Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (
More info?)
In article <PiLXd.7364$C47.484@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com>, dgREMOVE-
THIS1261@cs.com says...
>
> "Brad Licatesi" <brad@pitt.jennifer> wrote:
> > > > One further thought. It was reported that MS is going to require
> > > > owners of the top 20 manufacturers to call in and voice activate
> > > > their Windows installation if they format and clean install.
> > > >
> > > >
>
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1738&ncid=1209&e=6&u=/zd/20050223/tc_zd/146474
> >
> > If you buy a single share of voting stock in Dell you get a lot of
> > interesting information...
> >
> > For example, Dell has an agreement with Microsoft that allows Dell
> > to ship Windows XP CDs that do NOT require activation if the XP
> > installer can find the service tag in your Dell BIOS. This only works
> > for the "first" copy of XP installed on your system. If you install a
> > second copy on your system (in a different folder or partition) then
> > you are prompted for the activation key.
> >
> > The new Microsoft policy does not effect Dell under these conditions.
>
> Interesting post, Brad. Is the second copy actually spelled out in the
> agreement, or is that an interpretation or extrapolation? (That's a
> question, not a challenge.)
It's what I was told by a senior manager at a Dell stockholders meeting.
I have not personally see the agreement myself.
> Does it mention anything about the legitimacy of using two copies on the
> same system? I'm a bit surprised if it does, because over on various XP
> newgroups, including microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, there seems to be
> longstanding and widespread disagreement, even amongst the MS-MVPs, as to
> whether the XP license allows you to legally use two installations on the
> same PC. Granted, Dell's OEM agreement may be different, but I'd be
> surprised if they had the foresight to address this issue when it seems to
> have been overlooked everywhere else.
I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I always
"understood" that Windows is licenses for use on a single PC. If it's
installed more than once on the same PC, I believe that it doesn't
violate Microsoft's license agreement. I could be wrong.
I have a removable IDE tray on my computer and I have the same copy
(license) of XP running (booting) on three different hard drives, each
one configured differently for different tasks. I believe that since I
use them strictly in the same PC, I am within Microsoft's rules.
I should point out that if you are running something like VMWARE then
technically you are diving your hardware into "more than one PC" and you
would need a second license to run XP inside of XP. At least, in my
opinion.
> BTW, do you mean activation key, or product license key? The license key
> would be that 25-character code you (sometimes) need to get XP installed in
> the first place. The activation key would be what you (sometimes) need to
> keep using XP after 30 days. I've multibooted several copies of the same
> Dell/XP installation on a single PC and have never had to activate any of
> them, so am trying to reconcile my experience with your information.
I mean the "license key". The Dell version of XP will only ask you for
the license key if you install it in a seperate folder (as a second
copy). I have seen a few exceptions. I had a client who couldn't boot
XP, kept getting blue screens. Couldn't boot into safe mode either. XP
was corrupted. I installed his XP in a second folder so that we could
back up his files before re-installing/reformatting from scratch and I
wasn't asked for the license key. Of course, we didn't run it long
enough to get asked about activation, just long enough to back up his
files.
an.2005.03.05.03.50.49.487713@nowhere.lan: 
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