xp on new comp wont validate

loopy_lass

had serious comp problems and had to reformat comp, just tried to put xp back on and it says its not genuine!!! which it is, ive just phoned microsoft and they say i am breaking the law and that i need to buy another copy of xp for each comp.

ive heard they would give you another key if you were transferring xp onto another comp, whats the story? does anyone know?

ive searched this forum and cant find an answer.

cheers loopz

mmillie

If you are re-building your existing PC, and your PC has a hologrammed license sticker on it, you should not have any problems, because that is allowed by your license. From what you are saying though, they think that you are installing XP on a new machine, not your existing one. When you try to validate your installation, it may ask you to phone up, and if it does, you simply need to explain to them that you are rebuilding your existing PC, which has a license sticker on it.

There's a website here which explains it all;

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/uk/default.mspx

You say at the end that they are telling you that you need a license for each computer, which implies that you have more than one. They are correct to say that you need one license per machine at any one time. You can't have the same license on more than one computer simultaneously.

Martin

lipsthefish

I had the same problem yesterday after a format and I must say it was the easiest phone call! It was a free phone number and I was sorted in around ten minutes (had to speak to an advisor as I pressed a wrong option button!) but he was fine, I explained about the format and that I had the licence sticker on the back of the computer and he gave me some really long number to type in the windows activation screen, all sorted. Maybe try ringing them again and explaining again.

superscaper

What are the circumstances of you getting XP, and exactly what are you trying to do with it? Is it on more than one PC etc? If it came pre installed (OEM) then you aren't allowed to transfer to another pc. As mmillie points out your post seems to have the implication that you are trying to run it on more than one machine.

superscaper

lipsthefish wrote: »

I had the same problem yesterday after a format and I must say it was the easiest phone call! It was a free phone number and I was sorted in around ten minutes (had to speak to an advisor as I pressed a wrong option button!) but he was fine, I explained about the format and that I had the licence sticker on the back of the computer and he gave me some really long number to type in the windows activation screen, all sorted. Maybe try ringing them again and explaining again.

I've also never had a problem whenever I've phoned Microsoft, even when upgrading my PC using OEM XP. I think the OP needs to explain a bit more detail of what they were doing, the implications sound like she actually was breaking the license conditions but can't be sure until there's a bit more explanation.

loopy_lass

mmm not liking the sounds of breaking licence conditions, now im worried.. ok ill explain my lap top came with xp on, my desk top died and a friend reformatted it and put xp (from the laptop disk) onto my desktop but it says its not real... by what microsoft has said and the replies here i am not allowed to do this, even though the friend said i was, sooooo im just off to buy new copy of xp for desktop.... think its the safest bet.

thanks loops

superscaper

Yes that is the case, you cannot put a copy of XP that came with your laptop on the desktop. Even if you weren't using both at the same time OEM licensing doesn't allow transfer to different pcs.

tr3mor

loopy_lass wrote: »

mmm not liking the sounds of breaking licence conditions, now im worried.. ok ill explain my lap top came with xp on, my desk top died and a friend reformatted it and put xp (from the laptop disk) onto my desktop but it says its not real... by what microsoft has said and the replies here i am not allowed to do this, even though the friend said i was, sooooo im just off to buy new copy of xp for desktop.... think its the safest bet.

thanks loops

Your desktop should have its own license though, so you shouldn't need to buy a new one.