M
mm
Guest
On Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:52:48 -0500, "Daave" wrote:
>mm wrote:
>> On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:26:26 -0500, "Daave" wrote:
>>
>>> mm wrote:
>>>> A friend was given a computer with XP, through a recycling list. It
>>>> has the MS Certificate of Authenticity sticker, with the Product
>>>> Key, on the bottom. It seems to me she intended to give him the XP
>>>> license also, and he can use that number if, for example, he wants
>>>> to upgrade an old computer or assemble a new computer. Do you
>>>> agree?
>>>>
>>>> OTOH, I was given a computer, an eMachine, but without the
>>>> harddrive, and it too has the XP C of A sticker on the bottom with
>>>> the Product Key, but my guess is he didn't intend to give me the
>>>> license, because he kept the harddrive. Do you agree? (He
>>>> was moving and that's why he gave his old junk away, and that's
>>>> also why I can't reach him.)
>>>
>>> I don't understand. The COA sticker with the Product Key *is* the
>>> license.
>>
>> I didn't realize that!
>>
>>> Are you talking about insallation CDs perhaps? Retail
>>> installation CDs and Generic OEM (System Builder) CDs also come with
>>> Certificates of Authenticity with Product Keys.
>>
>> That's all I'd seen before. I guess I'd seen computers with COA's but
>> I'd never looked behind one to see the sticker.
>
>Behind a PC or CD?
Behind a PC.
>
>With desktops, I've seen COA stickers on the top or on one of the sides.
>With laptops, I've seen them on the bottom or sometimes in the
>compartment where the rechargeable battery is located.
I guess I don't really see that many computers, and I don't pay much
attention when I do. ;(
>I've never seen a Retail installation CD (that I can recall). I've seen
>lots of OEM installation CDs. Dell-branded installation CDs don't come
>with COAs (the computers themselves do, however). The COAs I have seen
>with generic OEM installation CDs are not stickers. But what I usually
>do is tape them to the PCs I install them on.
That's a good idea.
>>> With regard to the first paragraph, assuming it is an OEM license,
>>> it is tied to that computer and the EULA does not permit it to be
>>> used on any other PC.
>>
>> I haven't seen it, but it probably is tied to the PC. This was my
>> idea, not the guy who got the free computer's.
>
>No "probably" in this case. That is, if that PC does indeed have an OEM
>version of Windows XP installed on it, it *is* tied to the computer. So
What I meant was it proably has an OEM version of XP on it. It's
probably not a win2000 or 98 computer that was upgraded to XP with a
retail CD. But I haven't seen it an my friend is a recent refugee
from Macintosh.
>the Product Key associated with that license may not be used (per the
>EULA) on any other PC. This is not to say that others have never tried
>to do just that and with success. However, it is not permitted by the
>EULA.
>
>>> With regard to the second paragraph, you can install a hard drive if
>>> you wish and install XP on it; the COA sticker is proof you have the
>>> right to do this. I'm not sure which method the manufacturer
>>> provided to reinstall Windows with that particular PC. Perhaps the
>>> *old* hard drive had a hidden recovery partition. If that is the
>>> case, you would obviously need to come up with another method.
>>> If eMachine provided a Recovery CD, that should work. Also, a
>>> generic OEM installation CD of the matching type of XP (e.g., Home
>>> or Pro) -- matching the license indicated on the COA sticker, that
>>> is -- will work if you use the COA sticker's Product Key.
>>
>> Well, I may try that. It's actually faster than the computer I'm
>> using now, 800Mhz.
>
>Sounds like a plan. You need to determine the method eMachine provided
>to reinstall the OS. It is in the documentation that came with the PC.
>If you don't have the documentation, you should be able to find it
>online if you enter the model and model number in a search engine. If
That sounds like a plan. I'll probably start on that tomorrow.
>you can't find it, tell us the model/number, and surely someone here can
>help you with that.
Thank you.
>>>> OT3H, in a few years, when most people have changed to Vista and 7,
>>>> there will be loads of licenses around that no one wants, isn't that
>>>> likely?
>>>
>>> Not pertinent if they are OEM licenses that have already been used.
>>> Remember those licenses are not transferrable (per the EULA).
>>
>> I forgot. And when I knew, the full meaning of that didn't occur to
>> me.
>>>
>>>> Or at least that no one uses. Will they be selling them?
>>>>
>>>> If I try to use that license years from now, will it warn me it's
>>>> still in use without screwing up the guy who was nice enough to give
>>>> me the computer?
>>>
>>> There won't be any warning if you are still using the same PC the
>>> nice guy was using.
>>
>> You've explained that the computer had an OEM license, so he won't be
>> using it after all, iiuc.
>>
>> And I can only use it on this one computer, which might work if things
>> go well.
BTW, as you could tell maybe from my first questions, this didn't turn
out anything like I thought it would. My friend has less than I
thought he would have (though he's not complaining at all, and doesn't
even know what I incorrectly thought) and I may have more than I
thought I did. Well I do have more and I may be able to make use of
it. (My computer is 800 Mhz and the one without the harddrive is
about 2300.)
Thanks again.
