Anyone Vista user that doesn't use their XP License?

[Net]

i lost my XP Pro CD and didn't want to have to buy another copy since i already did that in the past.

is there anyone out there that has a spare license that i can have. maybe someone that uses vista and has no need for it anymore?

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: net

i lost my XP Pro CD and didn't want to have to buy another copy since i already did that in the past.

is there anyone out there that has a spare license that i can have. maybe someone that uses vista and has no need for it anymore?

Just use Vista - No arguement not to .

 

[QuixoticOne]

I should've bought one of those $19 vista home basic licenses back when they were very temporarily on sale. I could use an XP / vista license to repair my relative's laptop since a virus ate its OS and there is no available reinstall media / key for it (lost over the years apparently).

If you don't do much any modern gaming, don't own a really recent version of high end software like photoshop / MS Office, aren't married to Outlook and Internet Explorer, it might not be a bad time to check out if LINUX and occasionally WINE (the built in Windows emulator so you can run a lot of simpler/older Windows programs under LINUX for free) works for your needs. I'm thinking about switching him over to it since all he really needs is email / web / office applications and those are all very decent / free with LINUX.

It is a bit silly that they license the OS (Windows) to you, but won't freely (or close to it) replace it if there is a problem with the disc / key / whatever. Most any video game you've ever in the past bought on STEAM can be instantly downloaded on whatever PC you want to run it on as long as you have your password to login to your STEAM account, no discs ever needed. I don't see why they couldn't do that with Microsoft OSs. AOL et. al. was always just giving away / mailing out free AOL install discs by the millions... now with Microsoft it is a giant pain just to get a service pack integrated install disc or 64 bit boot disc or replacement for a lost disc / key. Talk about antedeluvian customer service compared to the modern times.

 

[Net]

i really don't want to use vista. we have it at school and i really don't like the layout. i don't feel "at home" when i use it.

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: net

i really don't want to use vista. we have it at school and i really don't like the layout. i don't feel "at home" when i use it.

Get with it then 🙂

I have some home licenses of XP but not pro.

 

[RebateMonger]

The only XP Pro licenses that could be "legally" transferred are either sealed OEM packages or retail-box packages where the owner didn't use the XP installation as part of an upgrade to Vista. Either package is worth over $100 on eBay.

 

[nerp]

I'm confused -- if you only lost your media, why would you need another license? Media can be replaced for a nominal charge or you can use a backup image if you're so inclined to burn an XP disc. Although it's technically not legal to distribute windows discs over the internet, a lot of people have done it and are in fact legit users. And MS really cares about people being properly licensed, first and foremost.

 

[sourceninja]

I've burned people cd's in the past when they lost their cd. Their key was plastered to the side of their PC, so i knew they had a legit copy. I've gotten no less then 25 requests for copys of windows in the last 6 months. I simply refuse. If they are hell bent on MS, I say let them pay the fee to get a new cd or buy a new license.

I also no longer honor support requests for windows by friends and family. In fact I've convinced my mom that I don't even know how windows works because i'm a linux/mac user 🙂. I just hope she never visits me at work.

 

[Net]

I'm confused -- if you only lost your media, why would you need another license?

i guess your right. i just need the cd. i thought that the key would be tied to the cd? but if not i have my license just need a cd to reinstall.

 

[QuixoticOne]

Yeah if it was a retail / upgrade copy you just need the CD and you can use your existing key to activate it.

Unfortunately most people are rather screwed in the situation below instead.

If it is OEM factory installed, you may never GET a CD, or may have great difficulty in getting a replacement CD, or if you do have a CD you may find that it is hopelessly obsolete / full of crapware not a "real" XP install disc, can't be slipstreamed with SP3, and you'll find that you can't use any OTHER (real normal XP install) CD (e.g. a retail/OEM XP + SP3 CD) to install and activate from using your key even though you're licensed for the OS.

Basically people with OEM / preinstalled Windows are usually just victims and are getting massively screwed by the whole install media / CD fiasco. You ought to be able to use any Microsoft XP CD to install XP (without crapware) and then activate with your existing key,
and then pull any hardware specific drivers / utilities as update downloads. You can't.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: QuixoticOne
Basically people with OEM / preinstalled Windows are usually just victims and are getting massively screwed by the whole install media / CD fiasco. You ought to be able to use any Microsoft XP CD to install XP (without crapware) and then activate with your existing key,
and then pull any hardware specific drivers / utilities as update downloads. You can't.

That's why I recommend never buying a Windows PC that doesn't come with a "clean" recovery CD. There's no reason why the PC maker shouldn't provide one. If they won't give you one or sell you one cheaply, I'd tell them, "No thanks".

And NEVER let your PC's warranty expire without getting that CD, since you have near-zero influence on the PC maker after the warranty is gone.