Something that has escaped my ability to understand is why you cannot install an OEM OS on to a different system if you remove it from the original?
The major computer manufactures have gone as far as to make their backup media only compatible with their own computers. For example
I buy a computer from company X with windows ME on it
I have a computer from company Y that is an older system with 98 on it
I purchase a copy of windows 2000 from my local computer store. Its non OEM, I can put that one copy on any one computer I wish. I install the software on my new system
now my understanding is that I cannot install my copy of windows ME onto my older system. Its not being used anymore, 2000 is on that system. Company X has gone as far as to make it so that my ME backup cd does not work on computer Y – what the hell is up with this? I purchased one license to have ME on one system, why does it matter what system its on?
IANALawyer, but to my mind, yes, you have the licence for ME, so you could even install it from {ahem}a different ME setup disk (except that this might not work with the product keys etc); it’s the licence that you buy, the disk with the software on is incidental.
However, if your copy of Win2K is an Upgrade then it’s not the same as you never actually remove the product that you’re upgrading.
I agree that if you purchase a upgrade I could see how possibly you would not be able to install the older software on another system, but if I buy a full version of the 2000 OS then why would my ME CD’s not let me install it on a different brand CD? wouldnt that be a violation of my license agreement?
Just don’t use the OEM cd. Burn the Cab files onto a CD and install it from that. Or you could clone your old pc to the new one, then change all the hardware settings. To clone you would need to buy a program such as Ghost.
I’m not saying that there is a way to do it, I’m sure there is. my question is why has there been a software code written to prevent the avg. joe from installing this software on any system I want, as long as there is only one copy in use? I know I can get around it, but I know a lot of people who wouldnt be able to.