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OS license on laptops
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From what I understand most Windows licenses on laptops are oem. Some not even coming with disks but with a recovery partition?
Can you replace the hard drive and install an SSD yet still use the same license.
Someone is offering me a cheap lappy but it won't be worth it to me unless I have a working MS license on it.
The lappy has a few issues and I'm deciding if its worth the punt as I may be able to sort out the problems. Battery doesn't work (may try a new one), seems to overheat (will clean out vents and fan) and sluggish but I have a spare SSD I can use.
Can you replace the hard drive and install an SSD yet still use the same license.
Someone is offering me a cheap lappy but it won't be worth it to me unless I have a working MS license on it.
The lappy has a few issues and I'm deciding if its worth the punt as I may be able to sort out the problems. Battery doesn't work (may try a new one), seems to overheat (will clean out vents and fan) and sluggish but I have a spare SSD I can use.
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Nope. All Windows instances shipped pre-loaded on laptops are OEM licensed.
Most come with the recovery partition, and usually have a program in the start menu for you to burn your own recovery media.
Yes. Best way is to create the said recovery media, switch out the drive and do a fresh install using the media.
Sounds like it could be more trouble than it's worth. But making sure you have 3GB RAM or more and an SSD will maximise the performance of any given machine.
If I go ahead, I'll make the disks, replace the HD and do a fresh install as mentioned.
I can't remember how much ram it has in it. I'm thinking if its only got 2Gb, that might swing it to not bothering but it depends how much he wants for it. It's a friend so I'm sure it will be a nominal fee.
The license is for Win XP I'm doubtful it already has 4Gb in it.
Thanks, didn't know ALL laptops were oem. I've never had one (though getting one this week as well as maybe sorting the one out mentioned in the thread). I'm used to buying the full licenses for desktop since windows 3.11.
and if the COA has been destroyed you can use SIW or Belarc to find the key BEFORE you trash the old hard drive.
I was going to mention that, but the 'recovered' key doesn't always match the COA. The manufacturer may have imaged the entire model range with the same OEM key, which usually won't be validated when you install from a disk and try and activate it.
But even if it won't automatically validate you have the information required when you ring MS to validate your install.
But will they validate a bulk key when you install from a regular Windows XP OEM disk? I can't recall if I've ever tried it, so it would be useful if anyone can confirm it.
Thats correct.
The recovered key doesn't ever match the COA.
If the OP doesn't have either the COA or the recovery partition, if one can borrow an OEM installation disk of the correct type, it will pre-activate during installation since the setup program checks the SLIC table in the BIOS, and if it finds the right info in, there, activates the OS automagically.
No, you don't. As discussed above, the key pulled from an installation where an OEM install activates using info from the BIOS SLIC table, is not a 'proper' Microsoft Key, so they have no obligation to activate it or give you another key over the phone.
2GB is plenty for XP. If it had Vista I'd want minimum 3GB in there.