Re: Putting previously purchased copy of XP on another laptop

"army25B" <melville74@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:fd95bd79-5e31-41d5-8f52-314732542bb2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hey all-

I am wanting to upgrade to a new laptop. The one I want has Vista on
it.

I have already purchased my own copy of XP home, which works great. I
have no desire to upgrade to Vista.

Whats the deal with registering with microsoft when I try to install
the copy of XP I am currently using on the new machine?

I know you have to register, and MS has some type of DRM that keeps
track of what machine its on. Don't know if its the SID or a hardware
footprint, ect. I would want to remove their entry as it pertains from
this laptop and be able to do a clean install on the new one. I would
only want to use the new laptop.

Anyone know if I can do this without having to purchase a new copy of
XP?

Thanks--

The issue is not registration. It is activation, and the two are quite different. Registration is a marketing and support information tool, activation is intended to limit installations to what's specified in the license agreement - one system install per license key.

All versions of Windows, except for Volume License versions, have been licensed this way. VL allows multiple installs using one key, to the limit specified by the Volume License purchased. This version starts at five installs.

Registration is entirely optional, and except for Volume License and some OEM versions, activation is not optional.

So, if you already have your copy of XP Home installed on another system, to install it on another system, you need to remove it from the first system.

If online activation doesn't work because the MS activation servers have the "old" system listed, you will need to call. On the activation dialog, you should be given an option to activate by phone, and given a toll-free number. This is quick and once you've told the activation staff that you have moved the license to the new system, you will be given a string of characters to type in, about 40 of them. Your system should then activate.

If you want to keep using your XP install on the previous system, you do need to purchase a second license. You can purchase a key only, but the savings aren't significant.

Finally and first, you must check that the laptop you want has XP drivers available for it. If they aren't, do not perform the downgrade, as you will likely just render the laptop unusable. Choose another laptop instead, one that has XP available already installed.

HTH
-pk

.

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