windows xp upgrade info

[adam]

I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?
Both of my other computers have windows preinstalled,
and only came with a backup disc containing specific
drivers (and windows) on one disc. Or can I just buy the
upgrade version of windows xp?

[purplehaz]

A recovery cd will not work as qualifing media for the xp upgrade cd, so
since you have no real win98 cd you will have to buy the full version of xp.
Or, you could get away with using the upgrade and just do an upgrade install
in which xp will see the exsiting win98, but once you do this you will never
be able to reinstall xp or format as your win98 would now be gone and you'd
have no qualifing media anymore.

adam wrote:
> I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
> one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
> home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
> another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?
> Both of my other computers have windows preinstalled,
> and only came with a backup disc containing specific
> drivers (and windows) on one disc. Or can I just buy the
> upgrade version of windows xp?

[R. C. White]

Hi, Adam.

The rule always has been one Windows license for one computer. Now, with
WinXP, Microsoft has found a way to enforce the rule that we all had to
agree to when installing Windows (the EULA, or End User License Agreement).
For the official word, see this page:
Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs, like e-Machines) buy Windows
licenses in bulk from Microsoft at special prices, as you might expect. The
OEM then customizes Windows to fit their own hardware. Microsoft can't
fully control this customization, so the OEM must agree to support Windows
as it is pre-installed on the OEM's hardware. Many OEMs customize these
pre-installed versions of Windows so heavily that a "retail" version of
Windows can't be used on their computer, or at least, not without voiding
the OEM's warranty. You must check with e-Machines to see whether they
promise that Windows XP can be installed on either of your computers. The
one with Win98 might not meet WinXP's more stringent hardware requirements.

If e-Machines will allow it, you should be able to either upgrade or clean
install WinXP on either computer. There is no difference between the
"upgrade" and "full" WinXP packages, except that the upgrade will check to
verify that you have a previous Windows version that qualifies for the lower
upgrade price. If a qualifying Windows is not already installed, WinXP
Setup will ask you to insert the original CD-ROM for a qualifying version
for verification before Setup will continue. I'm not sure if your
e-Machines backup CD will qualify. Again, this is something you should be
asking e-Machines.

Perhaps other e-Machines owners can offer more specific advice.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP

"adam" > wrote in message
...
> I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
> one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
> home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
> another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?
> Both of my other computers have windows preinstalled,
> and only came with a backup disc containing specific
> drivers (and windows) on one disc. Or can I just buy the
> upgrade version of windows xp?

[Ken Blake]

In ,
adam > typed:

> I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
> one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
> home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
> another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?


Yes, of course. The rule is quite clear. It's one copy (or one
license) for each computer.

There's nothing new here. This is exactly the same rule that's
been in effect on every version of Windows starting with Windows
3.1. The only thing new with XP is that there's now an
enforcement mechanism.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

[Steve C. Ray]

You will have to buy a new copy of XP. You can use the Upgrade version if
you own a qualifying Windows retail CD, such as Win 95, 98, or ME that is
not in use on any computer.. You can do a clean install with the XP Upgrade
CD by booting from the CD. You can't use the disks that came with your
E-Machines. You can also buy a OEM version of XP, which will do a clean
install only.

--
Steve C. Ray
Replace "mail" with "36db"
"adam" > wrote in message
...
> I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
> one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
> home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
> another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?
> Both of my other computers have windows preinstalled,
> and only came with a backup disc containing specific
> drivers (and windows) on one disc. Or can I just buy the
> upgrade version of windows xp?

[Gary Tait]

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:39:44 -0800, "adam"
> wrote:

>I have two computers at home. They are both e-machines and
>one is a windows 98 computer, and the other is a windows xp
>home edition computer. My question is; do I have to buy
>another copy of windows xp on a new computer I am building?

You have to buy a full (or possibly OEM, if you are willing to
live with the consequences of that choice) copy/licenses for the new
machine.

The OSes/licenses for your existing machines are only good for those
machines, and are not useable to install on any other machines, or
uiseable as qualifying spftware for upgrade OSes (the spirit of that
being the OS you are using for upgrde qualification belong to the PC
you are installing the upgrade OS onto.

> Both of my other computers have windows preinstalled,
>and only came with a backup disc containing specific
>drivers (and windows) on one disc. Or can I just buy the
>upgrade version of windows xp?

For those PCs, yes, but you will have to install the original OS
first, if you cannot make what the upgrade expects to see as the
original install CD.