Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 35637 2003-07-18 01:02:00 XP OEM Licencing nicnz (2273) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
160702 2003-07-18 01:02:00 I saw a post recently about what can be done to a computer that has OEM products on it, someone was having problems getting the PC company to restore Windows XP once they put in a new Hard Drive. The PC Company should be classed as a System Builder, since the build PCs and buy bulk licences. So to clear things up - this is from Microsoft's legal dept:

"An end user can upgrade all of the components on their computer system, with the exception of the motherboard, and maintain the original
OEM System Builder Licenses. Thus, if the hard drive fails, the original OEM System Builder Licenses may be installed on a new/replacement hard drive as long as it is first removed from the old hard drive."
nicnz (2273)
160703 2003-07-18 02:05:00 nice :)

only think is in the recent post about this the person had modded the motherboard (flash the bios with a non-pcCO bios) to make it accept the new hardrive which in turn ment he could not use his restore disk.
tweak'e (174)
160704 2003-07-18 02:47:00 In other words, it's not the "same" motherboard, because the identifying code isn't there. In an ideal world, a new BIOS would still be OK, but this isn't an ideal world. The real-world difficulties involved would be very nasty. Graham L (2)
160705 2003-07-18 03:06:00 So what happens if the motherboard blows up, like if it struck by lightning (happened to me) or otherwise dies?

What happens if you decide to build up a new computer and sell the old one without any OS?

It all seems very messy and nonsensical to me, just encouraging the cough cough copies of XP rather than the reverse.
Terry Porritt (14)
160706 2003-07-18 03:12:00 Yea well that's just M$ putting things in place so that they can completley control your PC. Just wait it will happen.

I realise that at the moment this type of action will only encourage pirating, but as soon as M$ gains a little more control then it will probably be a quite effective measure against piracy.
promethius (1998)
160707 2003-07-18 03:12:00 sorry *quite an effective... promethius (1998)
160708 2003-07-18 07:33:00 Perhaps someone can tell me what will happen in my situation?
I puchased WinXP PRO upgrade version to use on my HP computer.
Shortly I want to format my HP pc & return it to original Win ME using the recovery software supplied by HP so I can sell it.

I'm intending to install my Win XP pro upgrade on the new PC I'm going to build shortly & I have a legal version of Win98 to use as the qualifier for Win XP upgrade.

The big question is what sort of probs am I going to run into & can I legaly do what I am intending?
Will I have to give Bill a ring & explain the situation?

cheers Steve
Steve Askew (119)
160709 2003-07-18 07:57:00 Sounds to me as if your situation will be fine Steve. -=JM=- (16)
160710 2003-07-18 08:16:00 As I stated in that thread previously I have updated BIOS's on other OEM PC's (Compaq, HP, Acer, Artec, Dell, the list goes on!) and the recovery CD has still worked so why can't the PC Co do the same??? caffy (2665)
160711 2003-07-18 08:17:00 Oops! Using my sisters PC and not my name!!

I posted previously un CYaBro
caffy (2665)
1 2