License

[Brian]

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

Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
multiple computers.

 

[Guest]

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

Brian wrote:
> Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
> windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
> multiple computers.


Are all of the computers identical, hardware-wise? If not, your scheme
is very probably technically impossible, setting aside any licensing issues.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
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[Guest]

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

Unless you have the driver base built up for the "multi machine" setup, this
would be difficult at best simply because you'd have to do in-place upgrades
all the time.

Besides that I think windows licensing states one computer at one time, I
also believe it states that licenses are not transferable but I am not sure
if that applies to user transfers or computer transfers.

*shrug*
Nathan

"Brian" <Brian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F515BE48-57AF-4291-9B7F-DE3F58F228D5@microsoft.com...
> Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
> windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
> multiple computers.

 

[Guest]

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

"Brian" <Brian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F515BE48-57AF-4291-9B7F-DE3F58F228D5@microsoft.com...
> Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
> windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
> multiple computers.

No.

Please read the EULA that accompanies Windows XP.
You can view this by Start ... Run ... winver and click the link.

You agreed to be bound by this License Agreement when you installed the
product.
You may receive conflicting advice from others who may respond to your post
(it is unlikely that any of them are lawyers with appropriate knowledge of
software licensing etc).
If you are unsure about the legal implications of the licensing of this
product you agreed to, then you should seek professional advice.

The appropriate section from a Windows XP Professional EULA is

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. Microsoft grants you the following rights
provided that you comply with all terms and conditions of
this EULA:

* Installation and use. You may install, use, access,
display and run one copy of the Product on a single
computer, such as a workstation, terminal or other device
("Workstation Computer")


So your attempt to use the software on multiple computers is in breach of
this license irrespective of you using only one harddrive and moving it
around. (if you just move the drive to dissimilar hardware you may have to
do a repair install on each machine each time you try and boot fro the disk
after it has been in another PC.)

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

"Brian" <Brian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F515BE48-57AF-4291-9B7F-DE3F58F228D5@microsoft.com...
> Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
> windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
> multiple computers.

 

[Guest]

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

Jim,

If have some concerns about our EULA you should seek professional advice
rather then depend on the personal opinions and untrained interpretations of
legal finding of some other person.
If you press "I agree" then you do exactly that.
--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

 

[Guest]

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

"Brian" <Brian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Can I boot multiple computers from the same removeable hard drive using
>windows XP? I would like to use the same hard drive and windows copy in
>multiple computers.

A retail license may be freely transferred from computer to computer
to computer to computer as the license owner sees fit, provided only
that the license is ever installed on a single computer at any one
point in time.

An OEM license is permanently locked to the first computer it is
installed on and cannot be legitimately transferred to another
computer under any circumstances, even if the first computer is
destroyed, stolen, lost or scrapped.

So if you have a retail license for Windows XP then you can do as you
wish. However doing so will almost certainly prove to be more trouble
than it is worth.

Each time you move the hard drive to a different computer you will
have to do a Repair Install of Windows XP
(http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm) and then you will
almost certainly have to activate Windows manually by telephone. Note
that if you are certain that you will be moving the hard drive to yet
another computer within 30 days then you can safely ignore the
activation reminders. But there is no way to avoid the need for a
Repair Install unless the various computers are all identical in terms
of motherboard make and model, video card make and model, amount of
RAM, and so forth.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm