Installing XP - license question

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at home. My
dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far more often. It seems
that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to five users. My mom rarely uses
the computer and that's about it. Three users, two computers.

The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and my dad's
computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)? Only three users
will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to upgrade from Windows 98 SE as
I'm reading about a lot of minuses about it, especially memory management.

Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
without anything in the way of a hardware change?

Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer to go
slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable this to speed
up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

ulillillia wrote:
> I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at
> home. My dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far
> more often. It seems that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to
> five users. My mom rarely uses the computer and that's about it.
> Three users, two computers.

So? Windows XP (and prior Microsoft Windows Operating Systems -
non-server) are not licensed "per user" - they are licensed "per
installation". Simply put - although Windows XP (Home or Pro) can support a
lot (more than 5 - certainly) of individual users (eachg with their own
look/feel) - each installation requires another license to be purchased.. So
if you install Windows XP on the same system twice (at the same time) - you
need two licenses. In your case - you need two licenses for the two
computers that you will be installing Windows XP onto (one time each.) Your
parents and yourself and guests and whatever can have users on weach of the
systems - add as many as you would like for users..

> The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and
> my dad's computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)?
> Only three users will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to
> upgrade from Windows 98 SE as I'm reading about a lot of minuses
> about it, especially memory management.

No - one install = one license.
What "limit" are you speaking of - there is no user limit.

> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?

Than what?
What is your system specs? Windows XP can use memory more effectively - but
you need more for XP than prior OSes.

> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer
> to go slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable
> this to speed up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.

Yes - turn them off in the Advanced System tab under performance and look
into "TweakUI" from Microsoft.

Print this list - it will help you maintain and optimize your computers:

Microsoft has these suggestions for Protecting your computer from the
various things that could happen to you/it:

Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/


Although those tips are fantastic, there are many things you should
know above and beyond what is there. Below I have detailed
out many steps that can not only help you clean-up a problem PC but
keep it clean ,secure and running at its top performance mark.

I know this text can seem intimidating - it is quite long and a lot
to take in for a novice - but I assure you that one trip through this
list and you will understand your computer and the options available
to you for protecting your data much better - and that the next time
you review these steps, the time it takes will be greatly reduced.

Let's take the cleanup of your computer step-by-step. Yes, it will take
up some of your time - but consider what you use your computer
for and how much you would dislike it if all of your stuff on your
computer went away because you did not "feel like" performing some
simple maintenance tasks - think of it like taking out your garbage,
collecting and sorting your postal mail, paying your bills on time,
etc.

I'll mainly work around Windows XP, as that is what the bulk of this
document is about; however, here is a place for you poor souls still
stuck in Windows 98/ME where you can get information on maintaining
your system:

Windows 98 and 'Maintaining Your Computer':
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/maintaining/

Windows ME Computer Health:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/using/computerhealth/articles/

Pay close attention to the sections:
(in order)
- Clean up your hard disk
- Check for errors by running ScanDisk
- Defragment your hard disk
- Roll back the clock with System Restore


Also - now is a good time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:

Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )


Now, let's go through some maintenance first that should only have to be
done once (mostly):

Tip (1):
Locate all of the software you have installed on your computer.
(the installation media - CDs, downloaded files, etc)
Collect these CDs and files together in a central and safe
place along with their CD keys and such. Make backups of these
installation media sets using your favorite copying method (CD/DVD Burner
and application, Disk copier, etc.) You'll be glad to know that if you
have a CD/DVD burner, you may be able to use a free application to make a
duplicate copy of your CDs. One such application is ISORecorder:

ISORecorder page (with general instructions on use):
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/beta.htm

Yes - it is BETA software - but very useful and well tested.

More full function applications (free) for CD/DVD burning would be:

DeepBurner Free
http://www.deepburner.com/

CDBurnerXP Pro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

Another Option would be to search the web with Pricewatch.com or
Dealsites.net and find deals on Products like Ahead Nero and/or Roxio.


Tip (2):
Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 128MB and 512MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 128MB and 512MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.


