Quick question

[bel41]

Hi everybody,
I was given a desktop with windows xp on it, the computer was broken, and i want to resintall the windows xp which was in it on another laptop that was given to me by a friend. i still have the windows key on the old desktop, My question is : is it legal to install the windows xp on the laptop? both the old desktop and the the laptop were just given to me, i bought nothing but the cetificate of authenticite is still on the old pc . . Thank you.

 

[odriscoll27]

Hi Bel41,

Legally you can only install an Operating System on a PC/Laptop thet has a COA Key stuck on it. So if you were somehow able to remove the Key from the broken PC and stick it onto the Laptop then yes you could install XP on the Laptop. If you were to fix the PC however then you would NOT then be able to isntall windows XP on it without buying another copy with a genuine COA key.

If you wanted a free alternative OS you could try installing Linux on the laptop. you could find more help/info on choosing here https://www.techspot.com/vb/menu16.html


*** Remember ***
When you re-sintall a new installation you will be asked to activate it with Microsfot. Each CoA generates a product ID for microsfot and they will kow how many tiems a particular CoA key has been activated


Hope this helps
James

 

[bel41]

Thank you for your helpful answer, Have a nice weekend.

 

[gbhall]

Furthermore, without an actual retail install, you will have NONE of the necessary drivers for the completely different hardware, and will have, at the very least, a tangle of a job finding the right XP drivers if the laptop is quite new.