Re: New Computer, ME incompatable, XP is only upgrade
On Jan 8, 9:35 pm, "N. Miller" <anonym...@msnews.aosake.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Jan 2008 23:27:10 -0500, Bruce Nelson wrote:
> > "N. Miller" <anonym...@msnews.aosake.net> wrote in message
> >news:9qf5zmc16s0f.dlg@msnews.aosake.net...
> >> On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 14:35:01 -0800, Chronus wrote:
> >>> In Microsofts great wisdom, they made the XP professional upgrade require
> >>> windows already be installed. I have a new computer so it started without
> >>> windows. Not knowing a way around the problem, I installed (or at least
> >>> tried to) Windows ME. It halts due to a lack of compatable drivers.
> >>> Restart it and it comes up without the CD (actually DVD) drive. Yes the
> >>> drive works, its the one Windows ME was installed from. Now I have an
> >>> extremely limited Windows ME with no way to access the XP professional
> >>> disk. Anyone know of a work around?
> >> If you did not already have Windows ME installed on the new computer, you
> >> should not have bought the upgrade version of Windows XP. If you have an
> >> older computer with Windows ME on it, and it is an OEM install, your
> >> upgrade version of Windows XP would only go on that computer; unless the
> >> upgrade CD is bootable. However, I don't know if you could get away with
> >> using the key on the older, OEM computer, since Microsoft intends that you
> >> use one copy of their OS per computer; i.e., you couldn't keep running the
> >> computer with the OEM Windows ME *and*, simultaneously, run the new computer
> >> with the upgrade version of Windows XP tied to the older Windows ME. That
> >> would count as two computers, and, for the new computer, you would need a
> >> full version of Windows XP.
>
> >> It is all about profit; Microsoft intends for you to buy a new version of
> >> their OS for a new computer. Only only get to upgrade if there is already
> >> a qualifying version of Windows installed on it.
> > If I replace the boot harddrive on my computer, I expect to be able to
> > install either the operating system that was on the old drive, or install an
> > upgraded o/s.
>
> AFAIK, that is not a problem. I have done that myself. But the upgrade is
> tied to the OEM OS, and the OEM OS is tied to the computer it was installed
> on.
>
> > I see replacing an old computer with a newer (& better?) as being the same
> > thing.
>
> Replacing the old computer with a newer computer is most definitely not the
> same thing as replacing the old HDD on that old computer with a new HDD.
>
> > There is nothing in the license agreement that I have noticed that requires
> > me to purchase a full license with every harddrive - only that I do
> > not use both the old o/s and the upgrade.
>
> There is nothing against replacing the old HDD with a new HDD. You can
> transfer the OS from the old HDD to the new HDD *in the same old computer*.
> You can't transfer the OS from the old computer to the new computer, and you
> need a qualifying OS to use the upgrade product.
>
> --
> Norman
> ~Shine, bright morning light,
> ~now in the air the spring is coming.
> ~Sweet, blowing wind,
> ~singing down the hills and valleys.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Hmmm. Norman, Seems Microsoft's sweet music is sure making a lot of
sour notes these days.
As I recall, "my system" started as a homebuilt win98SE on a Gigabyte
mob. Then it even dual booted with a fat32 windows NT5 Beta. Then I
upgraded to winME. Worked very well for several years (NOT the win2K
beta - it was useless after it "timed out") Then I upgraded the
motherboard with a later version in the same family - faster CPU,
memory, etc. Almost all the peripeherals remained the same. I put the
solitary winME service pack (I don't think it was actually called a
service pack, just a big update).
And it still runs very good. Even with two NICS on it - one built into
the MOB, one Netgear hanging around since windows5/2000 was running.
Also have some ghost printers, etc. etc. My boots could be faster but
it gets up in about a minute so I'm not complaining. We have a Gold
Standard maintenance philosophy, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
balanced with the voice of experience, "Consistency is the hobgoblin
of small minds".
For several years I was a big fan of Dock-Tray hard-drive
arrangements. I have several drives "on the shelf" that dock with
this system. One of the bigger surprises was the otherday, I put up an
ancient win98se system drive and it ran like a champ (well, I doubt
the printer did because it had an Epson back then and now we use a
Canon Pixma).
To sum up - Seems as though MS has gone to the dogs - Legal Beagles to
be exact. So long as Bill listened to his computer whiz kids it was a
beautiful ride.