Tip (3):
If things are running a bit sluggish and/or you have an older system
(1.5GHz or less and 256MB RAM or less) then you may want to look into
tweaking the performance by turning off some of the 'resource hogging'
Windows XP "prettifications". The fastest method is:

Control Panel --> System --> Advanced tab --> Performance section,
Settings button. Then choose "adjust for best performance" and you
now have a Windows 2000/98 look which turned off most of the annoying
"prettifications" in one swift action. You can play with the last
three checkboxes to get more of an XP look without many of the
other annoyances. You could also grab and install/use one
(or more) of the Microsoft Powertoys - TweakUI in particular:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


Tip (4):
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.

Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):

Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !, :)

Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.

One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Moved to new home in 2004'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'

The password tip is in the one time section, but I highly
recommend you periodically change your passwords. The suggested time
varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every 3 to 6 months for
every account you have.'


Tip (5):
This tip is also 'questionable' in the one time section; however -
if properly setup - this one can be pretty well ignored for most people
after the initial 'fiddle-with' time.

Why you should use a computer firewall..
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/viruses/fwbenefits.mspx

You should, in some way, use a firewall. Hardware (like a nice
Cable Modem/DSL router) or software is up to you. Many use both of
these. The simplest one to use is the hardware one, as most people
don't do anything that they will need to configure their NAT device
for and those who do certainly will not mind fiddling with the equipment
to make things work for them. Next in the line of simplicity would
have to be the built-in Windows Firewall of Windows XP. In SP2 it
is turned on by default. It is not difficult to turn on in any
case, however:

Enable/Disable the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283673

More information on the Internet Connection Firewall (Pre-SP2):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320855

Post-SP2 Windows Firewall Information/guidance:
http://snipurl.com/atal

The trouble with the Windows Firewall is that it only keeps things
out. For most people who maintain their system in other ways, this is
MORE than sufficient. However, you may feel otherwise. If you want to
know when one of your applications is trying to obtain access to the
outside world so you can stop it, then you will have to install a
third-party application and configure/maintain it. I have compiled a
list with links of some of the better known/free firewalls you can choose
from:

BlackICE PC Protection (~$39.95 and up)
http://blackice.iss.net/

Jetico Personal Firewall (Free)
http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm

Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF) (Free and up)
http://www.kerio.com/kpf_download.html

Outpost Firewall from Agnitum (Free and up)
http://www.agnitum.com/download/

Sygate Personal Firewall (Free and up)
http://smb.sygate.com/buy/download_buy.htm

Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall (~$25 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/npf/

ZoneAlarm (Free and up)
http://snipurl.com/6ohg

You should find the right firewall for your situation in that
list and set it up.

Every firewall WILL require some maintenance. Essentially checking for
patches or upgrades (this goes for hardware and software solutions) is
the extent of this maintenance - you may also have to configure your
firewall to allow some traffic depending on your needs.

** Don't stack the software firewalls! Running more than one software
firewall will not make you safer - it would possibly negate some
protection you gleamed from one or the other firewall you run.


Now that you have some of the more basic things down..
Let's go through some of the steps you should take periodically to
maintain a healthy and stable windows computer. If you have not
done some of these things in the past, they may seem tedious - however,
they will become routine and some can even be automatically scheduled.


Tip (6):
The system restore feature is a new one - first appearing in Windows
ME and then sticking around for Windows XP. It is a useful feature
if you keep it maintained and use it to your advantage. Remember that
the system restore pretty much tells you in the name what it protects
which is 'system' files. Your documents, your pictures, your stuff is
NOT system files - so you should also look into some backup solution.

I have seen the automatic system restore go wrong too many times not
to suggest the following.. Whenever you think about it (after doing a
once-over on your machine once a month or so would be optimal) - clear
out your System Restore and create a manual restoration point.

'Why?'

Too many times have I seen the system restore files go corrupt or get
a virus in them, meaning you could not or did not want to restore from
them. By clearing it out periodically you help prevent any corruption
from happening and you make sure you have at least one good "snapshot".
(*This, of course, will erase any previous restore point you have.*)

- Turn off System Restore.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310405
- Reboot the Computer.
- Review the first bullet to turn on System Restore
- Make a Manual Restoration Point.
http://snipurl.com/68nx

That covers your system files, but doesn't do anything for the files
that you are REALLY worried about - yours! For that you need to look
into backups. You can either manually copy your important files, folders,
documents, spreadsheets, emails, contacts, pictures, drawings and so on
to an external location (CD/DVD - any disk of some sort, etc) or you can
use the backup tool that comes with Windows XP:

How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422

Yes - you still need some sort of external media to store the results
on, but you could schedule the backup to occur when you are not around,
then burn the resultant data onto CD or DVD or something when you are
(while you do other things!)

