My daughters laptop (XP home) has had a drive failure. She purchased the laptop second hand and does not have the original system disks. I would like to install a new drive in her machine, and I have been advised by a computer repair tech, that I can install my genuine copy of XP home on my daughters laptop but use her machines product key. I would like to know if that would work and is it legal?
Full Version: No Install Disks
It's legal if you can get it to work.
You're cd Must be an generic OEM cd and not one made for a Dell/HP pc.
You're cd Must be an generic OEM cd and not one made for a Dell/HP pc.
I'd do a little more research before doing.
If you have a "Retail" copy, it is legal to install it on your daughter's laptop, but according to the EULA, you'd need to stop using it on your computer. With a retail copy you are allowed to "transfer", but not use on both.
If you have a "OEM" cd, the EULA states that the operating system stays with the computer that it was initially installed on (your computer). No transfer allowed.
Whether I agree with these restrictions is a matter of my own opinion. But you're asking if it's legal.
What do you do when you have a laptop that has a hard drive that has gone bad? Those restrictions seem hardly fair.
After all, you do have 2 valid License keys.
Can you contact the maker of the laptop and ask them for install disks? They may charge a nominal fee, but I've seen others do it in the past.
Or, you might try what you were advised to do by your tech and see if it works. Whether it's legal or not... you're using a valid License key (from her laptop) that was purchased, and the fact that you're asking shows you're wanting to do what is legally right...
Read the small print in the EULA. You'll find your answer there.
If you have a "Retail" copy, it is legal to install it on your daughter's laptop, but according to the EULA, you'd need to stop using it on your computer. With a retail copy you are allowed to "transfer", but not use on both.
If you have a "OEM" cd, the EULA states that the operating system stays with the computer that it was initially installed on (your computer). No transfer allowed.
Whether I agree with these restrictions is a matter of my own opinion. But you're asking if it's legal.
What do you do when you have a laptop that has a hard drive that has gone bad? Those restrictions seem hardly fair.
After all, you do have 2 valid License keys.
Can you contact the maker of the laptop and ask them for install disks? They may charge a nominal fee, but I've seen others do it in the past.
Or, you might try what you were advised to do by your tech and see if it works. Whether it's legal or not... you're using a valid License key (from her laptop) that was purchased, and the fact that you're asking shows you're wanting to do what is legally right...
Read the small print in the EULA. You'll find your answer there.
QUOTE(LOOKAtMyPC @ Jul 30 2008, 10:24 AM) 
I'd do a little more research before doing.
If you have a "Retail" copy, it is legal to install it on your daughter's laptop, but according to the EULA, you'd need to stop using it on your computer. With a retail copy you are allowed to "transfer", but not use on both.
If you have a "OEM" cd, the EULA states that the operating system stays with the computer that it was initially installed on (your computer). No transfer allowed.
Whether I agree with these restrictions is a matter of my own opinion. But you're asking if it's legal.
What do you do when you have a laptop that has a hard drive that has gone bad? Those restrictions seem hardly fair.
After all, you do have 2 valid License keys.
Can you contact the maker of the laptop and ask them for install disks? They may charge a nominal fee, but I've seen others do it in the past.
Or, you might try what you were advised to do by your tech and see if it works. Whether it's legal or not... you're using a valid License key (from her laptop) that was purchased, and the fact that you're asking shows you're wanting to do what is legally right...
Read the small print in the EULA. You'll find your answer there.
Thank you for responding Steve and LOOKAtMyPC , I have emailed Acer in Australia to see if I can buy replacement install disks - no reply yet.
I checked with my tech again after reading both your responses, he said they will often do a clean install from their disks (using the customers key) rather than spend hours trying to fix an unknown problem. He believes it is legal?
However I have decided to buy a new system (can only buy Vista by the look of it) so I am not doing anything illegal but it does seem a little harsh when we do 'own' to valid product keys.
Again many thanks for responding.
I checked with my tech again after reading both your responses, he said they will often do a clean install from their disks (using the customers key) rather than spend hours trying to fix an unknown problem. He believes it is legal?
However I have decided to buy a new system (can only buy Vista by the look of it) so I am not doing anything illegal but it does seem a little harsh when we do 'own' to valid product keys.
Again many thanks for responding.
kevy,
I can see where your tech is coming from as it is very common practice to do that. I can also see the reasoning because you have 2 valid product keys. It's the same OS. One hard drive crashed, and you're missing the install disk for that hard drive. It seems very reasonable to me that you should be able to use your retail version of XP Home on that new hard drive because you have the product key from the laptop. I personally think, this should be an exception to the rule, in this case as well. Anyone reading what you wrote would take notice that you're in no way trying to pirate the software. However, I'm not a legal advisor so I can't say one way or the other on the legalities of it.
Take a read of this and then maybe it will help you decide more on what you want to do. It's a page that translates the EULA for XP Home "Retail" version more into "Plain English". : http://www.militantplatypus.com/blog/lists...n-plain-english
(There's a difference in the licensing between Retail and OEM, mainly Microsoft provides no support for OEM installs and once the computer dies, the software is supposed to go with it.)
If you're looking for XP, you can get it at good price from PriceGrabber. (OEM < $100)
I've ordered from VioSoftware (on pricegrabber page) many times and have had great service from them. If you're in Australia, however, I'm not sure they ship there. Maybe a different store on PriceGrabber does.
Good luck with what you do and hope you find the least expensive route that makes YOU comfortable!
I can see where your tech is coming from as it is very common practice to do that. I can also see the reasoning because you have 2 valid product keys. It's the same OS. One hard drive crashed, and you're missing the install disk for that hard drive. It seems very reasonable to me that you should be able to use your retail version of XP Home on that new hard drive because you have the product key from the laptop. I personally think, this should be an exception to the rule, in this case as well. Anyone reading what you wrote would take notice that you're in no way trying to pirate the software. However, I'm not a legal advisor so I can't say one way or the other on the legalities of it.
Take a read of this and then maybe it will help you decide more on what you want to do. It's a page that translates the EULA for XP Home "Retail" version more into "Plain English". : http://www.militantplatypus.com/blog/lists...n-plain-english
(There's a difference in the licensing between Retail and OEM, mainly Microsoft provides no support for OEM installs and once the computer dies, the software is supposed to go with it.)
If you're looking for XP, you can get it at good price from PriceGrabber. (OEM < $100)
I've ordered from VioSoftware (on pricegrabber page) many times and have had great service from them. If you're in Australia, however, I'm not sure they ship there. Maybe a different store on PriceGrabber does.
Good luck with what you do and hope you find the least expensive route that makes YOU comfortable!
Hi LOOKAtMyPC
Many thanks for responding again - I appreciate your time and input. I will buy a new retail version (I have purchased other software before from US sites and have found the service very professional).
I am actually a 'mac' man now converting to PC and from what I have read installing windows can be a little daunting - I will find out and probably the hard way!
The EULA site is interesting, I do struggle with the 'rules' a little but accept the situation.
Thank you very much for your interest - I may need this excellent site in the near future??
Many thanks for responding again - I appreciate your time and input. I will buy a new retail version (I have purchased other software before from US sites and have found the service very professional).
I am actually a 'mac' man now converting to PC and from what I have read installing windows can be a little daunting - I will find out and probably the hard way!
The EULA site is interesting, I do struggle with the 'rules' a little but accept the situation.
Thank you very much for your interest - I may need this excellent site in the near future??
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