XP Licensing Official Answer...

[_Dova_]

I bought XP. I have two home computers.

Do I have to buy an upgrade for each computer, or is my one copy good for both machines?

Dova

[Stone Knife]

You'll need 2 licences to have it working simultaneously on both.

[_Dova_]

Both computers are in one household, and both are strickly for personal use.

I thought the licence covered both machines, but now I am not so sure.

Obviously Microsoft doesn't understand that we creative types spend all our software money on Digidesign products!?!

So for sure, a license per computer. Not a license per household?

[_Dova_]

Here is the official answer...

(found in Help and Support)
The answer is generally, "no." Copyright law and the terms of your End-User License Agreement (EULA) govern your rights to copy and run Microsoft software. In the case of Microsoft Windows operating system software, the EULA does not permit you to run more than one copy.

If your Microsoft operating system software (such as Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition) was supplied to you preinstalled on a new computer system by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), different license terms apply. In such cases, you may not make a second copy and the software itself is not transferable to a different computer system, even if you delete it from the original computer system.

Please read the EULA contained in this software for complete information. Please note that under certain Microsoft volume licensing programs intended for businesses, you may have different rights. Please consult the agreements that govern such programs for complete information.

looks like the WIFE is going back to 98se. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[iplaymusicsoftly]

If only ProTools ran on Linux... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Carl Fuehrer]

XP has to be "Activated" either through the internet or by telephone directly with MS in order for the OS to run outside of the 30 day demo mode. You do have to buy seperate copies, or licenses for EACH computer you wish to install XP on. If you try to install it on another machine with the same serial number like you could with 98/ME/2000, it will tell you to activate and then warn you that the serial number has already been registered and not allow you to run to OS outside the 30 day demo mode. [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] Each machine logs the serial number and the hardware configuration you have. You can change hardware up to 4 times before you have to call MS and have them reinstate or unlock your serial number. This is a major bitch when you like to test out lots of pieces of hardware and/or motherboards. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Lowfreq]

To the Linux comment...you think you heard a lot troubles with PT running on XP?! There would need to be 5 forums on why PT won't run! What a nightmare that would be.

[alowerdeep]

I was under the impression that XP Home edition could be installed on two computers. (one scenario being you have a desktop and laptop you use) I have installed it on both my computers from the same copy, and activation worked flawlessly for both.

If I did anything wrong I sure wasn't aware of it, and thought that having it on two computers, both mine, both at the same house for my personal use was within my rights.

Now, I see the problem if you try installing it on 50 computers off one copy, or even 5, or 10.

But as for me, I'd like to know the answer for sure also, cause I thought everything was cool since activation worked on both.

[in10shun]

Lowfreq,

I'm curious why you would say that about Linux. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] Assuming that the user would have a decent understanding of Linux before installing it, why would it be worse than Windows? Linux is much better than Windows at just about everything. Plus, I find it hard to argue against support for a FREE OS that's being constantly developed and improved by some of the top computer minds in the world.

James

[Stone Knife]

This may help answer the portable question:

Can I make a second copy of my Windows operating system software for my portable computer?The End-User License Agreement (EULA) for many Microsoft application software products contains the following sentence: "The primary user of the computer on which the SOFTWARE PRODUCT is installed may make a second copy for his or her exclusive use on a portable computer." If your EULA contains this sentence, then, subject to the conditions mentioned, you may make a second copy of the software. Note that you must be the primary user of the computer on which the software is installed. The primary user is the individual who uses the computer most of the time it is in use. Only that individual is entitled to use the second copy. Furthermore, the software must be installed on the local hard disk of your computer; you are not entitled to make and use a second copy on your portable computer if you run the primary copy of the software from a network server. Finally, only one secondary copy may be made; you may install this copy on more than one portable computer.

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To view the EULA, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer. Double-click the systemroot folder (usually windows), click Show Files if necessary, and then double-click the System32 folder. Click Show Files, and then scroll down and double-click eula.txt.
For the most recently updated information regarding Windows Product Activation, see Microsoft web site.

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