Genuine Windows Question

Lindsay Lohan

So here's the story.

I have 3 PCs in my house. One is a Vista laptop and is fully legal. The second is a Dell laptop with a legal copy of XP Home which is now a dead laptop thanks to a bad power connector, battery and dvd drive. The third is my frankenstein desktop built of spare parts which has a non-genuine Windows XP Premium that I got from a friend. For the record, he told me it was his copy and he didn't need it - turns out it was a very heavily pirated version and of course it knows it's not legit.

Now that the Dell is dead I'd like to move its copy of Windows over to the desktop and be fully "Genuine." Would I need to borrow a copy of XP Home and reinstall it using the Product Key from the laptop or is there some other way around this? I called Microsoft and they said that's still piracy and wouldn't be genuine in someway and wouldn't let me get their updates. I really just want my desktop to get updates without yelling at me for not being real.

MKR

Is the copy on the laptop OEM (came with the computer) or store-bought?

OEM can't be transferred.

RBach

As far as the EULA goes, you can't transfer that OEM license from the Dell. If you can get your hands on an OEM Home Edition install disc you might still be able use the cd key from the Dell anyway, but I can't promise that of course.

Lindsay Lohan

Thanks for the help - sounds like it's a no go then.

saltiness

I've been using the OEM license off an old Toshiba laptop for years on a desktop. So it may work.