Moving Vista to a new computer (and taking it off the old one)

Here is the situation...

I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with Windows
XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work on
Vista, since it's older.

The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.

I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system I'd
ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had already
activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to use
it on another computer.

Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro

Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the laptop)
and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered on
the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be able
to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.

So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?

Thanks.
Jamie.

By the letter of the EULA (assuming your Vista is an OEM copy), the shop is
correct, once an OEM has been activated on a PC it cannot be transferred to
another, however, I suspect that if you do move it, and it won't activate,
if you call the Microsoft activation number and explain the situation, that
they would activate it for you on the second PC.

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"Jamie." <Jamie.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E765358C-7ED2-47C9-A5F4-4B0A39D820D5@microsoft.com...
> Here is the situation...
>
> I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with
> Windows
> XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work
> on
> Vista, since it's older.
>
> The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
> anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
> system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.
>
> I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system
> I'd
> ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had
> already
> activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
> since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to
> use
> it on another computer.
>
> Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
> had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
> laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro
>
> Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the laptop)
> and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
> Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
> operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered
> on
> the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be
> able
> to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.
>
> So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?
>
> Thanks.
> Jamie.
>

Personally, I think you're trying to get satisfaction from the wrong people
here. If you ordered your computer with XP and the shop put Vista on it,
they should have made it right at no cost to you. Whether or not the copy
of Vista will work on another computer (and I am not even going to go there)
is immaterial. You didn't order it and should not have paid for it and
should not have paid to have it replaced.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Jamie." <Jamie.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E765358C-7ED2-47C9-A5F4-4B0A39D820D5@microsoft.com...
> Here is the situation...
>
> I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with
> Windows
> XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work
> on
> Vista, since it's older.
>
> The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
> anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
> system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.
>
> I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system
> I'd
> ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had
> already
> activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
> since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to
> use
> it on another computer.
>
> Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
> had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
> laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro
>
> Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the laptop)
> and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
> Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
> operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered
> on
> the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be
> able
> to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.
>
> So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?
>
> Thanks.
> Jamie.
>

Ah, well the question is really who activated it...

On my MSDN disks the "Activate Now" box is pre checked and you have to
actually uncheck it to avoid activation during install. Not only is this
bull****, because if the install encounters a problem early on in it's use
it's trashed but it also implies the liability is not really on the user.

If the OEM install was "Not" activated then how did the retailer keep the
machine until purchased, if it had ever been used then activation would have
expired by the time the purchaser got it.


"Richard G. Harper" <rgharper@email.com> wrote in message
news:eO3p7zHaHHA.5080@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Personally, I think you're trying to get satisfaction from the wrong
> people here. If you ordered your computer with XP and the shop put Vista
> on it, they should have made it right at no cost to you. Whether or not
> the copy of Vista will work on another computer (and I am not even going
> to go there) is immaterial. You didn't order it and should not have paid
> for it and should not have paid to have it replaced.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
> * NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Jamie." <Jamie.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:E765358C-7ED2-47C9-A5F4-4B0A39D820D5@microsoft.com...
>> Here is the situation...
>>
>> I ordered a laptop from the local computer shop. I ordered it with
>> Windows
>> XP Pro, because I would be using software that I suspected wouldn't work
>> on
>> Vista, since it's older.
>>
>> The laptop came in with Vista on it instead of XP. I thought I'd try it
>> anyway, since if it worked, then I'd have the most up-to-date operating
>> system instead of an older one. As suspected, it didn't work.
>>
>> I took the laptop back to the store so I could get the operating system
>> I'd
>> ordered put on it. The people at the store told me that since I had
>> already
>> activated Vista on the laptop, that they couldn't just replace it with XP
>> since the activation code was now 'taken up' and they wouldn't be able to
>> use
>> it on another computer.
>>
>> Because I don't have a lot of time to get this laptop into circulation, I
>> had to BUY a separate copy of Windows XP-Pro. We've taken Vista off the
>> laptop and replaced it with XP-Pro
>>
>> Since I have paid for a copy of Windows Vista (which came with the
>> laptop)
>> and I am paying for a copy of Windows XP-Pro as well, can I not take the
>> Vista CD and install it on a new computer? After all, I've paid for two
>> operating systems. The computer shop says that it is already registered
>> on
>> the one computer, so I probably won't be able to. I think I should be
>> able
>> to since it is no longer ON the computer it is registered on.
>>
>> So who is right? Me? Or the computer shop?
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Jamie.
>>
>
>