Another noob question

[pjpjpjpj]

If I have a PC that I bought from a store (years ago) and it came with Windows XP installed, and the Windows XP (SP2) CD-rom as well, and I buy a new PC with Vista installed, but I want XP, can I just use the old XP disc to install XP on the new machine?

If the answer is "yes", what would be the repercussions of the fact that the new machine will be dual-core (and the XP disc is 32-bit)? I'm assuming that no software made to take advantage of both cores simultaneously would work, right? So effectively I would always be limited to the clock speed of a single core?

[GKusnick]

If you have a Windows install disc and a valid license key, you can install it on any machine you please, so long as you remove it from the machine on which it was previously installed.

I think you're confused about single/dual-core and 32/64-bit. These are two independent features of your CPU. Dual-core does not imply that you need a 64-bit OS; 32-bit Windows has supported dual (and higher) CPUs since the first release of Windows NT back in the early 90s, and the 32-bit version of XP is perfectly capable of using all cores on a modern multi-core chip.

That said, a single-threaded app will always be limited to the speed of a single core, no matter how many cores you have or what OS you're running.

[stuckless]

I guess you'd have to figure out if your copy of windows is an OEM copy of a retail copy. If it's a retail copy, then you are free to use it as greg noted. If it's an OEM copy, then the rules change, and usually there are lots of conditions placed on the software, as a result of the fact that it is bundled with a computer sale.

Typically, OEM windows is licensed to the computer on which it was purchased, and cannot be transferred to another computer. If you have a Dell or HP, then this is most likely the case. Microsoft updates the terms of their OEM kits from time to time, to close out various loopholes, so it can be rather confusing to get any clear cut information on their oem licenses.

But, even if you have an oem copy, it will probably still install on another machine (even if you are not allowed to do so).

[pjpjpjpj]

Thanks, guys. I am sure the copy I have is OEM (though I have not checked - need to drag out a box from storage). But I would be retiring/dismantling the PC it came with, so only one copy of the license would still be in use. Would that probably work, or are the licenses literally tied to something with the physical machine?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

Thanks, guys. I am sure the copy I have is OEM (though I have not checked - need to drag out a box from storage). But I would be retiring/dismantling the PC it came with, so only one copy of the license would still be in use. Would that probably work, or are the licenses literally tied to something with the physical machine?

As stuckless said, technically the OEM license stays with the machine and cannot be legally transferred to another machine. By the same token there is nothing stopping you from installing it on a different machine. XP is NOT as strict as Vista. I've seen a Vista machine being registered and coming back from Microsoft saying that license is already in use on a different machine.

The choice is yours. Legally you are required to purchase a new licensed OS for the new machine.

Gerry

[wrems]

In a situation like this, is it safe/legal to buy a retail copy of XP from ebay/craigslist or any other retailer assuming they are actually carrying XP?

[gplasky]

My understanding is retail copy of XP can be sold until their purchased inventory runs out. So it's probably as safe as buying a legal copy of any software out there.

gerry

[Tiki]

The new PC will come with a licensed copy of Vista installed. Most versions of Vista included what they called "downgrade rights". This means that as long as you paid for Vista and you happen to have an installation CD for an earlier version of Windows, you can uninstall Vista and install that old version of Windows with the Vista license.

This is one of the ways some of the OEM's were able to get around the rules and continue selling PC's with Windows XP pre-installed.

Now, since both PC's came with some version of Windows pre-installed, chances are they are both OEM copies and there may be special licensing restrictions. So, you can probably uninstall Vista from your new machine and install your old copy of XP on top of it and be legal, but you might get tripped up when you try to activate it.

One other gotcha is that device drivers for Vista and XP are not the same. So, if you have old hardware in may not be compatible with Vista. It's also possible that if you have new hardware designed for Vista it might not work in XP. By hardware, I mean just about anything in your PC inside or out (motherboard, video, audio, network interface, printer, keyboard, etc.

[wado1971]

A bit confusing - it's a shame we've become accustom to this.

Might be a good time to give Linux a try (Ubuntu). I think they're licence policy is a bit more understandable and a little less restrictive.