A lot of people have wondered about how to completely backup their system
so that they would not have to go through the trouble of a reinstall..
I'm going to voice my opinion here and say that it would be worthless to
do for MOST people. Unless you plan on periodically updating the image
backup of your system (remaking it) - then by the time you use it
(something goes wrong) - it will be so outdated as to be more trouble than
performing a full install of the operating system and all applications.

Having said my part against it, you can clone/backup your hard drive
completely using many methods - by far the simplest are using disk cloning
applications:

Symantec/Norton Ghost
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/

Acronis True Image
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage


Tip (7):
You should sometimes look through the list of applications that are
installed on your computer. The list may surprise you. There are more
than likely things in there you know you never use - so why have them
there? There may even be things you know you did *not* install and
certainly do not use (maybe don't WANT to use.)

This web site should help you get started at looking through this list:

How to Uninstall Programs
http://snipurl.com/8v6b

A word of warning - Do NOT uninstall anything you think you MIGHT need
in the future unless you have completed Tip (1) and have the installation
media and proper keys for use backed up somewhere safe!


Tip (8):
Patches and Updates!

This one cannot be stressed enough. It is SO simple, yet so neglected
by many people. It is especially simple for the critical Windows patches!
Microsoft put in an AUTOMATED feature for you to utilize so that you do
NOT have to worry yourself about the patching of the Operating System:

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

However, not everyone wants to be a slave to automation, and that is
fine. Admittedly, I prefer this method on some of my more critical
systems.

Windows Update
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Go there and scan your machine for updates. Always get the critical ones
as you see them. Write down the KB###### or Q###### you see when
selecting the updates and if you have trouble over the next few days,
go into your control panel (Add/Remove Programs), insure that the
'Show Updates' checkbox is checked and match up the latest numbers you
downloaded recently (since you started noticing an issue) and uninstall
them. If there was more than one (usually is), uninstall them one by one
with a few hours of use in between, to see if the problem returns.
Yes - the process is not perfect (updating) and can cause trouble like I
mentioned - but as you can see, the solution isn't that bad - and is
MUCH better than the alternatives.

Windows is not the only product you likely have on your PC. The
manufacturers of the other products usually have updates. New versions
of almost everything come out all the time - some are free, some are pay
and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best
to check. Just go to their web pages and look under their support and
download sections. For example, for Microsoft Office you should visit:

Microsoft Office Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/
(and select 'Check for Updates' and/or 'Downloads' for more)

You also have hardware on your machine that requires drivers to interface
with the operating system. You have a video card that allows you to see on
your screen, a sound card that allows you to hear your PCs sound output and
so on. Visit those manufacturer web sites for the latest downloadable
drivers for your hardware/operating system. Always get the manufacturers'
hardware driver over any Microsoft offers. On the Windows Update site I
mentioned earlier, I suggest NOT getting their hardware drivers - no matter
how tempting.

How do you know what hardware you have in your computer? Break out the
invoice or if it is up and working now - take inventory:

Belarc Advisor
http://belarc.com/free_download.html

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/download.php?pid=1&lang=en

Once you know what you have, what next? Go get the latest driver for your
hardware/OS from the manufacturer's web page. For example, let's say you
have an NVidia chipset video card or ATI video card, perhaps a Creative
Labs sound card or C-Media chipset sound card...

NVidia Video Card Drivers
http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

ATI Video Card Drivers
http://www.atitech.com/support/driver.html

Creative Labs Sound Device
http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

C-Media Sound Device
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/e_download_01.htm

Then install these drivers. Updated drivers are usually more stable and
may provide extra benefits/features that you really wished you had before.

As for Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, Microsoft has made this
particular patch available in a number of ways. First, there is the
Windows Update web page above. Then there is a direct download site
and finally, you can order the FREE CD from Microsoft.

