clear on the issue.

e.g. a XP Home ed. system box has come in for repair, and whilst
Windows updating it, online, the "tan" coloured MS "Windows Genuine
Advantage" tool/window appears to alert that "this" is an "illegal"
or "pirate" copy of Windows. Of course one can cough up ones
credit card no. | license it online with MS | and do the "hotfix"
etc. (I've done that for other machines).

As a slightly cheaper alternative;
IF, I had, ready to hand, an unused/non-activated XP Home ed. OEM
SP2b or c - can I slap that in and do a "repair install" ? i.e. would
that
then produce a legal PC ? ...which would preserve motherboard and
other drivers etc.

If you had another UNUSED and GENERIC OEM license (Product key and all -
never been opened, never been installed on another PC) - you could do a
repair install (or possibly - and even easier - just change the Product
key to the new one form the CD/License combo you are referencing) and be
good to go...

Someone had to pay for that CD/product key though - otherwise, where'd you
get it?

If you do a Repair install - do this after:

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update,
from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after
you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
(Try it even if you did a clean, not repair, installation.)
(Try it even if you performed some sort of restore - not repair install.)

If you just want to try changing the product key to a legitimate one:

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



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