Odd XP Media Center Licensing/Key Question

[Arkaign]

I have a friend who just bought a new Toshiba notebook, has Windows MCE 2005 on it, OEM key on the bottom of the notebook. The guy wants to have spanish-language windows on it instead of english.

I can get a copy of the XP MCE 2005 Spanish, but will the Toshiba OEM MCE 2005 key work with it? We don't want to install it on a different system, we want to format and load fresh with Spanish MCE.

Will it work?

Is it legal?

Or is licensing specific to language?

 

[bruceb]

If the copy you can get is an OEM ... it should work and accept the Toshiba Key just fine
If it does not, you would need to call MS to activate it ... just explain it is the same pc,
same type OS, just a change of Language forced a reinstall of the OS

 

[nweaver]

I would just get the spanish MUI and install it...less hassle, no grey areas.

 

[RebateMonger]

I don't know the answer for sure. But here's a UseNet quote on a similar topic (changing the language version of Windows XP). I don't know the original source of the quote, nor do I know firsthand if it's true:

Q. "I know that. My question was: when I install "full English
version" of Windows XP, can I use the original license
number of German version and activate them? For that
purpose I can borrow someone else's full English version
installation, but what is legal position of that?"

A. The Product Key (license) for the German version of Windows XP is tied to that version. It will not work with the English version of Windows XP. One cannot use or transfer the license (Product Key) from one language version to another. You will need to purchase the "full English version" of Windows XP with its own Product Key.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: nweaver
I would just get the spanish MUI and install it...less hassle, no grey areas.

Very unlikely he has an english MUI capable version installed in the first place, so I doubt this would work.

 

[bruceb]

The OP says the Toshiba came with MCE installed ... in English ... So wjy would he not have the English MUI ? ?
As to product keys being different for various languages, that would be kind of inane on Microsofts part
You have a legit copy of the OS ... when you install it, it usually asks what language you want

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Originally posted by: nweaver
I would just get the spanish MUI and install it...less hassle, no grey areas.

Very unlikely he has an english MUI capable version installed in the first place, so I doubt this would work.

you can install the spanish MUI on the english XP

 

[Arkaign]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies! I'm from Texas and repair PCs in a shop in a small town, so this is very useful to know, given our proliferate hispanic population :beer:

Anyways, this is what I found that worked :

Downloaded .torrent ISO that had mcelocpack_esn.exe on it, and ran it. It converted the existing Windows install, complete with all apps and drivers, to Spanish. Amazing! Went to Windows update site, still checks out as Windows Genuine, grabbed some more optional updates, and did a final check with Jellybean, and yep his key was still there.

Apparently, it's a locality pack for XP that helps out by not even requiring a different install CD or license. Nice!

There is a difference between MUI, for the keyboard compatibility, special character input, etc, and the Localization packs, which change everything to the language desired (for example, the start button, the control panel, system properties, everything will be in the desired language).

I wish I could help others find these packs, but after some searching, they seem to be hard to come by. Anyone have other links to common locality packs for say : French, German, Italian, etc?