Win XP multi computer install

CareyS

CareyS

Member
If I want to use an XP upgrade disk on say 3 different computers, Do they each need there own Activation Key? Or can I use the same one for all 3 computers? I have a Windows 98 SE upgrade disk and I have been able to use the same Activation Key a bunch of times.
 
Legally NO. Each computer needs its own license. The only way legally to do this would be to uninstall all other previous installations that used that same key before installing on a new system. I know this can be done using the full retail installation disk but not sure on the upgrade disk. Microsoft probably frowns upon using this procedure.
 
He's right. You'll have to get an OEM disk if you want to do this. I really don't know why Microsoft makes you activate XP, the intended purpose doesn't work. I hope soon they'll release an activator when they stop supporting XP altogether.
 
Don't know why not. Still works fine. On the other hand i did buy a retail windows 7 Pro and love it. I do not plan on installing on all computers. XP Pro works good. and faster than vista.
 
Microsoft should give me a refund for their inferior Vista Upgrade disk or give me a free Windows 7 installation disk. I continue to get system hangs from my Vista Upgrade installation. About 45 seconds after start up I get a system hang that will last about a minute. Then everything works fine. It happens everytime at start up. I never had these problems when I had a did a clean Vista installation. Their upgrade disk is horrible.

Good thing I found another Windows XP Key laying around my house. When I get sick of Vista enough I will do a clean installation of Windows XP.
 
If you do then guess you all ready know. Not a quick format.
You want a wipe and full format. One time. Ya don't want to pick up any issues from the past.
 
To elaborate on issues from the past, a full format permits bad sectors on the hard drive to be marked so as not to be used. A quick format does not do this.

So if system files of your prior OS install happened to reside on a few semi-bad sectors--it might give weird behavior. Reinstalling with only a quick format is a gamble--that is if your problems were due to bad sectors being used.
 
If there are bad sectors on a hard drive you should get all the useful data off that drive and then destroy it. Bad sectors spread on a hard drive eventually corrupting more and more data.
 
Yes, the quick format only deletes the allocation table, then does a quick look over of the drive. Doesn't really do much... but saves a lot of time. You had better be sure of your drive if you are using it though.
 
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