[Guitar King]

hey guys.

I own a legal copy of Windows XP Pro which I installed on two of my computers one of which also was a dual boot to Linux.

After deciding I really did not like linux, I decided to wipe the hard drive and do a clean install of Windows XP. I did NOT de-authenticate windows XP.

So now I have one computer with XP, one with a clean HDD and one iMac I bought last week. I thought I would install XP with boot camp. I used the same XP install disc. After the instaltion, I found out that you can only authenticate two copys of XP per disc, even though XP is only on one computer because the other one has been wiped clean. How can I regain this lost authaticion to use for my mac?

Thanks

[ozrom1e]

This is a first time I have heard of having two authentications on one windows XP disk. I always thought it was one per computer per disk. I would suggest calling Microsoft to get the installation authenticated on the iMac if it will work. I still think that it is one authentication per disk on one computer.

Could you post the article that gives you permission to authenticate windows xp on two machines.

[The Hound]

I haven't met the Windows EULA yet that allows the O/S to be transferred to another machine...

[DoubleHelix]

Originally Posted by The Hound

I haven't met the Windows EULA yet that allows the O/S to be transferred to another machine...

Unless this is an OEM license tied to the original hardware, it can be reinstalled on a different system. You might have to activate over the phone.

[ozrom1e]

Original hardware on two different computers? Hmmm I wonder it does not sound legal to me but I have been wrong before.....

[Guitar King]

It is not an OEM version. ok, so I read the box and it says its only good for one PC. So I have no idea how I got it seamlessly on two PC's.

How do I deactivate it? I mean, one has it and the other has nothing on the drive and I think windows does not know that yet.

[ozrom1e]

Right now that you have it one only one computer you are running legal. The way to run legal on the other computer iMac is to purchase another windows xp disk and install it.

[Guitar King]

hmmmm, but that will be $100 dollars!

Is there anyway I can deactivate that one computer and use it on my mac?

[ozrom1e]

Yes it is called format the drive and get rid of it.

[Guitar King]

But would that actually de-register it? or would Microsoft still think I have it?

[booga007]

hmmm... a friend of mine looked into licensing, and the fine print says something to the effect of, you can run the OS on 2 machines, IF 1 is a desktop and the other a notebook/laptop that only get used if your desktop is not on at the same time... not too sure if this is 100% correct tho...

Soon as its activated M$ knows someone has it, and is using it, yes, if you reinstall it to a diff machine you have the responsibility to wipe the old drive, but with a retail pack, its yours to do what you want with...

[ozrom1e]

Microsoft would still think you have it because it is still yours and you did authenticate it but since you removed it from your computer you now do not have it installed on any computer thus enabling you to legally install it on the other computer. Actually this de-authenticating is something that we here at TSG are not allowed to cover because it is considered hacking the OS and against the rules here at TSG...

[booga007]

So a sysprep is against the rules??

We image and sysprep here at work all the time...

[DoubleHelix]

booga007, I assume you do this with a volume license. The poster doesn't have one since home users can't buy them. Using sysprep, which is just a preparation utility, doesn't allow multiple installations.

There is no such thing as "de-activating" which is where the confusion is. You wipe your current system and install it on the Mac. When prompted to activate, if you can't do so on the Internet, you call Microsoft and tell them you removed it from the other computer. I don't know of anyone who's had a problem doing so, and it's certainly not illegal, piracy, or anything untoward.

[Guitar King]

ok I figured it out. The reason it worked on two machines is because one was an upgrade from 98, and the other was a stand-alone install.
The problem is that Microsoft still thinks the Stand-alone machine has XP on it even though its clean.
This means I can not activate the Mac version because it says its already in use.

What should I do about that? I'm not trying to "hack" the OS, I just want to move what I own to another machine.