Direct Download of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP
http://snipurl.com/8bqy

Order the Free Windows XP SP2 CD
http://snipurl.com/8umo

If all else fails - grab the full download above and try to use that.
In this case - consider yourself a 'IT professional or developer'.


Tip (9):
What about the dreaded word in the computer world, VIRUS?

Well, there are many products to choose from that will help you prevent
infections from these horrid little applications. Many are FREE to the
home user and which you choose is a matter of taste, really. Many people
have emotional attachments or performance issues with one or another
AntiVirus software. Try some out, read reviews and decide for yourself
which you like more:

( Good Comparison Page for AV software: http://www.av-comparatives.org/ )

AntiVir (Free and up)
http://www.free-av.com/

avast! (Free and up)
http://www.avast.com/

AVG Anti-Virus System (Free and up)
http://free.grisoft.com/

eset NOD32 (~$39.00 and up)
http://www.eset.com/products/products.htm

eTrust EZ Antivirus (~$29.95 and up)
http://ca.com/store/home/us/hp2/

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.kaspersky.com/products.html

McAfee VirusScan (~$11 and up)
http://www.mcafee.com/

Panda Antivirus Titanium (~$39.95 and up)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/
(Free Online Scanner: http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/)

RAV AntiVirus Online Virus Scan (Free!)
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus (~$11 and up)
http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/

Trend Micro (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/personal.htm
(Free Online Scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)


Most of them have automatic update capabilities. You will have to
look into the features of the one you choose. Whatever one you finally
settle with - be SURE to keep it updated (I recommend at least daily) and
perform a full scan periodically (yes, most protect you actively, but a
full scan once a month at 4AM probably won't bother you.)


Tip (10):
The most rampant infestation at the current time concerns SPYWARE/ADWARE.
You need to eliminate it from your machine.

There is no one software that cleans and immunizes you against
everything. Antivirus software - you only needed one. Firewall, you
only needed one. AntiSpyware - you will need several. I have a list and
I recommend you use at least the first five.

First - make sure you have NOT installed "Rogue AntiSpyware". There are
people out there who created AntiSpyware products that actually install
spyware of their own! You need to avoid these:

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Also, you can always visit this site..
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
For more updated information.

Install the first five of these: (Install, Run, Update, Scan with..)
(If you already have one or more - uninstall them and download the
LATEST version from the page given!)

Lavasoft AdAware (Free and up)
http://www.lavasoft.de/support/download/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdn )

Spybot Search and Destroy (Free!)
http://www.safer-networking.net/en/download/index.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/atdk )

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner (Free!)
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate3 )

SpywareBlaster (Free!)
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate6 )

IE-SPYAD2 (Free!)
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/ate7 )

CWShredder Stand-Alone (Free!)
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html

Hijack This! (Free!)
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
(Log Analyzer: http://hjt.iamnotageek.com/ )

ToolbarCop (Free!)
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/toolbarcop.htm

Microsoft AntiSpyware BETA (in testing stages - Free!)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/
(How-to: http://snipurl.com/fqur )

Browser Security Tests (Free Tester)
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

Popup Tester (Free Tester)
http://www.popuptest.com/

The Cleaner (~$49.95 and up)
http://www.moosoft.com/

Sometimes you need to install the application and reboot into SAFE MODE in
order to thoroughly clean your computer. Many applications also have
(or are) immunization applications. Spybot Search and Destroy and
SpywareBlaster are two that currently do the best job at passively
protecting your system from malware. None of these programs (in these
editions) run in the background unless you TELL them to. The space they
take up and how easy they are to use greatly makes up for any inconvenience
you may be feeling.

Please notice that Windows XP SP2 does help stop popups as well.

Another option is to use an alternative Web browser. I suggest
'Mozilla Firefox', as it has some great features and is very easy to use:

Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/


So your machine is pretty clean and up to date now. If you use the sections
above as a guide, it should stay that way as well! There are still a few
more things you can do to keep your machine running in top shape.


Tip (11):
You should periodically check your hard drive(s) for errors and defragment
them. Only defragment after you have cleaned up your machine of
outside parasites and never defragment as a solution to a quirkiness in
your system. It may help speed up your system, but it should be clean
before you do this. Do these things IN ORDER...

