How to buy a used xp computer?? Activation??

I've been reading lots of FAQs and am still confused.

I'm standing at a garage sale or swapmeet in front of
a computer that runs XP. I'm handed a license key.
Now What?
There appears to be a way to look at the key used to
install XP and compare to the key in my hand. There
appears to be a way to ask the computer if it's been
activated. All assuming it's powered on, which it usually ain't.
Now What?

The first thing I'm gonna do when I get it home is
image the drive and restore it onto a partition
of a bigger hard drive.
Then I'm gonna upgrade the network card.
Sounds like this is gonna require activation.
Is M$ gonna let me do that?

Or more importantly, how do I GUARANTEE, while
standing at the garage sale before handing over my money,
that M$ is gonna grant me access to MY system???

And, thinking ahead, What's gonna happen when someone
else calls up and tries to activate a system using that
same key? I'm not responsible for the previous owner's
compliance with the EULA...or am I?

At the risk of asking too many questions in one posting...
I routinely image my plug-in primary drive to another
then swap it in and boot from it to test rogue freeware before
committing to my primary drive. Is XP gonna let me do that?
It's not unusual for my system to get so hozed that I have
to restore a previous image that may not map directly to the
current hardware configuration. Is XP gonna let me do that?
If I call up twice a week for new activation, at some point,
M$ is gonna get cross with me???

Thanks, mike

Garage sales, swap meets and classified ads=buyer beware.
There are no guarantees for anything:who the sellers are,
whether the system is stolen. pirated. valid or will even
boot. If it is cheap enough, the CDs appear to be legal (MS
holograms, etc) and such, it is up to you. As far as
activation goes, the MS servers purge old data every 120
days.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm





"mike" <> wrote in message
news:...
| I've been reading lots of FAQs and am still confused.
|
| I'm standing at a garage sale or swapmeet in front of
| a computer that runs XP. I'm handed a license key.
| Now What?
| There appears to be a way to look at the key used to
| install XP and compare to the key in my hand. There
| appears to be a way to ask the computer if it's been
| activated. All assuming it's powered on, which it usually
ain't.
| Now What?
|
| The first thing I'm gonna do when I get it home is
| image the drive and restore it onto a partition
| of a bigger hard drive.
| Then I'm gonna upgrade the network card.
| Sounds like this is gonna require activation.
| Is M$ gonna let me do that?
|
| Or more importantly, how do I GUARANTEE, while
| standing at the garage sale before handing over my money,
| that M$ is gonna grant me access to MY system???
|
| And, thinking ahead, What's gonna happen when someone
| else calls up and tries to activate a system using that
| same key? I'm not responsible for the previous owner's
| compliance with the EULA...or am I?
|
| At the risk of asking too many questions in one posting...
| I routinely image my plug-in primary drive to another
| then swap it in and boot from it to test rogue freeware
before
| committing to my primary drive. Is XP gonna let me do
that?
| It's not unusual for my system to get so hozed that I have
| to restore a previous image that may not map directly to
the
| current hardware configuration. Is XP gonna let me do
that?
| If I call up twice a week for new activation, at some
point,
| M$ is gonna get cross with me???
|
| Thanks, mike
|

Jim Macklin wrote:
> Garage sales, swap meets and classified ads=buyer beware.
> There are no guarantees for anything:who the sellers are,
> whether the system is stolen. pirated. valid or will even
> boot. If it is cheap enough, the CDs appear to be legal (MS
> holograms, etc) and such, it is up to you.

To clarify...you're saying that if I have the original CDs with
the holograms, M$ WILL activate it for me? That's all I need?

As far as
> activation goes, the MS servers purge old data every 120
> days.

Ok, but that doesn't address the question of what happens if
two people decide to activate the same registration key?
If I have the CDs, that doesn't guarantee the key is usable???

