So my dell laptop runs XP home.

[Raduque]

Read the first line again, n0c. I'm asking why they're considering it piracy. I'm asking why, other then they want even more money from a user, are the rules written the way they are. And don't give me a cop-out " 'cause microsoft said so" answer 😛

From another thread:

Originally posted by: John
I'm still wondering how the OS install had a different product key than what was on the side of the case. That doesn't add up at all.

The installed key on my HP laptop was different from the key on the CoA stuck to the bottom of the machine.

 

[Doh!]

Simple. You were charged for an OEM license. Yes, it's legit, but only to the point of using the OS with the original hardware. If you want the flexibility of using the OS on any hardware setup, you have to pay for a retail version. It's this flexibility and the diff. level of support by MS, among others, for which you pay extra.

Don't want to deal w/ the high cost of XP? Try linux for free.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Raduque
Read the first line again, n0c. I'm asking why they're considering it piracy. I'm asking why, other then they want even more money from a user, are the rules written the way they are. And don't give me a cop-out " 'cause microsoft said so" answer 😛

It's not a cop-out, it's the answer. If it isn't piracy, what is it? OEM users decided to spend less to get less.

Microsoft said: "Here is an operating system. You can use it if you give us money. If you give us a little bit of money, you can have this OEM copy. But you can't transfer it to a new PC if you get a new one. Or you can give us more money and have more options."

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: Doh!
Simple. You were charged for an OEM license. Yes, it's legit, but only to the point of using the OS with the original hardware. If you want the flexibility of using the OS on any hardware setup, you have to pay for a retail version. It's this flexibility and the diff. level of support by MS, among others, for which you pay extra.

Don't want to deal w/ the high cost of XP? Try linux for free.

I'm not really complaining about the "high cost" of XP, I was just hoping that part of the price of the laptop I'm looking at buying would pay for my copy of MCE05, so I wouldn't have to actually purchase it seperate from another webstore. Let the record show I think MS should change teh OEM license. 🙁

Oh, and don't think I'm going to do this anyway. I'll just grin and bear it, and buy another copy from the 'Egg or ZZF for my other HTPC.

 

[jdangber]

use the damn key that on the bottom of your lappy. It is an UNUSED, legit key. the oem installation used at the plant uses the different product key, as you've noted. So in short, M$ has absolutely no way of knowing you're using the copy of XP on the laptop still, b/c it is using a completely different (and legit) key, and therefore it hex code doesn't matter. Just call up Microsoft, and tell them you had to reinstall xp on your laptop (they can't tell what the hell you're installing it on), and you are giving them the product key on the bottom of the laptop. It's that simple.

 

[oynaz]

"Don't transfer OEM software from one computer system to another.
OEM software licenses cannot be transferred from one computer system to another, even if the computer system on which it was originally installed is no longer in use."

"Another common misconception is that you can transfer a preinstalled or OEM copy of Windows from an "old" machine to a new machine. An OEM software license may not be transferred from and old machine to a new machine?even if that machine is no longer in use. The OEM license is tied to the machine on which it was originally installed and can't be transferred to other machines."


All this sounds very nice, but does not necessarily mean anything. In Denmark, for instance, these license conditions are definitely illegal, and thus you can safely ignore them. It is simply not legally possible to tie a piece of software to an individual machine.
Rememer, licence conditions does only apply if they are consistent with the law.