Hey,

This weekend I'll be putting together a new PC and am repurposing my old
box as a digital media center. I've ordered MCE2005 to install clean on
the old one.

Retarded as I am, I assumed I could take the XP Pro disc previously
installed on my old PC and install it on my new machine once it's no
longer running on the MCE2005 PC. My brother thinks I'm going to get
screwed by MS' XP Pro activation scheme.

Am I going to run into trouble with this? Is it possible to work around
it? Can I 'deactivate' XP Pro on the old machine before wiping it clean?

If it matters, the XP Pro SP2 install was an upgrade from a full install
of 2000 Pro a few years back. All legitimately purchased, licensed and
registered.

If the activation gives you any grief, you'll need to call Microsoft (800
number) and tell them what you're doing and why. There shouldn't be any
problem.

However, you may want to check...it sounds like the XP Pro install you have
may be an "upgrade" rather than a full install, so you may need to install
2000 on your new box first, then upgrade it to XP Pro.

Dana Cline - MCE MVP

"Byron" <spamagnet@dorrk.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1dc0e4458319467c9896d8@newshost.allthenew sgroups.com...
> Hey,
>
> This weekend I'll be putting together a new PC and am repurposing my old
> box as a digital media center. I've ordered MCE2005 to install clean on
> the old one.
>
> Retarded as I am, I assumed I could take the XP Pro disc previously
> installed on my old PC and install it on my new machine once it's no
> longer running on the MCE2005 PC. My brother thinks I'm going to get
> screwed by MS' XP Pro activation scheme.
>
> Am I going to run into trouble with this? Is it possible to work around
> it? Can I 'deactivate' XP Pro on the old machine before wiping it clean?
>
> If it matters, the XP Pro SP2 install was an upgrade from a full install
> of 2000 Pro a few years back. All legitimately purchased, licensed and
> registered.

Also, if the first PC came with the copy of 2K, if may have been
specifically licensed for that PC and technically may not be transferred. If
you actually bought a retail copy of 2K and then the XP upgrade, you should
be good to go. As Dana pointed out if the XP is an upgrade, you may have
some issues just installing XP. It's been a while since I have done that
upgrade, you may be able to just install XP directly, but get a prompt to
insert the copy of 2K to prove you have a valid license for the upgrade.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey!"), Florida

"Dana Cline - MVP" <dcline@scriptpro.com> wrote in message
news:%23qW$bjX1FHA.460@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> If the activation gives you any grief, you'll need to call Microsoft (800
> number) and tell them what you're doing and why. There shouldn't be any
> problem.
>
> However, you may want to check...it sounds like the XP Pro install you
> have may be an "upgrade" rather than a full install, so you may need to
> install 2000 on your new box first, then upgrade it to XP Pro.
>
> Dana Cline - MCE MVP
>
> "Byron" <spamagnet@dorrk.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1dc0e4458319467c9896d8@newshost.allthenew sgroups.com...
>> Hey,
>>
>> This weekend I'll be putting together a new PC and am repurposing my old
>> box as a digital media center. I've ordered MCE2005 to install clean on
>> the old one.
>>
>> Retarded as I am, I assumed I could take the XP Pro disc previously
>> installed on my old PC and install it on my new machine once it's no
>> longer running on the MCE2005 PC. My brother thinks I'm going to get
>> screwed by MS' XP Pro activation scheme.
>>
>> Am I going to run into trouble with this? Is it possible to work around
>> it? Can I 'deactivate' XP Pro on the old machine before wiping it clean?
>>
>> If it matters, the XP Pro SP2 install was an upgrade from a full install
>> of 2000 Pro a few years back. All legitimately purchased, licensed and
>> registered.
>
>

In article <e6Bbm1X1FHA.3256@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>,
jaimelobo@hotmail.com says...
> Also, if the first PC came with the copy of 2K, if may have been
> specifically licensed for that PC and technically may not be transferred. If
> you actually bought a retail copy of 2K and then the XP upgrade, you should
> be good to go. As Dana pointed out if the XP is an upgrade, you may have
> some issues just installing XP. It's been a while since I have done that
> upgrade, you may be able to just install XP directly, but get a prompt to
> insert the copy of 2K to prove you have a valid license for the upgrade.
>


Thanks for the info. The W2k was retail, so I'm no longer concerned.
Thanks.