Windows XP

I'm thinking of building a new PC for gaming (currently have a Mac) and I need a copy of Windows XP. What is the cheapest I can get it legally for? I'm only after one of those single licence efforts.

Starting point?

http://tinyurl.com/ra5xp

I take it that if I buy OEM it means that I can only install it on that machine, and if I upgrade that machine with two or more components I have to buy a new licence?

Effectively, yes, though you may be able to re-activate by phone, explaing there had been a component failure.

Strictly speaking, if you were to replace a non-faulty motherboard in order to change to a different CPU, then yes. If you were just upgrading the DVD drive, video card, RAM, sound card etc, then no.

As long as you don't upgrade the motherboard you can upgrade just about anything else, especially if the various upgrades are done over a period of time as it resets every 120 days afer a reactivation. If trying to upgrade the motherboard you would have to persuade them by phone that you were replacing a faulty one and technically you should be replacing like with like unless you can convince them that you had no option but go for s dfferent model as your original model was no longer available. Generally, I have always fount them pretty reasonable the few times I have had to phone them to activate, though you can get the odd awkward jobsworthy.

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/114048 -

As jcym says, technically you arent allowed to use it if you upgrading something like your motherboard, though if you explain to them that it was a faulty one over the phone (if you are lucky enough to get a decent person on the phone in india), then they let you activate it. I had to replace my mobo and ive added a hard disk and mine has worked fine.

I just had to reactivate my os due to an actual motherboard failure, just make sure you know something which can accurately fail, then there should not be any issue. Mine was the memory slot

Eclipse Computers

That is pathetic, it is just microsoft's way of screwing it's customers more.
You should be able to add remove anything from your computer, without having to reactivate you OS.

This was never the case before, microsoft has not long started this kind of [censored]

M$ should just check the CD key and if its legal activate windows but if the cd key has been activated more than say 10 times in 1 month then start to "ask questions" just in case the cd key has got out to the public... that in my view would be a much better system of activation.

It's simple: if you want to be able to do that, buy the retail version. Don't forget, most people only upgrade their hardware when they buy a new computer and get a new OS with it.

Edited by PlexShaw (Tue 15-Aug-06 09:31:17)

MS has always had OEM and retail versions of its software. OEM used to be purely for OEM manufacturers and so the OEM manufacturer could save money by both buying in bulk as well as taking over front line support for the software from MS. OEM then became available to end users as long as they bought it with hardware, but even then the OEM version could legally only be used on the original PC it was installed on. In a way activation simply stops the enduser buying an OEM version and using it in situations where the retail version should legally be used. They have recently changed the OEM licence terms, making it much clearer, so that even the individual PC builder is considered an OEM maker and so doesn't have to buy it with hardware anymore. Now the OEM licence applies to the first PC that the software is installed on and legally can only be sold on if sold on with the PC it was first installed on. If you want a copy that you can install on any hardware you want, as long as it is only on any one PC at a time, then you buy the Retail version. The same rules apllies to the other software they sell in OEM and Retail versions such as Office.

indeed - if you compare the prices then it's readily apparant that you'd need to use it on 3 successive PCs before retail makes economic sense over OEM (since 2xOEM is slightly cheaper than 1xRetail.....)

i would suspect that for all but a few hardcore users who have to be at the "bleeding edge" then it'd make little sense to get retail XP now (it's a bit long in the tooth - i imagine by the time they upgrade Mobo twice we'd all (finally) be using a 64 bit OS... )

Very true, if I am bulding a PC that I know will be used for testing a lot of kit for instance, including motherboards, then I buy the retail package. On the other hand, if I am bulding a new PC for general use I will buy the OEM version as that still allows me to upgrade everything but the motherboard if necessary.