Will XP still work if I replace or reformat my pc?

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry

"JerryW" wrote in message

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry

For most OEM versions of WinXP, the only upgrade which will break WinXP is
upgrading the motherboard or BIOS. Other upgrades may (or may not) require
a phone call to activate. See
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/sec...t/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

If you mean by "any different from Home", are the licenses and activation
schemes for Pro and Home the same? yes they are. Pro is a superset of Home.

If you have to reformat your hard drive (clean install of XP Pro) you will
not have any issues.
If you want to replace the computer, you can move a retail copy of XP Pro by
installing it on the new computer and then removing it from the old
computer. However, if it is an OEM version then it is only licensed on the
old computer.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"JerryW" wrote in message
...
I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry

In ,
JerryW typed:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still
work?
- is it any different for XP Home?


It's the same for both XP Professional and Home. If XP comes with
the computer, you will presumably have an OEM license. An OEM
license has the restriction that once installed, it can never be
moved to another computer.

So you can't replace the PC and still use the same copy of XP on
the new one. You can reformat without a problem. You can upgrade
without a problem, but if you replace the motherboard with a
different one, Microsoft might consider that a new PC.

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

Currently, XP Pro is the latest version of the operating system available.
There is no upgrading from there as there is no upgrade to go to. If you
reformat you can install any operating system you want. If you replace the
PC, you will not have an operating system at all as it will go with the PC.
XP Pro is designed primarily for work in a networked or corporate
environment. It has advanced networking and security features for that
purpose.

"JerryW" wrote in message
...
I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

That used to be true, but it is no longer. OEM may not appear here even if
it is an OEM license.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Ron Martell" wrote in message
...
JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD. Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

"Hugh" wrote:

My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD. Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?


I said it could not be done *legitimately*, meaning totally in
compliance with the licensing agreement and the copyright laws and
other intellectual property rights matters underlying the licensing
agreement.

Please read the complete terms and conditions of the End User License
Agreement for your OEM version which you will find in the file
EULA.TXT in the \Windows\System32 folder on the computer that the OEM
version is installed on. You will find that the licence agreement
contains the following words, or wording equivalent to:

"The SOFTWARE is licensed with the HARDWARE as a single integrated
product and only be used with the HARDWARE."

By transferring the OEM version to a different computer you are in
non-compliance with this portion of the end-user license agreement and
therefore your doing so is not legitimate.

Hope this clarifies the situation.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

I admit to being thoroughly confused, especially as MS has approved every
transaction in this odyssey. The other computers are completely under my
control, and no duplicate of this OS exists.
What does this mean: " If the
SOFTWARE is not accompanied by new HARDWARE, you may
not use the SOFTWARE." This OS is currently installed in a computer
with completely new hardware, which seems to comply with the EULA (And MS
seems to agree, as they keep giving me new permissions to do this).
I find it hard to believe that I have to trash a $90.00 piece of software
when the computer reaches the end of its useful life.

* Software as a Component of the Computer - Transfer. THIS
LICENSE MAY NOT BE SHARED,
TRANSFERRED TO OR USED CONCURRENTLY
ON DIFFERENT COMPUTERS. The SOFTWARE
is licensed with the HARDWARE as a single integrated
product and may only be used with the HARDWARE. If the
SOFTWARE is not accompanied by new HARDWARE, you may
not use the SOFTWARE. You may permanently transfer all
of your rights under this EULA only as part of a
permanent sale or transfer of the HARDWARE, provided
you retain no copies, if you transfer all of the SOFTWARE
(including all component parts, the media and printed
materials, any upgrades, this EULA and the Certificate
of Authenticity), and the recipient agrees to the terms
of this EULA. If the SOFTWARE is an upgrade, any
transfer must also include all prior versions of the
SOFTWARE.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

Microsoft requires that OEM cd's be sold with hardware. That's why you see
OEM editions of Windows sold on eBay with some piece of hardware (without
warranty that the hardware works). Resellers sometimes provide a power cord
or uncertified memory module or IDE cable (yadda yadda yadda). The idea is
that the OEM cd has not been used to install Windows on any other computer
and that you are going to install it on a new computer that does not have an
operating system. Microsoft apparently acquiesces to this practice but does
not necessarily condone it. MS does not provide product support services
for OEM editions anyway, so your only recourse for support is the dealer who
sold you the cd and "hardware." In other words, you are on your own. Once
installed the OEM license is not valid if you remove the OS and install it
on another computer. As far as trashing a $90 piece of software, you have
already answered your question with the price. Since there is no such thing
as an OEM Upgrade cd, you would have to pay $199.00 (less any discounts) for
XP Home and $299.00 for Pro. That looks like you have gotten XP for half to
two-thirds off, so it appears to me you have paid a fair price, given the
restrictions.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
I admit to being thoroughly confused, especially as MS has approved every
transaction in this odyssey. The other computers are completely under my
control, and no duplicate of this OS exists.
What does this mean: " If the
SOFTWARE is not accompanied by new HARDWARE, you may
not use the SOFTWARE." This OS is currently installed in a computer
with completely new hardware, which seems to comply with the EULA (And MS
seems to agree, as they keep giving me new permissions to do this).
I find it hard to believe that I have to trash a $90.00 piece of software
when the computer reaches the end of its useful life.

