Quick XP usage legality question

C

Craftish

Gawd
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
675
I have a new system on the way soon: do I need another copy of XP for it or is it legal to use the same one as that which is on my other PC? I know this used to be perfectly fine for limited home use on multiple systems, but I just wanted to double check.
 
Legally you need one license per PC. Which is what the whole activation scheme is about.
 
I don't know that it was ever fine for any circumstance including limited home use, just there was no activation process to stop/slow people from doing it before.
 
Darkstar850 said:
I don't know that it was ever fine for any circumstance including limited home use, just there was no activation process to stop/slow people from doing it before.
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:rolleyes: I thought you where allowed to install the same WinXP on up to four computers
in the same location (ie: home)..

ex: So that I could install it on My computer, wife's, child 1, child 2 computer's

Installs: mine, wife, child 1, child 2

Four installations of WinXP with the same disc, in the same house..

Or is that not alllowed anymore??
 
3WAYsplit said:
:rolleyes: I thought you where allowed to install the same WinXP on up to four computers
in the same location (ie: home)..

ex: So that I could install it on My computer, wife's, child 1, child 2 computer's

Installs: mine, wife, child 1, child 2

Four installations of WinXP with the same disc, in the same house..

Or is that not alllowed anymore??
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:confused:
 
3WAYsplit said:
:rolleyes: I thought you where allowed to install the same WinXP on up to four computers
in the same location (ie: home)..

ex: So that I could install it on My computer, wife's, child 1, child 2 computer's

Installs: mine, wife, child 1, child 2

Four installations of WinXP with the same disc, in the same house..

Or is that not alllowed anymore??
Click to expand...

As far as I know (could be wrong i guess) that was never allowed. I did hear some rumblings about the potential for "home site licenses," but I never heard anything come of that. May have just been internet rumor.
 
Thats what was benefit of WinXP home, and advertised when WinXP first came out.. :confused:

In my previous post I was referring to WinXP Home (OEM) as for the
"retail version" and Pro its one disc, one install.

Unless you bought more licenses for the other installs. :)
 
That multiple installs sounds a lot like the Office XP academic that use to contain a few licenses.
 
By "used to be legal" I was referring to the Win 3.1/95 days, when I'm almost positive you could legally install one copy on several home machines.
 
Taken from the windows XP EULA:

"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"). The product may not be used by more than two (2) processors at any one time on any single Workstation Computer."
 
Craftish said:
By "used to be legal" I was referring to the Win 3.1/95 days, when I'm almost positive you could legally install one copy on several home machines.
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Well, that was before my time with PCs (family only had Macs), but as spydermonkey posted, it is not allowed anymore.
 
Craftish said:
By "used to be legal" I was referring to the Win 3.1/95 days, when I'm almost positive you could legally install one copy on several home machines.
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I could be wrong but EULAs were a little more lenient but not to that degree. You were allowed to use it on only one machine at a time. It was never stated it was only licensed to be installed on one machine, just in use on one machine. You could install it on your desktop and laptop provided you didn't use them both at the same time.

I.E. If you installed it on your kid's machine and yours, you can use your machine with the kid's off/disconnected and vice-versa through that little loop-hole.
 
spydermonkey said:
Taken from the windows XP EULA:

"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"). The product may not be used by more than two (2) processors at any one time on any single Workstation Computer."
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Well how I read & understand this I guess I can. Since the computer set up Im referring to would not be setup as a workstation. They are up to 4 independant computers that would only be connected by just a router (for sharing
internet access).. No filesharing between any of the computers at all. Because the files on each computer will be used
for that particular computer only.. Also all the computers ywould be for in home use..




The_Mage18 said:
I could be wrong but EULAs were a little more lenient but not to that degree. You were allowed to use it on only one machine at a time. It was never stated it was only licensed to be installed on one machine, just in use on one machine. You could install it on your desktop and laptop provided you didn't use them both at the same time.

I.E. If you installed it on your kid's machine and yours, you can use your machine with the kid's off/disconnected and vice-versa through that little loop-hole.
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Well if I was typing up a report for school, and the children were a playing game on another computer it should/would be alright. As for doing the exact same thing on each computer would/should never happen.
 
Just try installing/registering it and if it works then dont worry bout it. Best not to give Microcrap any more money than needed :)

As for multiple puters in the same home using the one program, thats what Mac does, which is realistic and sensible as opposed to Microshit's approach designed to mooch money for a their crap product in every way possible.
 
3WAYsplit said:
Well how I read & understand this I guess I can. Since the computer set up Im referring to would not be setup as a workstation. They are up to 4 independant computers that would only be connected by just a router (for sharing
internet access).. No filesharing between any of the computers at all. Because the files on each computer will be used
for that particular computer only.. Also all the computers ywould be for in home use..

Well if I was typing up a report for school, and the children were a playing game on another computer it should/would be alright. As for doing the exact same thing on each computer would/should never happen.
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Microsoft EULA only allows for *one* licensed copy per computer. Have two computers? you should have two licensed copies, etc. It doesn't matter if they are networked or not, sharing files or not.

Microsoft AFAIK has never allowed for a single OS license to be installed on more than one computer concurrently.

MS Office has a different EULA which sometimes does allow more than one installation, but not concurrent usage.

FunkStar said:
Just try installing/registering it and if it works then dont worry bout it. Best not to give Microcrap any more money than needed :)

As for multiple puters in the same home using the one program, thats what Mac does, which is realistic and sensible as opposed to Microshit's approach designed to mooch money for a their crap product in every way possible.
Click to expand...

Microsoft does not control 3rd party software licensing, Check the majority of 3rd party software that runs on Windows and you'll see they also state that you should have one license per computer so it's just not Microsoft's policy of one license per computer.

Software development isn' t as cheap or as easy as you make it out to be.
 
FunkStar said:
Just try installing/registering it and if it works then dont worry bout it. Best not to give Microcrap any more money than needed :)
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This is illegal,and shouldn't be given as advice.

3WAYsplit said:
Well if I was typing up a report for school, and the children were a playing game on another computer it should/would be alright. As for doing the exact same thing on each computer would/should never happen.
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Wrong. Windows 98/ME/NT/2K/XP NEVER had a license that allowed you to install it on multiple machines legally. 1 copy per machine no matter what the machine is for. I believe the 3.1/95 licenses did allow it on multiple machines, but not with concurrent use.

You should be able to buy educational licenses anyway. They're cheap. The bookstore here at the college sells MS software for $15/disk. Eg. XP is one disk, so it's $15, Office Pemium is 4 disks, so it's $60.
 
FunkStar said:
Just try installing/registering it and if it works then dont worry bout it. Best not to give Microcrap any more money than needed :)

As for multiple puters in the same home using the one program, thats what Mac does, which is realistic and sensible as opposed to Microshit's approach designed to mooch money for a their crap product in every way possible.
Click to expand...

Maybe you need to stay over in the Mac forums eh?
 
3WAYsplit said:
Thats what was benefit of WinXP home, and advertised when WinXP first came out.. :confused:

In my previous post I was referring to WinXP Home (OEM) as for the
"retail version" and Pro its one disc, one install.

Unless you bought more licenses for the other installs. :)
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It has never been legal to install more then one copy of any OS from Microsoft without paying for additional licenses,, This goes back to DOS.

Things like installing it on computer A and B ,,but not using A while B is on or other such stuff is just not allowed.

With MS office you can,, DEPENDING on the version you buy. Retail licensing allows for a installation on a workstaion and 1 portable device( notenook)... There are also Home use programs that your company can offer if they are signed up with MS..
 
3WAYsplit said:
Thats what was benefit of WinXP home, and advertised when WinXP first came out.. :confused:

In my previous post I was referring to WinXP Home (OEM) as for the
"retail version" and Pro its one disc, one install.

Unless you bought more licenses for the other installs. :)
Click to expand...

What I remember hearing is that if you purchased one full version of Windows XP, MS would give you an ever so slight discount on a second license. I never looked into it though, so I don't know if or how much the discount was/is.
 
3WAYsplit said:
Well how I read & understand this I guess I can. Since the computer set up Im referring to would not be setup as a workstation. They are up to 4 independant computers that would only be connected by just a router (for sharing
internet access).. No filesharing between any of the computers at all. Because the files on each computer will be used
for that particular computer only.. Also all the computers would be for in home use.
Click to expand...
Um, by workstation they mean a computer. Workstation means a computer that isn't a server.
It wouldn't matter whether they were networked or not.
 
Re: Post #13

Dear Poster,

Thank you for the humor your have brought to my day. My eyes are still full of tears laughing at post #13. I know you can't possibly be serious, but I appreciate your dry sense of humor.

Keep up the posting!
 
You should be able to buy educational licenses anyway. They're cheap. The bookstore here at the college sells MS software for $15/disk. Eg. XP is one disk, so it's $15, Office Pemium is 4 disks, so it's $60.
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What school do you go to question one? Question 2 is this just for the media and not the license? I work in a school district and we are looking into upgrading one lab and for the educational version of XP UPGRADE it is $55.........
 
I believe that certain institutions sell their retail licences of XP below the cost they paid. When a large university buys, oh, 10,000 licences, I would imagine they'd get a better discount, too.
 
3WAYsplit said:
Well how I read & understand this I guess I can. Since the computer set up Im referring to would not be setup as a workstation. They are up to 4 independant computers that would only be connected by just a router (for sharing
internet access).. No filesharing between any of the computers at all. Because the files on each computer will be used
for that particular computer only.. Also all the computers ywould be for in home use..
Well if I was typing up a report for school, and the children were a playing game on another computer it should/would be alright. As for doing the exact same thing on each computer would/should never happen.
Click to expand...

You must be trolling. If not this is one of the dumbest posts I've ever read anywhere.
 
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