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maybe I need something better to do, or this upset me a little.

anyone who has delt with MS licensing (OR OTHER propritary licenses) find that the company and or the coustomers are always confised on this matter.

in a artical I read http://www.theregister.com/2006/02/17/microsoft_oem_shocker/

Microsoft states that if you bought an OEM computer (dell, HP ect..)

and you replace the mother board, you need a new license to run windws..

so this means that the licesnse you have is for that computer only and not for the software. meaning if your dell melts down.. and you build a new system you do not have a license for windows (this is not new.. just most don't think of it this way)

but a step further, you upgrade the dell to a new MB you also nolonger have license to use windows anymore..

yoru thoughts?

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I almost posted this link yesterday, but quit midpost. I thought it is rediculous.

edit added later//

never once have I advocated pirating software, even Windows. After this further restriction, I lost any bit of sympathy(about people stealing it) for them. Now they want you to purchase mulitple licences for the same computer.

Edited by shanenin
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That why you can buy those throw away computers so cheap. You're not actually paying for the full rights to the OS. I can't complain about the price of Windows. If you get 10 years out of the product it doesn't really cost that much per year. People will spend over $300 for a graphic card that may die after the warranty is up in 1 year. To me the cheapest part of a PC is the OS. Think about it. With a Mac you need to purchase each upgrade to it's OS. I've gotten my value out of 98SE and will purchase XP Pro shortly. Right now I can get it for around $120. I used to blow more than that on a weekend's drunk.

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That why you can buy those throw away computers so cheap. You're not actually paying for the full rights to the OS. I can't complain about the price of Windows. If you get 10 years out of the product it doesn't really cost that much per year. People will spend over $300 for a graphic card that may die after the warranty is up in 1 year. To me the cheapest part of a PC is the OS. Think about it. With a Mac you need to purchase each upgrade to it's OS. I've gotten my value out of 98SE and will purchase XP Pro shortly. Right now I can get it for around $120. I used to blow more than that on a weekend's drunk.

Well put.

If you had a REAL copy and had this problem, MS would fix it for you for FREE...

Edited by MrBill
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That why you can buy those throw away computers so cheap. You're not actually paying for the full rights to the OS. I can't complain about the price of Windows. If you get 10 years out of the product it doesn't really cost that much per year. People will spend over $300 for a graphic card that may die after the warranty is up in 1 year. To me the cheapest part of a PC is the OS. Think about it. With a Mac you need to purchase each upgrade to it's OS. I've gotten my value out of 98SE and will purchase XP Pro shortly. Right now I can get it for around $120. I used to blow more than that on a weekend's drunk.

These are good points..

I never pay anything for my OS (as I use Linux and my work buys my windows License for me)

but with some systems the OS is no cheep cost

atx-mini $89

30 gig hd $45

case $35

windows xp $150 (upgrade)

as for Mac OS X, my upgrades cost me $25 (student.. always stay in one class to keep the discounts..at this rate it will take me 10 years to get my masters..:)0

it iratates me that if you pull the drive from said computer and move it to a difftent computer you loose the license to run the OS... (I guess this would mean for VMware also)

I have yet to get 10 years out of any os (windows 98 se came out in 1999 or 2000 right) that would be 5 years..

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Does it apply to the computer I built myself? I bought an OEM version of the XP pro. If that is the case, I'll buy retail version if I ever build a second machine.

No.

That's the reason I started building my own systems. As long as any changes aren't to close together. you can slowly replace everything and have a complete new one. And everything works out OK.

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98SE came out in 1999. The support ends June 30th. I have all of the updates saved to burn to a CD plus 3 hard dives with it installed along with the updates to ghost from. I'll get more than 10 years use of it. I still have my original 95 disk and have it loaded to a couple of hard drives that were updated. Every so often I fire up my old 233MMX setup. My great-niece has my old custom built AMD K6-2 450MHz PC that is running 98SE. I ask her if she wants me to upgrade and she says no way. I actually paid more for 98SE than I did for XP Home OEM that I use to repair computers with.

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it iratates me that if you pull the drive from said computer and move it to a difftent computer you loose the license to run the OS... (I guess this would mean for VMware also)

OK, because I'm a noob--isn't pulling a drive and putting it in another computer frequently used for diagnosing problems? If so, then you lose the license by trying to either fix your idiot box or fix someone else's idiot box? That doesn't seem fair.

Liz

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Does it apply to the computer I built myself? I bought an OEM version of the XP pro. If that is the case, I'll buy retail version if I ever build a second machine.

according to the OEM license if you bought it with a pice of hardware and replace tha tpice of hardware .. then yes you lose your license..

reading here http://members.microsoft.com/partner/india...er/default.aspx

would also tell you it is no longer leagal to buy an OEM version by buying just a harddrive, as an opend OEM pack can only be sold to another OEM builder that can be tracked that they did build a compleate systems that follows the OEM rules (relpace MD no license)

I called MS today and got the answer that you will be directed to your OEM distribter if you replace the mother board and get teh message to register your XP (happend to my last week), but I have a enterprise edition from my company, so I just call my company SA holder and clear it up.

so If you buy XP OEM and build a system and upgrade the mother board Microsofts new standard is to not help you but to tell you to talk to who you got the software from.