Strip away all the stolen and boot issues. I'm only asking
about my ability to get M$ to let me use my own computer.
mike

Jim Macklin wrote:
> Garage sales, swap meets and classified ads=buyer beware.
> There are no guarantees for anything:who the sellers are,
> whether the system is stolen. pirated. valid or will even
> boot. If it is cheap enough, the CDs appear to be legal (MS
> holograms, etc) and such, it is up to you.

mike wrote:
> To clarify...you're saying that if I have the original CDs with
> the holograms, M$ WILL activate it for me? That's all I need?

I'm going to say "no" there - the CD may indeed be valid - but the CD
doesn't make the magic - the CD Key does. That's the unique part.

Jim Macklin wrote:
> As far as activation goes, the MS servers purge old data every 120
> days.

mike wrote:
> Ok, but that doesn't address the question of what happens if
> two people decide to activate the same registration key?
> If I have the CDs, that doesn't guarantee the key is usable???
>


CDs are nothing. CDs are nothing. CDs are nothing.
CD Keys are everything. (Although they also have to match the TYPE of CD
you have (OEM, Retail, Upgrade..)

*If* two people decide to try and activate the same CD key and it has been
more than 120 days between them - doubtful there would be any trouble for
either one. If two people decide to try and activate the same CD key and it
has been minutes (sometimes hours - but I don't think there has been an
exhaustive study on this..) - then it is possible there will be no trouble
for either one.

mike wrote:
> Strip away all the stolen and boot issues. I'm only asking
> about my ability to get M$ to let me use my own computer.

Your ability to use your "own computer" has nothing to do with MS. Your
computer and the operating system on it are two separate entities and always
will be. If your copy of Windows XP turns out to not be genuine, then it is
not MS that screwed you - it is those who sold it to you at the "garage" or
"yard" sale and yourself for believing "everything will be okay.." There
are no laws protecting the purchaser (of the items you mention) at such an
event - held by a private party. "Let the Buyer Beware" is in full effect.

MS could care less if you use your own computer. They only care about the
CD Key that you are trying to use. That computer is still usable in many
ways - MS is not the only OS maker out there. Also, that CD Key that may or
may not be usable is not the only CD Key out there. You could buy another
one.

Now you may want to argue that you just bought one at a garage sell and you
have the CD with all the pretty holograms and you have the Certificate of
Authenticity (Okay - that last one would definitely be a plus) and all
that - and "possession is 9/10s of the law" or whatever - but the cold hard
fact is that you will have to prove that and it would cost you more than the
$90-$300 you would have spent not worrying about it against those at this
"sale" you got it from. Buyer beware. Get a contract. Make them sign
something that says this copy of Windows P is not in use anywhere else.
CYA. Learn to be a smart buyer and all this after-purchase worrying you put
yourself through goes away.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

There are no guarantees. The risk is entirely yours since
there is no way to determine if Windows XP will activate
until you actually try to activate. See the following:

Is your version of Windows XP genuine?
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/h...s/default.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"mike" wrote:

| I've been reading lots of FAQs and am still confused.
|
| I'm standing at a garage sale or swapmeet in front of
| a computer that runs XP. I'm handed a license key.
| Now What?
| There appears to be a way to look at the key used to
| install XP and compare to the key in my hand. There
| appears to be a way to ask the computer if it's been
| activated. All assuming it's powered on, which it usually ain't.
| Now What?
|
| The first thing I'm gonna do when I get it home is
| image the drive and restore it onto a partition
| of a bigger hard drive.
| Then I'm gonna upgrade the network card.
| Sounds like this is gonna require activation.
| Is M$ gonna let me do that?
|
| Or more importantly, how do I GUARANTEE, while
| standing at the garage sale before handing over my money,
| that M$ is gonna grant me access to MY system???
|
| And, thinking ahead, What's gonna happen when someone
| else calls up and tries to activate a system using that
| same key? I'm not responsible for the previous owner's
| compliance with the EULA...or am I?
|
| At the risk of asking too many questions in one posting...
| I routinely image my plug-in primary drive to another
| then swap it in and boot from it to test rogue freeware before
| committing to my primary drive. Is XP gonna let me do that?
| It's not unusual for my system to get so hozed that I have
| to restore a previous image that may not map directly to the
| current hardware configuration. Is XP gonna let me do that?
| If I call up twice a week for new activation, at some point,
| M$ is gonna get cross with me???
|
| Thanks, mike