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848

I would personally perform the above steps at least once every three months.
For most people this should be sufficient, but if the difference you notice
afterwards is greater than you think it should be, lessen the time in
between its schedule.. If the difference you notice is negligible, you can
increase the time.


Tip (12):
SPAM! JUNK MAIL!
This one can get annoying, just like the rest. You get 50 emails in one
sitting and 2 of them you wanted. NICE! (Not.) What can you do? Well,
although there are services out there to help you, some email
servers/services that actually do lower your spam with features built into
their servers - I still like the methods that let you be the end-decision
maker on what is spam and what is not. I have two products to suggest to
you, look at them and see if either of them suite your needs. Again, if
they don't, Google is free and available for your perusal.

SpamBayes (Free!)
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

Spamihilator (Free!)
http://www.spamihilator.com/

As I said, those are not your only options, but are reliable ones I have
seen function for hundreds+ people.


Tip (13):
ADVANCED TIP! Only do this once you are comfortable under the hood of your
computer!

There are lots of services on your PC that are probably turned on by default
you don't use. Why have them on? Check out these web pages to see what all
of the services you might find on your computer are and set them according
to your personal needs. Be CAREFUL what you set to manual, and take heed
and write down as you change things! Also, don't expect a large performance
increase or anything - especially on today's 2+ GHz machines, however - I
look at each service you set to manual as one less service you have to worry
about someone exploiting.

Configuring Services
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/services.html

Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm

Processes in Windows NT/2000/XP
http://www.reger24.de/prozesse/

There are also applications that AREN'T services that startup when you start
up the computer/logon. One of the better description on how to handle these
I have found here:

Startups
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php


If you follow the advice laid out above (and do some of your own research as
well, so you understand what you are doing) - your computer will stay fairly
stable and secure and you will have a more trouble-free system.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
 

galen

Distinguished
May 24, 2004
1,879
0
19,780
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

In news:1BE478D2-6580-42CA-B6B8-CB1592464C68@microsoft.com,
ulillillia <ulillillia@discussions.microsoft.com> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:


> Can I install XP on my computer and
> my dad's computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)?

No.

> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?

Not likely.

> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer
> to go slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable
> this to speed up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.

Control Panel > Classic View > System > Advanced tab > Performance settings
> tick Adjust for best performance.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hi,

Two computers need two licenses regardless of the number of users (and the
number of users per machine can be a lot more than 5). You can buy one CD
and purchase an additional license.

WindowsXP Professional additional licenses:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp

WindowsXP Home additional licenses:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/addlic.asp

These can only be used with retail versions of WindowsXP, so do not purchase
a slightly cheaper OEM version if you want to go this route. If you but OEM,
buy two of them.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"ulillillia" <ulillillia@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1BE478D2-6580-42CA-B6B8-CB1592464C68@microsoft.com...
>I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at home.
>My
> dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far more often. It
> seems
> that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to five users. My mom rarely
> uses
> the computer and that's about it. Three users, two computers.
>
> The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and my
> dad's
> computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)? Only three
> users
> will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to upgrade from Windows 98 SE
> as
> I'm reading about a lot of minuses about it, especially memory management.
>
> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?
>
> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer to go
> slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable this to
> speed
> up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Rats. I was hoping that I could install it on multiple computers. I've seen
XP for $200, way too pricy for me to handle. That's one of the big negatives
about XP, the price. It's also more prone to viruses as well (hackers target
it far more than 98). Since I do happen to have Windows 98 SE (as I'm using
it right now, have been since like Dec 1999), how much would an upgrade to XP
cost? $189 (knowing 98 is so old, the upgrade wouldn't be that effective)?
I also know that there's XP Home and XP Pro. What's the difference?

I keep my computer quite tidy, except for user-created temporary files
(files not created by Windows in normal means, but solely by the user, such
as BMP files of old textures that have been replaces, ZIP tests from Winzip
(to test compression), and other old files that have been replaced or were
mainly for backup from having to do a big change.