EDIT------------------------

Beginning in August 2005, you can acquire Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 in packs of one instead of the previous 3-pack minimum.

so make sure you get a sealed pack of one.. or the above applies

Edited by iccaros
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I bought a three pack(xp home) a month or two ago. Am I able to sell the indivdual sealed OSs with a piece of hardware to other people? Can I sell an indivdiual OS with a piece of hardware, then install it for them?

My understanding is I am able to sell the whole box of three unopened without hardware.

I am confused :wacko:

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as for Mac OS X, my upgrades cost me $25 (student.. always stay in one class to keep the discounts..at this rate it will take me 10 years to get my masters..:)0

Find yourself a school that will give you an MSDNAA subscription... free licenses to nearly every version of Windows.

it iratates me that if you pull the drive from said computer and move it to a difftent computer you loose the license to run the OS... (I guess this would mean for VMware also)

Well, if it's an HP/Dell copy.

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Does it apply to the computer I built myself? I bought an OEM version of the XP pro. If that is the case, I'll buy retail version if I ever build a second machine.

according to the OEM license if you bought it with a pice of hardware and replace tha tpice of hardware .. then yes you lose your license..

reading here http://members.microsoft.com/partner/india...er/default.aspx

would also tell you it is no longer leagal to buy an OEM version by buying just a harddrive, as an opend OEM pack can only be sold to another OEM builder that can be tracked that they did build a compleate systems that follows the OEM rules (relpace MD no license)

I called MS today and got the answer that you will be directed to your OEM distribter if you replace the mother board and get teh message to register your XP (happend to my last week), but I have a enterprise edition from my company, so I just call my company SA holder and clear it up.

so If you buy XP OEM and build a system and upgrade the mother board Microsofts new standard is to not help you but to tell you to talk to who you got the software from."

I am afraid it'll come down to that way. In essence, I'll have to buy another licence. Try to tell a person on the order desk that you need a new XP code because you replace a motherboard.......Good luck.

Edited by Chappy
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I had an hp computer that came with windows. I am currenty running linux on it. I built a new computer, and just used the key from the hp computer to install windows. I told microsoft what I did and they allowed me to activate it. At the time I thought that was totally ok, but obviouly it was not. I wonder why they activated it for me.

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Microsoft OEM Licensing FAQ

As I understand it for those who buy a copy of WinXP OEM and build their own computer the OEM operating system is tied to the motherboard. You cannot reuse the license if you change/upgrade the motherboard unless you install the exact motherboard or you have installed a different motherboard because of damage and you could not find an original match. Now if you purchased a pre-built computer that the OEM operating system was installed by the manufacturer it is their responsibilty with dealing with the change not Microsoft. You can change he motherboard on a pre-built computer but only if you use the same model. A computer manufacturer such as Dull. Conpuke/HPuke, Gagway and etc. use a cloned copy of the OS and create a restore disk. This is not transferable to another computer. The OEM disk you purchase to use on your own build is yours.

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IT COSTS MICROSOFT ABOUT 2 BUCKS A DISC TO SELL!!! (disgruntled moaning)

It's not the disc your paying for, it's the information on the disc your paying for.

It's the work of all those involved with creating the operating system plus all of the other overhead you are paying for. When you buy a car you are paying for the "copy" of the original design. The original cost millions upon millions to create but you can pay substantially less for the "copy". If the "copy" is not sold within a certain time period when first released you can purchase it for less due to it's age even though it was never used. This is pretty much true with any item manufactured.

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It's not the disc your paying for, it's the information on the disc your paying for.

It's the license. The disc costs a couple cents and the information is free. The legal right to use the information on the other hand.... (Actually I think the it's only the permission to install the system that's provided by the EULA. You have a right to use a legally installed system even without agreeing to the licence.)

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according to wikipedia what you're paying for is an estimated 50,000,000 lines of code thrown together by a bunch of expensive coders which still contain some 16 bit stuff from win 3.1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_lines_of_code

1990 Windows 3.1 3

1995 Windows NT 4

1997 Windows 95 15

1998 Windows NT 4.0 16

1999 Windows 98 18

2000 Windows NT 5.0 20

2001 Windows 2000 35

2002 Windows XP 40

2006 Windows Vista 50

I'm not responible if this info is inaccurate.

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IT COSTS MICROSOFT ABOUT 2 BUCKS A DISC TO SELL!!! (disgruntled moaning)

Good thing MS has no expenses related to programming, research, support, employees, real estate, taxes, etc. or else it would cost even more than two bucks.

Yah....like $2.75 maybe...;)

It must cost close to a billion dollars to create, engineer, test, re-engineer, re-test, re-re-engineer, re-re-test, market, and produce an Operating System in today's coporate environment. Think of the 1000's of employees and the 1000's of hours each one puts into making these OS's available, not to mention all the related costs of doing business, and you'll understand why XP costs almost $200 when first released.

On the MoBo change issue tho, thats ridiculous!

If I had to change MoBo's, I would certainly call MS and lie to them to get my copy activated again...it's not like you're using it on more than one machine, which would be against the license rules, it's still one copy-one machine so I wouldn't feel bad about it at all. It's still your machine, just with new parts..

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