Can I Swap Media Center for Home?

[KrisC]

I have a computer with XP-Home on it (And its COA.) and a laptop with Media Center on it. (And its COA) I was reading here: http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,122487,00.asp
that I can install windows without needing a restore cd/install disk.

Is there an easier way? Will this method work for swapping it to a whole new machine?

I'll be legal since I am swapping cpoies on machines I own with copies I own, right?

 

[TonyRic]

If they are the OEM copies that came WITH those machines, they are legally tied to those machines.

 

[KrisC]

Well that is dumb. Seems our rights to the products we buy are erroding more and more every day.

But if it was legal (Say, if they were retail copies) or if we forgot about the legality... Can it be done this way?

 

[Nothinman]

AFAIK MCE is always OEM, so there's no legal way you can do that.

 

[stash]

AFAIK MCE is always OEM

Correct, for the current shipping versions of MCE anyway.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: KrisC
Well that is dumb. Seems our rights to the products we buy are erroding more and more every day.

Just wait for HDCP and the other new "digital rights management" controls that copyright owners have in store for us. 🙁