Trying to use my Windows XP license from T42 onto desktop.

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DeionDavid · #1 Post by **DeionDavid** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:17 pm

Hey guys, I am trying to reformat my desktop using windows XP and the CD-Key under my thinkpad T42, but during installation, windows says that it does not recognize my CD key as valid. Is there something wrong with this, or does that CD key on work with a laptop or something?

Thanks

DeionDavid · #2 Post by **DeionDavid** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:20 pm

Okay I think I found the answer that the CoA lives and dies with my laptop, but is it possible for me to call Microsoft and ask them for a different key, maybe saying that I want to transfer my license to a different machine?

pianowizard · #3 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:33 pm

The problem may be due to the installation CD that you used. Not all Windows XP CDs can use the Thinkpad COA codes.

Wiz · #4 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:33 pm

DeionDavid wrote:Okay I think I found the answer that the CoA lives and dies with my laptop, but is it possible for me to call Microsoft and ask them for a different key, maybe saying that I want to transfer my license to a different machine?

As you said it dies with your PC. It's not possible to transfer a OEM license to another PC as far as i know.

#5 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:45 pm

Why not use the XP Pro that came with your ThinkPad. It is the same thing, and the license is, of course, valid. ... JDH

DeionDavid · #6 Post by **DeionDavid** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:05 pm

jdhurst wrote:Why not use the XP Pro that came with your ThinkPad. It is the same thing, and the license is, of course, valid. ... JDH

jdhurst, what do you mean? my thinkpad did not come with an actual CD.

#7 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:12 pm

DeionDavid wrote:<snip>
jdhurst, what do you mean? my thinkpad did not come with an actual CD.

True. But it DID come with a recovery partition. Hit F11 on start, and recover your system to out-of-the-box condition and then set it up. ... JDH

Wiz · #8 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:20 pm

jdhurst wrote:True. But it DID come with a recovery partition. Hit F11 on start, and recover your system to out-of-the-box condition and then set it up. ... JDH

I think DeionDavid would like to use the OEM license that came with the Thinkpad to install Windows on another PC and transfer the license to the other PC. Unless i'm wrong this is not possible since the OEM license follow the PC and not possible to transfer.

#9 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:25 pm

OK, I misinterpreted the post. DD - you CANNOT do what you are trying to do. It is illegal. ... JDH

pianowizard · #10 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:44 pm

jdhurst wrote:you CANNOT do what you are trying to do. It is illegal. ... JDH

Of course, with the right Windows CD, he could do it, though it's illegal.

Actually, I think it would be legal if the OP can transfer a component of the Thinkpad to the desktop. I can't think of any laptop part that the desktop can utilize though.

Wiz · #11 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:52 pm

pianowizard wrote:Of course, with the right Windows CD, he could do it, though it's illegal.

Even with the right CD i think he have to activate windows when using the OEM license and i cannot imagine that the activation will succeed.

#12 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:17 pm

pianowizard wrote:Actually, I think it would be legal if the OP can transfer a component of the Thinkpad to the desktop.

Microsoft changed the OEM licence conditions a while back so that the OEM licence basically attaches to the plannar board rather than just any system component, so there no way it can be done legally.

Cheers,

Bill B.

pianowizard · #13 Post by **pianowizard** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:06 am

Wiz wrote:Even with the right CD i think he have to activate windows when using the OEM license and i cannot imagine that the activation will succeed.

I have a Windows XP CD that can accept all the Thinkpad COA codes I've tried, probably 10 of them, during installation. After installation, all of them could be activated by phone.

Wiz · #14 Post by **Wiz** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:13 am

pianowizard wrote:I have a Windows XP CD that can accept all the Thinkpad COA codes I've tried, probably 10 of them, during installation. After installation, all of them could be activated by phone.

Ok i didn't know it was that easy, but according to the information from Bill it's not legal in the case descibed above.

pksw · #15 Post by **pksw** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:54 am

To the best of my knowledge it is not legal to use the license on your desktop. And it most likely won't work, unless you have an IBM desktop.

If you use a normal WinXP installation CD and try to use the code, I don't think it will work. That's because the code is for a "corporate" version of WinXP, where you probably have a "retail" version for your desktop.

Also, using the recovery disk may not work on the desktop, because during the installation it will check the hardware (DMI in the BIOS if you want to get technical) to ensure that it has "IBM Corporation" in the BIOS. Otherwise the key won't validate.

#16 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:05 am

Your best bet would be to obtain a copy of a 'corporate' XP Pro, although the legality of using those is questionable for at-home-use.

whizkid · #17 Post by **whizkid** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:21 am

The CoA definitely applies only to the machine that it was sold with and no one has permission to transfer it. Ever. While it's not illegal in the sense of "against the law," it would be against the license terms under which it was sold to IBM or Lenovo in this case, and the license you agree to when you use the machine.

pianowizard · #18 Post by **pianowizard** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:30 am

I just noticed that three of the last five posts were posted by wizards!

#19 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:26 pm

pksw wrote:That's because the code is for a "corporate" version of WinXP, where you probably have a "retail" version for your desktop.

The keys on ThinkPad COAs are for the OEM key type for Windows XP. That's the key type that is supposed to be supplied with hardware, rather than being sold "stand alone". There nothing particularly "corporate" about it.

There is another key type for XP which is called a VLK (Volume Licence Key) which is the one typically used for mass deployments, such as in corporate SOEs (Stanard Operating Environments). The version of XP that came installed on new ThinkPads is actually a VLK key version.

There are three different distribition images of XP Pro (RTL, OEM, VLK), each of which is identical except that they will only normally recognise one particular key type.

Cheers,

Bill B.

egibbs · #20 Post by **egibbs** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:11 am

First - in the interest of full disclosure I run Windows at home and at work on both my TP and my desktops.

[rant]I suggest the OP check out any of the many fine flavors of Linux if he wants a free, stable, useable OS. I have run Ubuntu personally, and found it to be a fine OS. The only reason I went back to Windows was lack of specific applications that I needed, but for most stuff it is just peachy.

If MS is going to go to this much trouble to keep people from running their software I think we should all pitch in and help.

And yes, what he was trying to do was wrong and a violation of the license, possibly illegal as well. But all this DRM crap doesn't just affect pirates, it affect legitimate users as well and it just keeps getting worse. And Apple is no better, probably worse. [/rant]

Ed Gibbs

Wiz · #21 Post by **Wiz** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:57 am

egibbs wrote:[rant]I suggest the OP check out any of the many fine flavors of Linux if he wants a free, stable, useable OS. I have run Ubuntu personally, and found it to be a fine OS. The only reason I went back to Windows was lack of specific applications that I needed, but for most stuff it is just peachy.
But all this DRM crap doesn't just affect pirates, it affect legitimate users as well and it just keeps getting worse. And Apple is no better, probably worse. [/rant]

No offence, but I cannot see how this is relevant at all in this thread. DeionDavid asked if he could use his Windows OEM license on another PC.

Trying to use my Windows XP license from T42 onto desktop.

Trying to use my Windows XP license from T42 onto desktop.

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