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Re: [LUG] Old PC for toddlers playgroup - Exmouth

 

Vivi Griffin wrote:
Thanks Alex.

There is something I would like to ask you. I have to admit to being a bit confused about Windows XP Licensing which is a big issue with older machines. I don't know if you could explain? If an old PC had a recovery partition which was lost due to hard drive failure and the only thing remaining was the little sticker on the side with a number on it, is it possible to get hold of another OEM copy of Windows that would install, accept that number and would this be legal?
The way to consider if your machine is legal is to ask the question "how would this benefit MS in anyway?" If you had a backup of the machine then you would probably have had a backup of the recovery partition and putting that onto the new hard disk and recovering would be legal. If you hadnt a backup then MS couldnt say for certain that you were repairing an old machine then the answer is no - it wont be legal. Morally right but, according to MS illegal.

If you have a copy of xp YOU bought and you install it on a machine and you replace the hard drive, and then replace the motherboard with the same CPU then thats OK. If you then upgrade the CPU thats illegal. My reading of the licenses is seems to be (with eqpt that self destruct after 3 years) is basically when we bring out a new version the license is invalid.
Tom te tom te tom


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