I have the XP home key but...

[Shalazar]

ok here is the situation.

I bought a second hand comp reasonably good : 2.6 Ghz, 120 GB, 512 Mo RAM, 256 Mo Graphic card and upgraded it myself to a nice 3.2 Ghz (overclocking: I paid attention to have a motherboard that resists it very wel), 4GB RAM .

However this guy had an illegal version of windows xp pro on his comp.

Since I need a reliable system for my work: I wanted replace it with the original xp home.

But even though the key for windows xp home is still on the exterior: I have no idea how to proceed.

I dont want to use a download: cause if ever I get in trouble with viruses I wont be able to re-install, and I havent managed to get ahold of a way that would allow me to get the CDs. (the guy I bought the comp from threw them away)

So, any ideas?

[bledd]

ask him to get you a home cd, or get him to buy you a copy of xp home

if he was selling it to you as a full system with xp installed, then he should never have given you a dodgy copy

[Sonic]

You can pickup a windows xp home from a friend to install your system. It's more "tolerated" than downloading iso ...

[pugwash2004]

As you have a license sticker on the side of your case it will be for the OEM version of XP Home, a full retail version will not work with the code on the sticker.

[cluberti]

If you have a friend with an OEM CD (preferrably from the same hardware vendor), that would be best to borrow. If the license on the PC is valid, the media used to install the OS that uses the key matters little (as long as it's the correct OEM version). You might be able to call MS customer service and get a replacement media for a few dollars (sans key) as well, but I don't know if that is done anymore.

[jcarle]

It's my understanding from the XP licensing agreement that the licensing terms follows the product key, and not the media used to install it with. Hence, how network installations are allowed legally.

[Plamdi]

I had to download an iso - you shouldn't get any viruses on them. If you're worried scan it with a virus scanner first. One thing many people don't understand about torrents is that torrent files are files which people have downloaded and tested, and it exists because these people are helping to distribute them. In short - if you have a lot of seeders then you have a download which has been tested by many independent users. Oh, and you can always reinstall later from another source if the one you downloaded was somehow infected.

For instance, Sony once put rootkits onto their Music CD's. These CD's were not safe. But instead, you could download Sony's music from P2P - from trusted sources, where independent users have verified they're safe for use on your computer. Ironically if you bought the retail product you bought it with rootkits (trojans/malware), but if you illegally downloaded the music you got a safe download – which just goes to show that it's safer to download music illegally from independently tested P2P sources than to purchase the album. At the same time, other albums include copy protection designed to force you to use propriety software to play the CD on computers - whereas downloading the music will allow you to listen to it on your choice of software. And the music industry wonders why consumers are attracted to illegally downloading their products. Kazza-Lite is another example of an illegal distribution of a product, which has been "cleaned", with malware removed.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Plamdi

[LLXX]

I had to download an iso - you shouldn't get any viruses on them. If you're worried scan it with a virus scanner first. One thing many people don't understand about torrents is that torrent files are files which people have downloaded and tested, and it exists because these people are helping to distribute them. In short - if you have a lot of seeders then you have a download which has been tested by many independent users. Oh, and you can always reinstall later from another source if the one you downloaded was somehow infected.

For instance, Sony once put rootkits onto their Music CD's. These CD's were not safe. But instead, you could download Sony's music from P2P - from trusted sources, where independent users have verified they're safe for use on your computer. Ironically if you bought the retail product you bought it with rootkits (trojans/malware), but if you illegally downloaded the music you got a safe download – which just goes to show that it's safer to download music illegally from independently tested P2P sources than to purchase the album. At the same time, other albums include copy protection designed to force you to use propriety software to play the CD on computers - whereas downloading the music will allow you to listen to it on your choice of software. And the music industry wonders why consumers are attracted to illegally downloading their products. Kazza-Lite is another example of an illegal distribution of a product, which has been "cleaned", with malware removed.

Indeed. Not necessarily legal, but legends of P2P networks being full of virii are basically myth to convince users to buy 'genuine' software. Also -

It's my understanding from the XP licensing agreement that the licensing terms follows the product key, and not the media used to install it with

In other words, legal as long as you have a legit key. Edited November 22, 2006 by LLXX

[jcarle]

Indeed. Not necessarily legal, but legends of P2P networks being full of virii are basically myth to convince users to buy 'genuine' software.

Depends on the method of P2P. Torrents are generally trustworthy because no one keeps seeding things they don't trust. Some networks, however, are full of virii (Kazaa and eDonkey spring to mind).

[HyperHacker]

It depends what you're looking for. For example, put in "pokemon" on pretty much any P2P app and you're unlikely to find anything Pokémon-related. The stuff you will find I wouldn't recommend opening on a computer you care about. (Interestingly this also yeilds quite a bit of porn.)