Defragging takes forever. I never use it for this reason. When I was doing
a defrag, 7 hours later, only 17% was completed. Only 7 gigs of files were
to be defragged, about 8500 of which are BMP files (for animation frames
within the my documents directory alone). I was too tired so I had to cancel
it. At that rate, it would easily have taken a few days to finish. Knowing
how much I use the computer, this isn't worth it. I really don't notice much
of a speed change anyway.... I work with baby files, stuff usually no more
than 1 megabyte in size.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Windows XP Home supports up to 5 concurrent connections to the computer, not
5 users or 5 installs on different computers.

Windows XP Professional supports up to 10 concurrent connections to the
computer, not 10 users or 10 installs on different computers.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!


"ulillillia" <ulillillia@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1BE478D2-6580-42CA-B6B8-CB1592464C68@microsoft.com...
>I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at home.
>My
> dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far more often. It
> seems
> that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to five users. My mom rarely
> uses
> the computer and that's about it. Three users, two computers.
>
> The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and my
> dad's
> computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)? Only three
> users
> will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to upgrade from Windows 98 SE
> as
> I'm reading about a lot of minuses about it, especially memory management.
>
> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?
>
> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer to go
> slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable this to
> speed
> up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

ulillillia wrote:
> I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at
> home. My dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far
> more often. It seems that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to
> five users. My mom rarely uses the computer and that's about it.
> Three users, two computers.
>
> The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and
> my dad's computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)?
> Only three users will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to
> upgrade from Windows 98 SE as I'm reading about a lot of minuses
> about it, especially memory management.
>
> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?
>
> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer
> to go slower from more processor usage. Is there a way I can disable
> this to speed up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.

Licensing question aside, since all anyone can do is give you their
interpretation of it, if you have a computer designed to run Windows 9x,
then running XP on it, even with it strip to the bones will run slower,
than 9x.

The best time to upgrade your OS is when you get a new computer.

Now as for licensing, MS's EULA is not a law unto itself, just like
every other contract is NOT a law unto itself. The final authority of
its meaning, is not you, not MS, and not all those here so willing to
present their interpretation of the EULA as an established fact. The
final authority is that of a court of law. In the thirteen years since
MS has added its One Computer term to Windows, they have yet to try to
get a court to enforce it on one single private individual, as MS knows
that they don't have a very good case. You see, MS's software is
copyrighted material, and as such, you, as a individual, have "fair use"
rights to the copyrighted material you have legal access to, so MS's
EULA claims to usurp your "fair use" rights in your home, through a
post-sale shrink-wrap license, has yet to be established, so until MS
gets the balls to prove its CLAIMS, you have every right under the law
to follow your own interpretation of your "fair use" rights in the
privacy of your own home.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I'm in the slow process of upgrading my custom-built computer. I've got a
new hard drive coming (mainly for speed reasons, capacity isn't my concern)
and it should arrive on Monday or Tuesday. I've got a mix of old and new
hardware, mostly new. My floppy drive is the oldest piece of hardware. It's
7 years old and boy is it noisy, so noisy that it can be heard halfway across
the house with ease (though faint (5 dB)). The next oldest is my hard drive
and keyboard being 5 1/2 years old. Newer yet is either the processor or the
8x CD burner drive. I have a 1.05 GHz Duron processor (and plan to upgrade
to 2.0 GHz, but this means having to get another motherboard.... You don't
really see anything less than 2.0 GHz nowadays.). My other stuff was
designed for XP, my Radeon 9600 XT I got about a half a year ago works quite
well.

"kurttrail" wrote:

> Licensing question aside, since all anyone can do is give you their
> interpretation of it, if you have a computer designed to run Windows 9x,
> then running XP on it, even with it strip to the bones will run slower,
> than 9x.
>
> The best time to upgrade your OS is when you get a new computer.
>
> Now as for licensing, MS's EULA is not a law unto itself, just like
> every other contract is NOT a law unto itself. The final authority of
> its meaning, is not you, not MS, and not all those here so willing to
> present their interpretation of the EULA as an established fact. The
> final authority is that of a court of law. In the thirteen years since
> MS has added its One Computer term to Windows, they have yet to try to
> get a court to enforce it on one single private individual, as MS knows
> that they don't have a very good case. You see, MS's software is
> copyrighted material, and as such, you, as a individual, have "fair use"
> rights to the copyrighted material you have legal access to, so MS's
> EULA claims to usurp your "fair use" rights in your home, through a
> post-sale shrink-wrap license, has yet to be established, so until MS
> gets the balls to prove its CLAIMS, you have every right under the law
> to follow your own interpretation of your "fair use" rights in the
> privacy of your own home.
>
> --
> Peace!
> Kurt
> Self-anointed Moderator
> microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
> http://microscum.com/mscommunity
> "Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
> "Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
>
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

