Windows installation/activation (OEM)

[Staff]

Hi there.

I have a doubt regarding Windows activation procedure on OEM machines. The fact is that I have two Acer laptops (originally same specs), with OEM Windows XP Media Center Edition. Upon the first boot I was prompted to create restore DVDs for both of them and I created them. Afterwards I replaced the hard disk in one of the machines (say "A") and thus lost the hidden partition where recovery tools were installed. Anyway using that machine's restore DVD everything worked fine. The spare drive I got was used in a USB Rack and thus formatted.

The problem I have now is that the machine which hard drive was replaced is having problems with Windows (viruses, spyware, and so forth) and I shall need to reinstall it, but it's restore DVD is missing (I made some changes in my office, and several things were thrown away :0 ). However I still have the other's machine restore DVD.

Do you think I would have any problem using the other's machine restore DVD in the former machine? I guess that being almost the same specs both machines (I've noticed the RAM memory brand differs from one machine to the other for example, and one of them has twice as RAM) the installation should run fine, but I am concerned about Windows. Would it allow me to use the same restore DVD in both machines? Any problems with WGA? It is understood that both of them have their proper license.

Thanks.

Staff.

[Staff]

Hi there.

I have a doubt regarding Windows activation procedure on OEM machines. The fact is that I have two Acer laptops (originally same specs), with OEM Windows XP Media Center Edition. Upon the first boot I was prompted to create restore DVDs for both of them and I created them. Afterwards I replaced the hard disk in one of the machines (say "A") and thus lost the hidden partition where recovery tools were installed. Anyway using that machine's restore DVD everything worked fine. The spare drive I got was used in a USB Rack and thus formatted.

The problem I have now is that the machine which hard drive was replaced is having problems with Windows (viruses, spyware, and so forth) and I shall need to reinstall it, but it's restore DVD is missing (I made some changes in my office, and several things were thrown away :0 ). However I still have the other's machine restore DVD.

Do you think I would have any problem using the other's machine restore DVD in the former machine? I guess that being almost the same specs both machines (I've noticed the RAM memory brand differs from one machine to the other for example, and one of them has twice as RAM) the installation should run fine, but I am concerned about Windows. Would it allow me to use the same restore DVD in both machines? Any problems with WGA? It is understood that both of them have their proper license.

Thanks.

Staff.

Anyone there?

[-pops-]

Apologies for the delay in our response.

My view is that as everything you are trying to do is legal as far as Microsoft is concerned, if you do have problems going through the procedure you outlined then a quick call to Microsoft should sort things out for you.

The MS helplines are always very helpful PROVIDED that you are not trying to deceive them - which I'm sure you're not.

Can I suggest when you are back up and running again that you make full system backups of your machines so that in the event of another disaster, you can quickly recover to where you were before.

[Staff]

Apologies for the delay in our response.

My view is that as everything you are trying to do is legal as far as Microsoft is concerned, if you do have problems going through the procedure you outlined then a quick call to Microsoft should sort things out for you.

The MS helplines are always very helpful PROVIDED that you are not trying to deceive them - which I'm sure you're not.

Can I suggest when you are back up and running again that you make full system backups of your machines so that in the event of another disaster, you can quickly recover to where you were before.

Thanks for the response, yes, in fact it is a legal thing (they sold Windows with my machine and it comes in a manufacturer's disk (with drivers and OEM stuff that otherwise wouldn't work) so, how can I deceive them?).

I will be more careful in the future.

Staff.

[-pops-]

I wasn't suggesting that it was you trying to deceive them, the comment was meant as a generality.

As I said, I don't think there will be a problem in what you are wanting to do and if your Windows setup does object then a quick call to Microsoft should get things in order again.