>> Thanks a lot.
>
>YW.
>
>mm wrote:
>> On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:26:26 -0500, "Daave" wrote:
>>
>>> mm wrote:
>>>> A friend was given a computer with XP, through a recycling list. It
>>>> has the MS Certificate of Authenticity sticker, with the Product
>>>> Key, on the bottom. It seems to me she intended to give him the XP
>>>> license also, and he can use that number if, for example, he wants
>>>> to upgrade an old computer or assemble a new computer. Do you
>>>> agree?
>>>>
>>>> OTOH, I was given a computer, an eMachine, but without the
>>>> harddrive, and it too has the XP C of A sticker on the bottom with
>>>> the Product Key, but my guess is he didn't intend to give me the
>>>> license, because he kept the harddrive. Do you agree? (He
>>>> was moving and that's why he gave his old junk away, and that's
>>>> also why I can't reach him.)
>>>
>>> I don't understand. The COA sticker with the Product Key *is* the
>>> license.
>>
>> I didn't realize that!
>>
>>> Are you talking about insallation CDs perhaps? Retail
>>> installation CDs and Generic OEM (System Builder) CDs also come with
>>> Certificates of Authenticity with Product Keys.
>>
>> That's all I'd seen before. I guess I'd seen computers with COA's but
>> I'd never looked behind one to see the sticker.
>
>Behind a PC or CD?
Behind a PC.
>
>With desktops, I've seen COA stickers on the top or on one of the sides.
>With laptops, I've seen them on the bottom or sometimes in the
>compartment where the rechargeable battery is located.
I guess I don't really see that many computers, and I don't pay much
attention when I do. ;(
>I've never seen a Retail installation CD (that I can recall). I've seen
>lots of OEM installation CDs. Dell-branded installation CDs don't come
>with COAs (the computers themselves do, however). The COAs I have seen
>with generic OEM installation CDs are not stickers. But what I usually
>do is tape them to the PCs I install them on.
That's a good idea.
>>> With regard to the first paragraph, assuming it is an OEM license,
>>> it is tied to that computer and the EULA does not permit it to be
>>> used on any other PC.
>>
>> I haven't seen it, but it probably is tied to the PC. This was my
>> idea, not the guy who got the free computer's.
>
>No "probably" in this case. That is, if that PC does indeed have an OEM
>version of Windows XP installed on it, it *is* tied to the computer. So
What I meant was it proably has an OEM version of XP on it. It's
probably not a win2000 or 98 computer that was upgraded to XP with a
retail CD. But I haven't seen it an my friend is a recent refugee
from Macintosh.
>the Product Key associated with that license may not be used (per the
>EULA) on any other PC. This is not to say that others have never tried
>to do just that and with success. However, it is not permitted by the
>EULA.
>
>>> With regard to the second paragraph, you can install a hard drive if
>>> you wish and install XP on it; the COA sticker is proof you have the
>>> right to do this. I'm not sure which method the manufacturer
>>> provided to reinstall Windows with that particular PC. Perhaps the
>>> *old* hard drive had a hidden recovery partition. If that is the
>>> case, you would obviously need to come up with another method.
>>> If eMachine provided a Recovery CD, that should work. Also, a
>>> generic OEM installation CD of the matching type of XP (e.g., Home
>>> or Pro) -- matching the license indicated on the COA sticker, that
>>> is -- will work if you use the COA sticker's Product Key.
>>
>> Well, I may try that. It's actually faster than the computer I'm
>> using now, 800Mhz.
>
>Sounds like a plan. You need to determine the method eMachine provided
>to reinstall the OS. It is in the documentation that came with the PC.
>If you don't have the documentation, you should be able to find it
>online if you enter the model and model number in a search engine. If
That sounds like a plan. I'll probably start on that tomorrow.
>you can't find it, tell us the model/number, and surely someone here can
>help you with that.
Thank you.
>>>> OT3H, in a few years, when most people have changed to Vista and 7,
>>>> there will be loads of licenses around that no one wants, isn't that
>>>> likely?
>>>
>>> Not pertinent if they are OEM licenses that have already been used.
>>> Remember those licenses are not transferrable (per the EULA).
>>
>> I forgot. And when I knew, the full meaning of that didn't occur to
>> me.
>>>
>>>> Or at least that no one uses. Will they be selling them?
>>>>
>>>> If I try to use that license years from now, will it warn me it's
>>>> still in use without screwing up the guy who was nice enough to give
>>>> me the computer?
>>>
>>> There won't be any warning if you are still using the same PC the
>>> nice guy was using.
>>
>> You've explained that the computer had an OEM license, so he won't be
>> using it after all, iiuc.
>>
>> And I can only use it on this one computer, which might work if things
>> go well.
BTW, as you could tell maybe from my first questions, this didn't turn
out anything like I thought it would. My friend has less than I
thought he would have (though he's not complaining at all, and doesn't
even know what I incorrectly thought) and I may have more than I
thought I did. Well I do have more and I may be able to make use of
it. (My computer is 800 Mhz and the one without the harddrive is
about 2300.)
Thanks again.
>> Thanks a lot.
>
>YW.
>