buying someone else's Original XP software????

  • Thread starter Thread starter littleangels
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littleangels

Hi I am looking at buying my friends full version original software package
to upgrade but I am worried that it may not go on my computer as i will have
a different address than my friends and that I wont be able to upgrade or
network it to my daughters computer and dowload updates? can anyone tell me
if this is ok before I buy it?
--
Thanks. from littleangels
 
"littleangels" <littleangels@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2F794C4E-72C8-4F98-BEBF-CA2CB2BF0AC5@microsoft.com...
> Hi I am looking at buying my friends full version original software
> package
> to upgrade but I am worried that it may not go on my computer as i will
> have
> a different address than my friends and that I wont be able to upgrade or
> network it to my daughters computer and dowload updates? can anyone tell
> me
> if this is ok before I buy it?
> --
> Thanks. from littleangels

It depends on the software you wish to buy.
 
On Jan 3, 5:18 am, littleangels
<littleang...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Hi I am looking at buying my friends full version original software package
> to upgrade but I am worried that it may not go on my computer as i will have
> a different address than my friends and that I wont be able to upgrade or
> network it to my daughters computer and dowload updates? can anyone tell me
> if this is ok before I buy it?
> --
> Thanks. from littleangels

How "original" is the package? If it is in a "box" then it may be a
genuine Microsoft Retail version and I believe it is "legal" to sell
it.
 
littleangels <littleangels@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Hi I am looking at buying my friends full version original software package
>to upgrade but I am worried that it may not go on my computer as i will have
>a different address than my friends and that I wont be able to upgrade or
>network it to my daughters computer and dowload updates? can anyone tell me
>if this is ok before I buy it?

If it's a retail edition of the OS, then it can be transferred from
one machine to another. It cannot (legally) be run on both machines at
the same time.

If it's an OEM version, the EULA says that it's valid only for the
first machine it's installed on. Even if that machine no longer
exists, the OS can't be used on another machine.

If it's an OEM version that came preinstalled - especially if it was
from a major manufacturer like Dell - then it's probably a system
restore disk, rather than an actual OS disk. And the OS is probably
BIOS-locked to the original machine and will not work on any other
machine.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)
Slattery_T@bls.gov
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
 
On Thu, 3 Jan 2008 02:18:04 -0800, littleangels
<littleangels@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi I am looking at buying my friends full version original software package
> to upgrade but I am worried that it may not go on my computer as i will have
> a different address than my friends


The address is completely irrelevant.


> and that I wont be able to upgrade or
> network it to my daughters computer and dowload updates? can anyone tell me
> if this is ok before I buy it?


It depends. If his is a retail copy, no problem. It can be moved from
computer to computer, and owner to owner, as often as desired.

But if it's an OEM copy, it's license ties it to the first computer
it's installed on, and you are not permitted to do this. Moreover, if
it's an OEM copy from a major computer manufacturer (Dell, HP, etc)
it's probably BIOS-locked to the original motherboard and won't even
install on a different one.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
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