ulillillia wrote:
> Rats. I was hoping that I could install it on multiple computers.
> I've seen XP for $200, way too pricy for me to handle. That's one of
> the big negatives about XP, the price. It's also more prone to
> viruses as well (hackers target it far more than 98). Since I do
> happen to have Windows 98 SE (as I'm using it right now, have been
> since like Dec 1999), how much would an upgrade to XP cost? $189
> (knowing 98 is so old, the upgrade wouldn't be that effective)? I
> also know that there's XP Home and XP Pro. What's the difference?
>
> I keep my computer quite tidy, except for user-created temporary files
> (files not created by Windows in normal means, but solely by the
> user, such as BMP files of old textures that have been replaces, ZIP
> tests from Winzip (to test compression), and other old files that
> have been replaced or were mainly for backup from having to do a big
> change.
>
> Defragging takes forever. I never use it for this reason. When I
> was doing a defrag, 7 hours later, only 17% was completed. Only 7
> gigs of files were to be defragged, about 8500 of which are BMP files
> (for animation frames within the my documents directory alone). I
> was too tired so I had to cancel it. At that rate, it would easily
> have taken a few days to finish. Knowing how much I use the
> computer, this isn't worth it. I really don't notice much of a speed
> change anyway.... I work with baby files, stuff usually no more than
> 1 megabyte in size.

http://www.microscum.com/mmpafaq/

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hi,

Yep, it's not cheap. As kurttrail has mentioned, you want to carefully
consider whether or not to upgrade a Win98 system. WinXP needs lots of space
and lots of ram to run decently. Another consideration is attached
peripherals - are there XP compatible ones available? If not, some of your
hardware may not work. Also, if your Win98 system was preinstalled, it may
have proprietary hardware requiring drivers not available in the retail
version of WinXP. You may want to check with the system manufacturer for
compatibility.

Defragging delays in a Win98 system are usually caused by interference from
software writing to the drive. Each time it happens, the process restarts. I
would suggest killing all tasks except explorer using ctrl+alt+delete, and
disabling the screensaver before trying to run it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"ulillillia" <ulillillia@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:22E852D7-6B91-41FD-8743-C50DAC8FB6BE@microsoft.com...
> Rats. I was hoping that I could install it on multiple computers. I've
> seen
> XP for $200, way too pricy for me to handle. That's one of the big
> negatives
> about XP, the price. It's also more prone to viruses as well (hackers
> target
> it far more than 98). Since I do happen to have Windows 98 SE (as I'm
> using
> it right now, have been since like Dec 1999), how much would an upgrade to
> XP
> cost? $189 (knowing 98 is so old, the upgrade wouldn't be that
> effective)?
> I also know that there's XP Home and XP Pro. What's the difference?
>
> I keep my computer quite tidy, except for user-created temporary files
> (files not created by Windows in normal means, but solely by the user,
> such
> as BMP files of old textures that have been replaces, ZIP tests from
> Winzip
> (to test compression), and other old files that have been replaced or were
> mainly for backup from having to do a big change.
>
> Defragging takes forever. I never use it for this reason. When I was
> doing
> a defrag, 7 hours later, only 17% was completed. Only 7 gigs of files
> were
> to be defragged, about 8500 of which are BMP files (for animation frames
> within the my documents directory alone). I was too tired so I had to
> cancel
> it. At that rate, it would easily have taken a few days to finish.
> Knowing
> how much I use the computer, this isn't worth it. I really don't notice
> much
> of a speed change anyway.... I work with baby files, stuff usually no
> more
> than 1 megabyte in size.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

ulillillia wrote:
> I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at home. My
> dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far more often. It seems
> that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to five users. My mom rarely uses
> the computer and that's about it. Three users, two computers.
>
> The question is simple though. Can I install XP on my computer and my dad's
> computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)? Only three users
> will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to upgrade from Windows 98 SE as
> I'm reading about a lot of minuses about it, especially memory management.
>


You seem to be confused permitted network connections with installation
licenses. The two are completely unrelated. WinXP Home permits up to
five simultaneous inbound network connections to the computer on which
it's installed, while WinXP Pro permits up to 10 such connections.
However, you still need to purchase a separate WinXP license for each
computer on which you install it.

