JFK said:
Bruce,
I just used the link that Bob K. provided re obtaining my product key and
found that I have a 'volume' license. Here's what keyfinder says about my
license: "OPEN [Volume License Key] media Key". Does this mean I do not
have a 'retail' license?
A Volume License (VL) is the type most often purchased by
businesses, educational institutions, and/or government agencies that
need a large number (often hundreds, if not thousands) of installations.
It is often inaccurately referred to as the "Corporate Edition."
Usually, the purchaser of a VL gets one installation CD (although extras
can be acquired at additional cost) and permission to use the same
Product Key on as many individual computers as the number of licenses
purchased. These installations, by the way, do not require Product
Activation. Among the conditions that accompany a Volume License: the
purchaser must agree to be audited by Microsoft to ensure compliance,
the license can be used only on computers that are the property of said
purchaser, and if the licensee sells or otherwise disposes of the
computer(s) on which the VL is installed, that license must first be
removed. The absolute minimum number any given entity may purchase is
5, and additional licenses may be purchased, but always in increments
(multiples) of 5. More information is available here, if you're
interested and/or bored:
http://www.microsoft.com/LICENSING/default.mspx
So, you have neither an OEM license nor a standard retail license.
In the normal course of events, you should not be in possession of a
VL installation on your personal private property. Of course, not every
vendor follows the rules, so it's not overly unusual for unsuspecting
consumers to find themselves, through no real fault of their own, in
technical violation of a software license.
Does this mean to perform an 'upgrade' re my future
new mb/cpu/ram I will need to get access to the same type of 'volume license'
xp installation cd?
Product Keys are bound to the specific type and language of
CD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, or full) with which they are purchased.
So, if you expect to use the VL Product Key for the repair
installation, you would need to use a VL installation CD.
However, if you purchase and use a legitimate full retail copy of
WinXP Pro, you can use it to perform the repair (a.k.a. in-place
upgrade) installation, using the new CD and Product Key. And while I
haven't personally tested it, I believe that an unbranded, generic OEM
CD and Product Key should work for this purpose, as well. In effect,
you'd be replacing the VL installation with a legitimate retail/OEM
installation.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
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