* Software as a Component of the Computer - Transfer. THIS
LICENSE MAY NOT BE SHARED,
TRANSFERRED TO OR USED CONCURRENTLY
ON DIFFERENT COMPUTERS. The SOFTWARE
is licensed with the HARDWARE as a single integrated
product and may only be used with the HARDWARE. If the
SOFTWARE is not accompanied by new HARDWARE, you may
not use the SOFTWARE. You may permanently transfer all
of your rights under this EULA only as part of a
permanent sale or transfer of the HARDWARE, provided
you retain no copies, if you transfer all of the SOFTWARE
(including all component parts, the media and printed
materials, any upgrades, this EULA and the Certificate
of Authenticity), and the recipient agrees to the terms
of this EULA. If the SOFTWARE is an upgrade, any
transfer must also include all prior versions of the
SOFTWARE.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does
not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses
are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP
Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it
was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I
built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed
the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

Addendum: (I'd forgotten this part)
When I initially decided to upgrade the XP Home computer to XP Pro, I called
MS and asked how to do this legitimately. A nice lady told me to buy an OEM
version of XP Pro ($300.00) and then transfer the XP Home to the other
computer. This went exactly as advertised.
I don't understand the EULA, and I have a feeling no one else does either.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

Actually, I don't know what the XP home disk cost, as it came with the
original computer.
The XP Pro disk is not OEM: my error, it's the $300.00 version. (What's the
term for that?)

"Hugh" wrote:

Addendum: (I'd forgotten this part)
When I initially decided to upgrade the XP Home computer to XP Pro, I called
MS and asked how to do this legitimately. A nice lady told me to buy an OEM
version of XP Pro ($300.00) and then transfer the XP Home to the other
computer. This went exactly as advertised.
I don't understand the EULA, and I have a feeling no one else does either.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

An OEM version would not cost $300.00 anywhere I know about. That is full
msrp for a boxed retail XP Pro (full). Given that she meant to communicate
that you should buy a full retail Pro, she was right. If you had purchased
the upgrade edition, the licenses of both the installed Home and the upgrade
Pro would have been bound together. Only if you upgraded a retail Home with
a full edition of Pro would the Home license be unbound from the computer
and then you could transfer the license freely. Of course, if the Home was
itself OEM, the license is not tranferable anyway.

If you used the Pro cd to upgrade Home to Pro, then you were using a retail
Pro cd. An OEM cd won't do that. Of course, I understand that by 'upgrade'
you might mean that you 'moved up' by doing a clean install of Pro.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
Addendum: (I'd forgotten this part)
When I initially decided to upgrade the XP Home computer to XP Pro, I
called
MS and asked how to do this legitimately. A nice lady told me to buy an
OEM
version of XP Pro ($300.00) and then transfer the XP Home to the other
computer. This went exactly as advertised.
I don't understand the EULA, and I have a feeling no one else does either.

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

Ron is correct. While OEM cd's may vary, the OEM license does not. Just
because you can install some OEM cd's on a second or third computer does
not
mean that their licenses are any different. It just means the licenses
are
not as strongly enforced in software.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
"Hugh" wrote in message
...
My XP Home CD came with a Clone system from Computer Renaissance.
Both "OEM" and "Activate Windows" are present.
I upgraded the original PC to XP Pro, then installed the original XP
Home
OS
on an older PC I had lying around. Re-activation was required, and it
was
a
breeze.
I subsequently replaced the older PC with a completely new system I
built
about three weeks ago and installed XP Home from the original CD.
Activation
was required and went through with no problem.
I then installed the x64 Beta of XP Pro on the new system. Gave that up
after a few days because of driver issues , formatted and re-installed
the
original XP Home OS, no activation was required.
This sems to be at odds with what you are saying, " All OEM versions of
Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped."
Was I just lucky or is there something I'm missing here?

"Ron Martell" wrote:

JerryW wrote:

I am buying a new PC which will come with XP Pro (and its CD)

- if I upgrade, reformat or replace the PC, will XP Pro still work?
- is it any different for XP Home?

Please could someone either explain or provide a link to one

Many thanks

Jerry


If your Windows XP came bundled with the computer then it is almost
certainly an OEM version. You can check this by opening Control Panel
- System - General and looking at the Product I.D. value reported in
the last line of the "Registered to:" section. If the Product I.D.
contains the letters OEM rather than a 3 digit number in the second
segment then you have an OEM version of Windows XP.

If you have an OEM version of Windows XP then the next thing to check
is to see if yours is one of the "BIOS locked" OEM versions provided
by one of the major brand computer manufacturers. Use Start - All
Programs - Accessories - System Tools and see if there is a menu item
listed there for "Activate Windows". If there is no "Activate
Windows" item then yours is almost certainly a BIOS locked OEM
version. If the "Activate Windows" item is present on the System
Tools menu and if the Product I.D. contains the letters OEM then you
have what is termed a "Generic OEM" version which has some differences
from the BIOS locked versions.

All OEM versions of Windows XP (in fact all OEM versions of all
Microsoft software) are permanently tied to the first computer that
they are installed on. So you cannot legitimately transfer your OEM
license to another computer under any circumstances, even if the
original computer is lost, stolen, destroyed, or scrapped.

You can, however, upgrade the components in the computer (with some
exceptions) or replace failed components (again with exceptions) and
still use the OEM license on that machine. The exceptions to this are
with regard to BIOS locked versions. With the recent changes to the
activation process by Microsoft it is not permissible to upgrade the
motherboard on a computer with a BIOS locked OEM version of Windows
XP. The activation process will fail and Microsoft reportedly will
not do a manual activation in this circumstance. If such a system
were to suffer a motherboard failure and the replacement motherboard
was provided by the original manufacturer under warranty then a manual
activation will be done. But if the computer is out of warranty
and/or if this replacement motherboard is not from the original
manufacturer/assembler of the computer then it apparently will not.

Please note that this activation change is very recent and there is
very little in the way of "hands on" experience with it as yet. And
it may be subject to further changes if there are unintended adverse
consequences resulting from it.

Hope this is of some assistance.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."