Toronto Escorts

Dumb question about installing Windows OS on more then one puter?

TheNiteHwk

New member
Aug 22, 2001
6,060
0
0
68
Downtown Toronto
www.profile.to
When I bought my desktop computer I have at home three or four years ago it came with a Windows OS. I had a friend of mine come over to help me install it. As you all know when installing had to register my name etc. My question is this. I'm thinking of buying a new lap top. I noticed that some do not come with OS... they want you to buy that seperate. I still have the Windows OS CDs and I am thinking well I could just install on my new lap top. Is this doable and or leagl?


Oh also what about software? I have the complete MS package. Word, Outlook, etc...
 

papasmerf

New member
Oct 22, 2002
26,533
0
0
42.55.65N 78.43.73W
TheNiteHwk said:
When I bought my desktop computer I have at home three or four years ago it came with a Windows OS. I had a friend of mine come over to help me install it. As you all know when installing had to register my name etc. My question is this. I'm thinking of buying a new lap top. I noticed that some do not come with OS... they want you to buy that seperate. I still have the Windows OS CDs and I am thinking well I could just install on my new lap top. Is this doable and or leagl?


Oh also what about software? I have the complete MS package. Word, Outlook, etc...
if you were to trash the desk top it would be legal

Think of a software as a book

It can only be in one place at one time
 

Never Compromised

Hiding from Screw Worm
Feb 1, 2006
3,839
28
38
Langley
papasmerf said:
if you were to trash the desk top it would be legal

Think of a software as a book

It can only be in one place at one time
Not necessarily true. As long as the laptop and the desktop are not being used at the same time, it may be legal. Read the software agreement.
 

papasmerf

New member
Oct 22, 2002
26,533
0
0
42.55.65N 78.43.73W
Compromised said:
Not necessarily true. As long as the laptop and the desktop are not being used at the same time, it may be legal. Read the software agreement.
good point
 

twizzler2

Not Just Candy Anymore
Sep 17, 2005
734
0
0
Actually

If your desktop came with the OS pre-installed it's probably an OEM version of the OS and the license is not transferable. The other issue you may have ( if you're using windows XP) is that when you registered your system generated a unique number which includes identifiers for your chipset, product tag, MAC address of your network card...etc. The way the license works is that you are allowed to change a certain number of those devices without re-registering however changing the entire machine would certainly send trigger the need to do so. If that occurs you would have to call Microsoft to get them to accept the registration manually and it would be at that point that you will find out if you can transfer the license to a new machine.

If they allow you to transfer to a new machine they will delete the old one. and in 30 days or so the OS on your desktop machine will start warning you that you're license of XP is unregistered and will eventually stop working.

The model for licensing is much more complex than it used to be. Some companies still use the "book" approach, however in this case simply having it installed and available for use counts as a license.
 

tboy

resident smartass
Aug 18, 2001
15,972
0
0
63
way out in left field
I mean, really, if you're buying a reasonably new laptop why not just buy another copy of XP? The laptop is going to run you somewhere in the $1500.00 range and you can buy a legal copy of XP on ebay for $50.00 so why not?

BTW: you could probably get the store to throw in a copy of XP if you press them....I bet they only pay $30.00 a copy anyways and they may not want to lose a $1500.00 sale for $30.00.

BTW: you can install your original copy on another machine as long as you don't attach it to the internet.
 

tboy

resident smartass
Aug 18, 2001
15,972
0
0
63
way out in left field
Well, you have to watch your items and yes, you can pay more at times. I personally paid $62.00 and $68.00 CDN for my copy and they were unopened and came with their own key. (btw, when I said $50.00 I meant US as most items on ebay are listed as such).

As with anything else on ebay, you can get deals, and great deals, just have to wait and strike when the time is right.
 

Anynym

Just a bit to the right
Dec 28, 2005
2,961
6
38
The "magic" is in the so-called Certificate of Authenticity ("COA"). It's the little sticker which gets placed on the case of the computer, and contains the number used to register the OS. I'm no lawyer, but I suspect you'd have some pretty rough explaining to do if your registration doesn't match the sticker (or if your new machine didn't have a COA) - if your machine ever needed service, for example. A WinXP Home CD and COA is usually available from the vendor when you buy a new machine for about $120-140. Or you could use Linux ;)
 
Ashley Madison
Toronto Escorts