Just as it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating
systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and U.S.
copyright law http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/117.html), if not
technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer on which it
is installed. (Consult an attorney versed in copyright law to determine
final applicability in your locale.) The only way in which WinXP
licensing differs from that of earlier versions of Windows is that
Microsoft has finally added a copy protection and anti-theft mechanism,
Product Activation, to prevent (or at least make more difficult)
multiple installations using a single license.


> Also, I develop games using Gamestudio. Would games run faster in XP
> without anything in the way of a hardware change?
>


That would depend entirely upon the design and coding of each game.


> Finally, XP has all those fades and stuff - they cause the computer to go
> slower from more processor usage.


Only if you have a video adapter that's under-powered and/or lacks
sufficient RAM of its own.


> Is there a way I can disable this to speed
> up my computer? To me, speed is the name of the game.


If speed is your sole goal, upgrade your hardware. Also, WinXP's
eye-candy can be turned off to help a bit, if you've inadequate hardware:

To help improve WinXP's performance on older machines:

1) Right-click the Task Bar > Properties > Start Menu, ensure "Classic
Start menu" is selected.

2) Right-click an empty spot on the Desktop > Properties > Themes >
select "Windows Classic."

3) Right-click My Computer > Properties > Performance > Settings >
Visual Effects, ensure "Adjust for best performance" is selected.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Bruce Chambers wrote:
> ulillillia wrote:
>> I don't have the license with me, however, I have two computers at
>> home. My dad uses his and I use my own as I use the computer far
>> more often. It seems that, from what I can tell, XP supports up to
>> five users. My mom rarely uses the computer and that's about it.
>> Three users, two computers. The question is simple though. Can I
>> install XP on my computer and
>> my dad's computer using the same CD (we only have one CD available)?
>> Only three users will be using it, below the limit. I'd like to
>> upgrade from Windows 98 SE as I'm reading about a lot of minuses
>> about it, especially memory management.
>
>
> You seem to be confused permitted network connections with
> installation licenses. The two are completely unrelated. WinXP Home
> permits up to five simultaneous inbound network connections to the
> computer on which it's installed, while WinXP Pro permits up to 10
> such connections. However, you still need to purchase a separate
> WinXP license for each computer on which you install it.
>
> Just as it has *always* been with *all* Microsoft operating
> systems, it's necessary (to be in compliance with both the EULA and
> U.S. copyright law http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/117.html),
> if not technically) to purchase one WinXP license for each computer
> on which it is installed. (Consult an attorney versed in copyright
> law to determine final applicability in your locale.) <snip>

Yes, please consult a lawyer, if you cannot see for yourself that Bruce
is also a big fat liar. He uses a law that is a limitation on the
exclusive rights of the copyright owner, like Microsoft, and falsely
presents it as a limitation on you an owner of a copy of software.

http://tinyurl.com/hhjj - 314 times with your previous incarnation, "to
be in compliance with both the EULA and copyright laws."
http://snipurl.com/d81h - 146 times with your latest incarnation, "to be
in compliance with both the EULA and U.S. copyright."


The title of the Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 117 is "Limitations on
exclusive rights: Computer programs"


And under copyright law that only group that has "exclusive rights" are
COPYRIGHT OWNERS, like Microsoft.


But Brucey doesn't care about purposefully repeating his false
statements. He is a propagandist in the same mold as Goebels. Repeat
something often enough, and people will begin to believe, no matter how
much of a lie it really is.


--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
 

Alias

Distinguished
Apr 3, 2004
790
0
18,980
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

> ulillillia wrote:

> change.
>
> Defragging takes forever. I never use it for this reason.

You are asking for problems. Try defragging it in Safe Mode.

Alias