2 computers

[Khalil]

I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
install it on both computers with one licence?

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

No, you need a second license - same as any version of Windows. Previously,
it was hard to enforce, now there is product activation to enforce it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
> install it on both computers with one licence?

[Ken Blake]

In , Khalil wrote:

> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
> install it on both computers with one licence?


No. One copy (or one license) for each computer. This is the same
rule that's been in effect with *every* version of Windows. The
only thing new with XP is that there's now an enforcement
mechanism.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

[Khalil]

Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
>-----Original Message-----
>In , Khalil wrote:
>
>> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
>> install it on both computers with one licence?
>
>
>No. One copy (or one license) for each computer. This is
the same
>rule that's been in effect with *every* version of
Windows. The
>only thing new with XP is that there's now an enforcement
>mechanism.
>
>--
>Ken Blake
>Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>.
>

[Ken Blake]

In , Khalil wrote:

> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.


No, I won't tell you that. You are certainly allowed to reformat
and reinstall or to replace hardware. No new license is required,
neither with XP nor any previous version of Windows.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup



>> -----Original Message-----
>> In , Khalil wrote:
>>
>>> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
>>> install it on both computers with one licence?
>>
>>
>> No. One copy (or one license) for each computer. This is the
same
>> rule that's been in effect with *every* version of Windows.
The
>> only thing new with XP is that there's now an enforcement
>> mechanism.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>> .

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Reinstall, No, Upgrade as you deem necessary, and No.

"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
> >-----Original Message-----
> >In , Khalil wrote:
> >
> >> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
> >> install it on both computers with one licence?
> >
> >
> >No. One copy (or one license) for each computer. This is
> the same
> >rule that's been in effect with *every* version of
> Windows. The
> >only thing new with XP is that there's now an enforcement
> >mechanism.
> >
> >--
> >Ken Blake
> >Please reply to the newsgroup
> >
> >
> >.
> >

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Of course not. As it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft
operating systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the
EULA and copyright laws, if not technically) to purchase one WinXP
license for each computer on which it is installed. The only way in
which WinXP licensing differs from that of earlier versions of Windows
is that Microsoft has finally added a copy protection and anti-theft
mechanism, Product Activation, to prevent (or at least make more
difficult) the sort of multiple installations you're asking about.


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
> install it on both computers with one licence?

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Wherever did you get that idea? There's no limit to the number of
times you can activate the same WinXP license on the same PC.

Here are the facts pertaining to activation:

Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/

Windows Product Activation (WPA)
http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.

[Khalil]

So the software is registered to what exactly? I mean what
if my motherboard or any other hardware on my computer
gets fried and I need to replace it will that void my
windows xp?
>-----Original Message-----
>Greetings --
>
> Wherever did you get that idea? There's no limit to
the number of
>times you can activate the same WinXP license on the same
PC.
>
> Here are the facts pertaining to activation:
>
>Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
>http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/
>
>Windows Product Activation (WPA)
>http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm
>
>
>Bruce Chambers
>
>Help us help you:
>http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>----
>You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever
count on
>having both at once. -- RAH
>
>
>"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
>> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
>> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again?
Do
>> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
>> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell
me
>> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
>
>
>.
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

The OEM license, once installed, is bound to the entire PC, not
any single hardware component. When does an incrementally upgraded PC
cease to be the original PC? According to Microsoft, that decision is
left entirely to the OEM. It's the point at which the PC's
manufacturer says that the hardware changes you've made have voided
your warranty and support agreements. For many OEMs, the deciding
factor is the motherboard, so they design their OEM software so that
it will not install on any motherboard other than the one they
initially provided in the PC. If you built the PC yourself, and
installed a generic OEM version of WinXP, _you_ get to decide when
it's no longer the same computer.

