I was asked by a client to install Windows XP on three partitions on his PC. He wants them to all be original. My question:
Will the same Original XP installation work (get registered/ activated) on all the partitions?
or
Do I need three Original XP licenses?
Note: Original means Licensed
I don't want to take the risk, so I'm asking first.
As stated in the XP Pro EULA
Installation and use. You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Product on a single computer,
such as a workstation, terminal or other device (“Workstation Computer”). The Product may not be used by
more than two (2) processors at any one time on any single Workstation Computer. You may permit a maximum
of ten (10) computers or other electronic devices (each a “Device”) to connect to the Workstation Computer to
utilize the services of the Product solely for File and Print services, Internet Information Services, and remote
access (including connection sharing and telephony services). The ten connection maximum includes any indirect
connections made through “multiplexing” or other software or hardware which pools or aggregates connections.
Except as otherwise permitted by the NetMeeting, Remote Assistance, and Remote Desktop features described
below, you may not use the Product to permit any Device to use, access, display or run other executable software
residing on the Workstation Computer, nor may you permit any Device to use, access, display, or run the Product
or Product’s user interface, unless the Device has a separate license for the Product.
Because MS produces a computer ID My Computer - Properties based on the licensing Key and hardware profile (mostly the motherboard) that is unique to each "computer" and relays that information to MS servers, all three partitions will have the same hardware ID, and cannot be used concurrently, there shouldn't be any restrictions per the EULA
You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Product on a single computer, such as a workstation, terminal or other device workstation is a computer. What you're saying is because it's 3 partitions on one computer, you should be okay according to the EULA?
Feb 6, 2012 at 12:36
TRANSFER—Internal. You may move the Product to a different Workstation Computer. After the transfer, you must completely remove the Product from the former Workstation Computer. This part would indicate that you cannot have it on more than one computer at a time, but your argument is still valid. Because of the way MS IDs computers, I think you're in the clear. I edited my answer.
Feb 6, 2012 at 12:39
Yes, as long as only one install is being used on one machine at any time. Here's the EULA: Windows XP EULA In the section about storing images of XP on a network, it says you need to have one license for each separate workstation the product is run on. So if you are only running one copy at a time on the same machine, and you are not transferring it, I read that as the same machine.
This will work in theory, but you only get a max of I think its 3 activations so after that you would have to ring up Microsoft and beg for more. As long as the three installations are not running at the same time this should be ok, I wouldn't like to say how you would stand on the licence terms doing this but as far as I can see it should physically work.
As for the licencing part you could look at it like this.......Windows enables you to install it onto a mirror'd raid, in this you have two drives, both with the same info on, so if one dies you have a copy on the other one, so in essence you have two installations of windows, one on each hard drive, yet you are only using one at a time, so if you pulled one drive, the other would take over.
So installing xp on several partitions and only using one at once is theoretically the same thing, just in a different way, as for how Microsoft sees it is another matter.
