reinstalling xp home

  • Thread starter Thread starter robert
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robert

Just bought a new computer. Can I take XP off my old
computer and put it on a new without licensing problems?
Any tips on how to smoothly navigate this?
 
Depends.

If the copy of XP that came with your old computer is an OEM version, it's
supposed to be non-transferable. (It may even be BIOS locked to install only
on the same make of PC.) If you have an OEM copy, you'll need to obtain a
new license. (You could get another OEM license if you bought it with the
new PC, but you'd have a similar problem at your next hardware replacement.
I'm unsure how it works with a generic OEM license; it should be possible to
do major upgrades, like CPU and hard drives, that would trigger activation,
but still should lie within the definition of keeping it on the original
system.)

If it's a retail version (upgrade or full), you can do it, no trouble. You
are supposed to remove it from the old machine, but there's no
de-activation procedure. If it has been more than 120 days since the
(retail) copy has been activated, you can activate it on the new machine,
like it was a new activation. If it has been less than 120 days, you'll
probably have to do a telephone activation, and explain to an MS rep what
you're doing. It's a 5 minute call.

HTH.

Bob Knowlden

Spam dodger may be in use. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
 
Under 30 days it's workable,but eventually you'll need
a new copy of xp,xp will not transfer.
Click to expand...


No, this isn't correct. It has nothing to do with 30 days. If
it's a retail copy, yes you can move it another computer whenever
you want to.

But if it's an OEM copy, you can't. The OEM version's license
permanently ties it to the first computer it's installed on.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

 
robert said:
Just bought a new computer. Can I take XP off my old
computer and put it on a new without licensing problems?
Any tips on how to smoothly navigate this?
Click to expand...

If it came *with* the old computer, (or with some hardware) as an 'OEM'
installation then it is licensed solely to that and may not be moved to
any other machine. If it was a retail copy, then you remove it from the
old and make a fresh install on the new. when it comes to activation,
you may find it will go through on the net anyway - if more than 120
days since you last did it certainly will. If not, you will have to
phone a toll-free number that will be given, to explain and swap one
long number for another to check back as you type it in
 
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