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> Ok just so I know since mine is an OEM what part of the
> hardware I cannot upgrade? What is the OEM tied to? Is it
> tied to my motherboard?
> >-----Original Message-----
> >In , Khalil wrote:
> >
> >> So the software is registered to what exactly? I mean
> what
> >> if my motherboard or any other hardware on my computer
> >> gets fried and I need to replace it will that void my
> >> windows xp?
> >
> >
> >No, you can replace anything you need or want to, even
> the entire
> >computer. Your copy of XP (if it's a retail one) remeins
> valid.
> >
> >The only exception is if you have an OEM version of
> Windows. The
> >license for the OEM version ties it permanently to the
> first
> >computer it's installed on. So you can not replace an
> entire
> >computer and move an OEM copy to the replacement.
> >
> >--
> >Ken Blake
> >Please reply to the newsgroup
> >
> >
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> Greetings --
> >>>
> >>> Wherever did you get that idea? There's no limit
> to the
> >number of
> >>> times you can activate the same WinXP license on the
> same PC.
> >>>
> >>> Here are the facts pertaining to activation:
> >>>
> >>> Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
> >>> http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/
> >>>
> >>> Windows Product Activation (WPA)
> >>> http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Bruce Chambers
> >>>
> >>> Help us help you:
> >>> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> >>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> >>> ----
> >>> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't
> ever
> >count on
> >>> having both at once. -- RAH
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> "Khalil" > wrote in message
> >>> ...
> >>>> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my
> hard
> >>>> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP
> again? Do
> >>>> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade
> my
> >>>> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont
> tell me
> >>>> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> .
> >
> >
> >.
> >

[Donald Link]

NO, NO, NO, no way!!!!! Legally!!!! and if you have to ask this question
you would not know how to do it illegally.






"Khalil" > wrote in message
...
> I own 2 computers and I bought MS XP Home edition, can I
> install it on both computers with one licence?

[Ken Blake]

In , Khalil wrote:

> Ok just so I know since mine is an OEM what part of the
> hardware I cannot upgrade? What is the OEM tied to? Is it
> tied to my motherboard?


This, unfortunately, is an exceedingly gray area. As far as I
know, Microsoft has never made this clear. I think you could
legitimately argue that that since the requirement is for the
Product key to be attached to the case, that as long as you kept
that case, with the key, it's the same computer. Or you could
view it that as long as you kept *some* part of the old computer,
it's the same computer.

My guess is that this is a can of worms that Microsoft doesn't
even want to begin to get into, and they're content to leave it
as a gray area.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup




>> -----Original Message-----
>> In , Khalil wrote:
>>
>>> So the software is registered to what exactly? I mean what
>>> if my motherboard or any other hardware on my computer
>>> gets fried and I need to replace it will that void my
>>> windows xp?
>>
>>
>> No, you can replace anything you need or want to, even the
entire
>> computer. Your copy of XP (if it's a retail one) remeins
valid.
>>
>> The only exception is if you have an OEM version of Windows.
The
>> license for the OEM version ties it permanently to the first
>> computer it's installed on. So you can not replace an entire
>> computer and move an OEM copy to the replacement.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> Greetings --
>>>>
>>>> Wherever did you get that idea? There's no limit to the
number
>>>> of times you can activate the same WinXP license on the same
PC.
>>>>
>>>> Here are the facts pertaining to activation:
>>>>
>>>> Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/
>>>>
>>>> Windows Product Activation (WPA)
>>>> http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bruce Chambers
>>>>
>>>> Help us help you:
>>>> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>>>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>>>> ----
>>>> You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever
count on
>>>> having both at once. -- RAH
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Khalil" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
>>>>> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
>>>>> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
>>>>> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
>>>>> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> .
>>
>>
>> .

[Roy Smith]

Khalil wrote:

> Ok what happens one if one day I decide to formt my hard
> drive and want to reinstall the same windows XP again? Do
> I have to go out and buy a new one? What if I upgrade my
> Hard drive and get a newer bigger one? Please dont tell me
> I have to go out and buy a new license each time.
>

No you don't. You can reinstall XP onto the same PC as many times as
you like. You can even make a certain number of hardware changes using
the same license without having to call Microsoft. Now if you do make a
large number of hardware changes, you'll then be directed to call a toll
free number to get XP activated again.