Aaaaaarghhhhhhh!!!

[Technoid]

Some people are to damn stubborn!

Especially when trying to explain that it is not legal for us or them to use the oem xp they got with their dell on any other computer they own.

or that it has never been allowed, (sure we CAN do it but we wont) and that we dont care what they do on their own but we refuse to do anything that is illegal.

And that an cd-r of xp with the product key written on it IS NOT proof that they have a valid licence

and "but the guy in the other shop did it, why wont you?" customers are so funny, especially when you tell em:

"he did it and now his shop is closed and he's in jail"


Aaaaarghhhhhh!

[Jammrock]

Just tell the OEM guy that if he buys a new motherboard, cpu and RAM from you to put in his Dell case that you'd be happy to install the OEM version of WinXP.

[Technoid]

Just tell the OEM guy that if he buys a new motherboard, cpu and RAM from you to put in his Dell case that you'd be happy to install the OEM version of WinXP.

actually according to new licencing rules from MS, you have to buy a new oem licence if you change motherboard in a case

They even ask nowdays when we phone ms to activate oem licences if we have replaced the motherboard.

-------------------

one customer repeatedly wanted us to intall xp on one of his DIY computers from an Compaq restore cd

no matter what we told him, (it was bios locked, illegal, etc etc)he could never understand why we refused

[TransformX]

Seriously, I feel for you Technoid, BUT I can't really blame those people either for not understanding Micro$ofts EULA. Even the RIAA and MPAA aren't so hard to understand in comparison. If the RIAA/MPAA would have made DVD/Music-CD that you can use only on a single machine, people would be fuming at them and rightfully so.

[Nowhere]

Yep, people, when buying something, are buying it for themselves. Not for some machine/etc. They are the ones who use it.

[Brian Ellis]

In any case, unless it is a corporate version that has been pirated, it would be useless installing it with the same product key, as it would not be able to be activated. Your let-out would be to install it, as requested, but make sure you try to activate it. If the activation is refused, you have your let-out there. If it doesn't require activation, then you know it is a pirated corporate version, and you can legitimately delete the installation, "I'm sorry, this is not a valid version of Windows and my Microsoft agreement forces me to disable it". Either way you will have to reformat the C: drive before you can install the XP Home (full version) you will have sold them to get it working. If it does install and activates correctly, then it is probable that it has never been activated before.

Incidentally, if you change the m/b etc. for a legitimate reason but reinstall all the other hardware, MS will accept your word for it and give you a new activation key, provided that you are not trying to pull a fast one, and they seem to know when you are. I've done it.

[Technoid]

Seriously, I feel for you Technoid, BUT I can't really blame those people either for not understanding Micro$ofts EULA. Even the RIAA and MPAA aren't so hard to understand in comparison. If the RIAA/MPAA would have made DVD/Music-CD that you can use only on a single machine, people would be fuming at them and rightfully so.

EULA?!?, when it on the CD in bold letters in the local language says "only for use with <insert brandname of choice>" and the install fails when you try it on a machine that is not the same brand name and thereafter expects us to bypass it I do definitly blame the person inquestion.

[Technoid]

Yep, people, when buying something, are buying it for themselves. Not for some machine/etc. They are the ones who use it.

Sure if they have bought a boxed edition I have the same opinion, and if someone comes in with a boxed edition I'll install it on wichever computer he has with him (one not several as one tried).

[Technoid]

In any case, unless it is a corporate version that has been pirated, it would be useless installing it with the same product key, as it would not be able to be activated. Your let-out would be to install it, as requested, but make sure you try to activate it. If the activation is refused, you have your let-out there. If it doesn't require activation, then you know it is a pirated corporate version, and you can legitimately delete the installation, "I'm sorry, this is not a valid version of Windows and my Microsoft agreement forces me to disable it". Either way you will have to reformat the C: drive before you can install the XP Home (full version) you will have sold them to get it working. If it does install and activates correctly, then it is probable that it has never been activated before.

Here in sweden we are not allowed to do backups of software, so anyone with a cd-r is out of luck.

Anyone with an OEM cd and no corresponding OEM sticker on the case (actually one guy that had his sticker on a hard plastic backing i did let slide, his explanation was plausible) is out of luck

Anyone with OEM software where the sticker is on the CD (lots of MS oem, comes like that) that isnt specificaly branded is OK on any box for me.

there just isnt any reason to test anything, whatever the software is OK to use on the box in question is plain visible.

Now if someone has a problem that is not related to the fact that he's using a pirated corp, I'll just tell him that its illegal(Im not the bloddy BSA), if its directly conected to the fact I'll tell him that and refuse to do anything about it if he doesent buy a licence

Incidentally, if you change the m/b etc. for a legitimate reason but reinstall all the other hardware, MS will accept your word for it and give you a new activation key, provided that you are not trying to pull a fast one, and they seem to know when you are. I've done it.

Funny, thats not what they (MS) told me

[Brian Ellis]

Funny, thats not what they (MS) told me

I had a long hard argument over the phone, but they gave in, after I threatened to take them to court, with the case with their product key on it and no Windows working as evidence. It is not my fault that the m/b had been changed under guarantee after 4 weeks of use, even though I told the old m/b that it was too young to smoke. In fact, they did not have a single leg to stand on, and it annoyed me that I had to get shirty with them before they gave in to a reasonable request.

[Jammrock]

actually according to new licencing rules from MS, you have to buy a new oem licence if you change motherboard in a case

Seriously? What a freaking scam.

[Technoid]

Seriously? What a freaking scam.

Yup, that's why I always deny changing it

First question is always: "have you installed your xp licence on several computers?"

Answer is always "I dont know what the client has been up to but this box has your sticker on it "

Then its about if I have changed motherboard and as always "no"

then I get the activation key

Tho, I've called so many times now since the OEM WPA got hypercrazy (I have had it trigger on a bios update ) that they almost all know me by name

[schmosef]

hey, anyone remember that story (i think it was from austrailia) where some guy wanted a refund on the bundled copy of windows that came with his laptop (he bought it intending on using linux)?

the eula at the time said he could refuse it and demand a refund from the vendor.

i don't remember hearing what eventually became of that. anybody know?

[Gurm]

hey, anyone remember that story (i think it was from austrailia) where some guy wanted a refund on the bundled copy of windows that came with his laptop (he bought it intending on using linux)?

the eula at the time said he could refuse it and demand a refund from the vendor.

i don't remember hearing what eventually became of that. anybody know?

I too would like to know. Has MS changed the EULA wording? I clearly recall that they had indicated that you could demand a refund if you didn't want to accept the EULA.

[Gurm]

Yup, that's why I always deny changing it

First question is always: "have you installed your xp licence on several computers?"

Answer is always "I dont know what the client has been up to but this box has your sticker on it "

Then its about if I have changed motherboard and as always "no"

then I get the activation key

Tho, I've called so many times now since the OEM WPA got hypercrazy (I have had it trigger on a bios update ) that they almost all know me by name

Oh, they ALWAYS ask that.

"Have you installed this on multiple machines?" NO.
"Have you replaced..." NO, just lemme activate the damned thing.