Uninstallation & reinstallation on a different machine.

I recently installed Vista on a home theater PC, and since installation have
had numerous problems during video playback that I never had using XP. I'm
certain it must be driver incompatibility, but I do not wish to upgrade
hardware. What I'd like to do is reinstall XP on that system. That's the easy
part. Here's the real question...

I've been satisfied with Vista's performance on other systems I've used and
would like to take the license of Vista from the system I've just uninstalled
it on and use it on a completely different system. I have paid for the
license and it will only be on one system, just not the one I originally
installed it on. Is this going to be a problem, or does Microsoft allow this?

"Andrew S." <Andrew S.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5127638F-9EF4-4418-B3AA-21D3834093BE@microsoft.com...
> I recently installed Vista on a home theater PC, and since installation
have
> had numerous problems during video playback that I never had using XP. I'm
> certain it must be driver incompatibility, but I do not wish to upgrade
> hardware. What I'd like to do is reinstall XP on that system. That's the
easy
> part. Here's the real question...
>
> I've been satisfied with Vista's performance on other systems I've used
and
> would like to take the license of Vista from the system I've just
uninstalled
> it on and use it on a completely different system. I have paid for the
> license and it will only be on one system, just not the one I originally
> installed it on. Is this going to be a problem, or does Microsoft allow
this?

The OEM versions are legally tied to the motherboard. The RETAIL
verion can be legally removed from one machine and put on another
as long as it is only on one machine at a time. In a virtual environment
the legalities are still up in the air. I have heard that Vista Ultimate is
legal on a virtual machine and Vista Home is not.

later......

Andrew

It depends on which type you bought. If this is a retail version, you can
'move' it to as many systems as you wish, if it is an OEM version, then it
is tied to the first system it is installed on and cannot be activated on a
different system. This is ne reason why the OEM version has a much lower
price tag.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User


"Andrew S." <Andrew S.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5127638F-9EF4-4418-B3AA-21D3834093BE@microsoft.com...
>I recently installed Vista on a home theater PC, and since installation
>have
> had numerous problems during video playback that I never had using XP. I'm
> certain it must be driver incompatibility, but I do not wish to upgrade
> hardware. What I'd like to do is reinstall XP on that system. That's the
> easy
> part. Here's the real question...
>
> I've been satisfied with Vista's performance on other systems I've used
> and
> would like to take the license of Vista from the system I've just
> uninstalled
> it on and use it on a completely different system. I have paid for the
> license and it will only be on one system, just not the one I originally
> installed it on. Is this going to be a problem, or does Microsoft allow
> this?