In order for a Windows XP license to be legal, the seller
must furnish you with the original Windows XP CD (and
not a copy), the original Certificate of Authenticity (COA),
and all original licensing documentation.

If the seller cannot furnish the above, then a license transfer
is improper and you'll likely end up having to purchase
your own copy of Windows XP.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"mike" wrote:

| I've been reading lots of FAQs and am still confused.
|
| I'm standing at a garage sale or swapmeet in front of
| a computer that runs XP. I'm handed a license key.
| Now What?
| There appears to be a way to look at the key used to
| install XP and compare to the key in my hand. There
| appears to be a way to ask the computer if it's been
| activated. All assuming it's powered on, which it usually ain't.
| Now What?
|
| The first thing I'm gonna do when I get it home is
| image the drive and restore it onto a partition
| of a bigger hard drive.
| Then I'm gonna upgrade the network card.
| Sounds like this is gonna require activation.
| Is M$ gonna let me do that?
|
| Or more importantly, how do I GUARANTEE, while
| standing at the garage sale before handing over my money,
| that M$ is gonna grant me access to MY system???
|
| And, thinking ahead, What's gonna happen when someone
| else calls up and tries to activate a system using that
| same key? I'm not responsible for the previous owner's
| compliance with the EULA...or am I?
|
| At the risk of asking too many questions in one posting...
| I routinely image my plug-in primary drive to another
| then swap it in and boot from it to test rogue freeware before
| committing to my primary drive. Is XP gonna let me do that?
| It's not unusual for my system to get so hozed that I have
| to restore a previous image that may not map directly to the
| current hardware configuration. Is XP gonna let me do that?
| If I call up twice a week for new activation, at some point,
| M$ is gonna get cross with me???
|
| Thanks, mike

On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 08:17:31 -0600, "Carey Frisch [MVP]"
<> wrote:

>In order for a Windows XP license to be legal, the seller
>must furnish you with the original Windows XP CD (and
>not a copy), the original Certificate of Authenticity (COA),
>and all original licensing documentation.


That not totally True Carry.
If your system came preinstalled. Your are not provided with the cd
or a restore cd. You can sell your preinstalled system if you want.


Greg Ro

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> In order for a Windows XP license to be legal, the seller
> must furnish you with the original Windows XP CD (and
> not a copy), the original Certificate of Authenticity (COA),
> and all original licensing documentation.

GregRo wrote:
> That not totally True Carry.
> If your system came preinstalled. Your are not provided with the cd
> or a restore cd. You can sell your preinstalled system if you want.

To be 100% correct - there must be some way to restore the system to its
original state to be in accordance with the OEM agreement - if it was an OEM
copy of Windows XP originally installed. While it is true there is not
always a restore CD/true OEM installation CD involved - there is a method to
restore involved.

If it was not an OEM copy and the person selling it bought a retail copy -
they retain the rights to KEEP that copy of XP - provided they remove it
from the computer before the sale.

If the OP is presented with a CD Key (License) and not presented with an
original CD - some questions would have to be answered before the purchase
should be made - such as "What is the restoration method on this computer?"
"Is this copy of Windows XP used anywhere else?" "Did this version of
Windows come with the computer pre-installed or was it upgraded?".. etc..
In any case, some questions need to be asked by the OP - or the whole
fault - in my opinion - should be theirs - as they foolishly entered into a
contract without knowing all the terms.. Ignorance is never a viable
defense in situations like this.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html