Q about MS EULA - OEM XP

I want to make a clean install of XP while the recovery CD from Toshiba that I have with my laptop installs so many software that I don,t need.

If I borrow an OEM XP CD from some one and install XP from there using my own windows key, is it legal and ethical?

Thanks

 

Depends on the jurisdiction you live in. Here (Germany) this is absolutely legal, since you own the license, which is essentially the CoA-Sticker with the key. Your key.
However, sometimes not every key works with every XP-CD.
If it works with you own key, you'll ok.

 

I once tried a Dell OEM-XP CD on a Toshiba Laptop and the GENUINE Toshiba Key didn't worked. Most vendors here in my country don't supply OS CD's, just a recovery partition.

Since I paid for a genuine copy of XP, I figured out it wasn't unethical what I ended up doing....

 

Thanks for all replies but MS doesn,t say anything about this?

Thanks

 

I was able to get a CD that matched mine, but it asks for registration still, and will shut XP down in 30 days if i don't do it. I dropped the ball so i never tried making it pre-registered. I think the info can be found on these links (from my bookmarks):
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/content.aspx?pg=coa
http://www.thetechguide.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14137&hl=Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini toshiba
Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini
Building a Pre-activated CD from an existing installation
http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t76517.html

 

aigle, if you use another copy, you'll have problems with activation (unless you turn to less-than-legal methods).
also, every now and then, WGA will be forced through updates, causing a nagscreen everytime you boot to windows.

 

I think it is illegal to do so. All OEM install disks i've ever seen state on the disk that the software is only to be installed on the computer it came with. It may work if you can get a non-oem install disks. I did this with my sony vaio laptop. It came with vista business and a heap of crapware. I removed that then did a clean install of vista business using my retail vista ultimate dvd. I was then able to activate it using the license on the bottom of my vaio. Even tho it works i don't know if thats legal/ethical either.

 

Ok, Thanks for all replies and help.

I wil play safe. I will just reinstall via recovery CD and will either uninstall unwanted junk or make an nLite CD. I hope nLite is not illegal/ un-ethical in any way. Am I true?

Thanks

 

Actually, there are many different OEM versions of xp. If your key works with only a certain OEM, for instance DELL, then you would need a source cd that is from Dell. The file setupp.ini has the OEM string value. There used to be a site that I cannot find anymore that had a complete listing of the different OEM values and who the OEM was. Many times you are buying what is called a generic OEM license, such as what you would buy off newegg. Bottom line is, if the OEM license is generic, you are free to use your COA key with any generic source on any machine, provided it is installed on only one machine. I don't know what implications lie for specific OEM licenses.

Sul.