installing a retail copy of XP/Vista on multiple PCs

Post by **horton** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:57 pm

im not asking for warez, i dont need any help getting a dodgy OS to work, this question stems from a discussion i had 5 mins ago.

OEM OS...install on one PC..you can decide later to uninstall it and install it on a different PC

Corporate.. install of loads of PCs and use the same CD-Key

Retail...install on your own PC, throw that PC away/sell with a formatted HDD, and install the same copy of your retail OS on your new PC..

Correct so far?

and...

What the fuck would stop me installing XP/Vista retail on my PC...then installing it on another PC? I assume they cant verify that you have uninstalled it...does it assfuck you when it comes to getting updates, when it realises that updates are going to 2 PCs from the same CD-Key?

are there issues when you try to activate your copy of XP/Vista for the second PC?

Ive never had retail XP, so I havent had to deal with this shit..I was just curious how this shit works.

just to clarify, I dont want any sort of workaround for dodgy copies of vista etc, I just want to know if i was correct in my assumptions about different versions of windows, and if MS has set shit up for people who want to put their retail copy on more than one PC

Post by **Denz** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:04 pm

I believe that XP reads the computers componets and sends that info to M$, when you try to install it on another computer then it sends up a red flag. I could be wrong, I have been before.

Post by **horton** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:13 pm

i thought that was only OEM XP, that did that, however with a full retail version, you were allowed to move your installation to another PC...(assuming of course you had uninstalled it from the original PC)

i also may be very wrong

Post by **Denz** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:27 pm

horton wrote:i thought that was only OEM XP, that did that, however with a full retail version, you were allowed to move your installation to another PC...(assuming of course you had uninstalled it from the original PC)

i also may be very wrong

Yes, I believe this to be correct. I did move my copy from one computer to another. I had to build a new work computer and I moved my retail version to it with no problems.

Post by **MKJ** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:28 pm

the OEM theoretically does that, but mostly fails to do so.
Vista is supposedly more strict in this though.

i had xp running on 4 computers, same key. those were retails of Pro though, dont know how it reacts with Home. (probably doesnt, since home's networking capabilities are terrible :icon32: )

Post by **Nightshade** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:56 pm

I'd just like to point out the results of recent studies that show a strong correlation between referring to Microsoft as "M$" and goat raping.

Post by **Grudge** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:59 pm

Installing retail Vista on a second computer deactivates the first install. It won't "know" that it's been deactivated until you try to download a patch or something to requires you to validate your Windows though AFAIK.

Post by **Denz** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:59 pm

Nightshade wrote:I'd just like to point out the results of recent studies that show a strong correlation between referring to Microsoft as "M$" and goat raping.

Goat raping is in now.