XP OEM licensing

[dockers]

I have just set up my first ESX server and imported three "servers" which were each running a Dell OEM version of Windows XP Pro. Now, I'm confronted with prompts demanding re-activation.

I've seen a number of posts in this forum which tell me why I must activate, but I wonder if I can get by with using a volume license product key, or will I need to reinstall Windows?

[admin]

It has been my experience that you can not enter a volume license keys on the OEM version of windows.

This Post[/url] should help.

[tmcd35]

I have had problems in the past with Dell OEM XP Pro. We have a volume license and we normally rebuild all desktops with our corporate CD. However I had managed to loose it on one occasion (found it again, later luckily). When the desktop asked for a license key I tried our volume license. It would not accept it! I had to use the OEM license and enter a different OEM license on each of the 30 desktops we got at that time - a major inconvenience.

If you want to use a volume license key you may have to reinstall windows from a corperate cd image.

[TomHowarth]

as has been aluded to you will have to put in the OEM key and re-register or reinstall your windows with the Select version of the CD. as an aside, lawfully, you would not be able to utilise the original OEM license keys as they are valid only for the hardware they were orignally installed on and by P2V'ing the machines onto new hardware (the VM guests) you have invalidated the License.

[stuart_ling]

Also as I understand it the volume license is only an upgrade to allow for re-imaging such as RIS or Ghost. You would need to buy both a Retail box product and then the upgrade if you wanted to use distribtution tools.

[tmcd35]

The volume license is a discount product from M$ for organisation buying mutliple copies of Windows. You have one CD, the Select CD, and one license code. These are then installed on all the desktops, virtual or physical, that you have enough license's for. The requirement is to purchase enough license's to cover all the machines the product is being installed on. There is certainly no requirement to purchase any Retail boxes or upgrades. Licensing, depending on volumes, tends to be cheaper than either full retail or upgrade.

[mreferre]

I think that the trick lies in the fact that there is no volume license for XP. I think this is due to the fact that it was always assumed that XP was already OEM licensed on the PC's (hence only the subscription upgrade was available).

This was of course true until VDI. For this MS has announced a new licensing schema called VECD (Vista Enterprise Centrilized Desktops) which is a mean to license client devices (be them PC's or thin clients) with the rights to access a back-end comprised of XP/Vista virtual machines.

Massimo.

[RDPetruska]

>I think that the trick lies in the fact that there is no volume license for XP.

Massimo, that's funny. I've had a Volume License (MS Select) for WindowsXP since the day it came out. Still using it on multiple PCs...

[KevinG]

I am also using the volume license for Windows XP in my VM's

[mreferre]

Robert/Kevin,

as I said I am not a MS licensing guru ...

I remember we have asked a number of (potential) VDI customers to go back to MS and ask them for a similar thing and they all got back with a negative attitude ..... which was not only due to pricing (which would be high anyway) but to the way they would have to buy things. I remember they mentioned something like "we can't buy volume XP licenses" where can't here means they were not allowed to do that .....

I'll tack back that then ....

Massimo.

[rsa911]

the Volume licensing edition of XP requires you to already have an existing XP license or other microsoft qualifying product...

meaning if you purchase your machine with linux or no o/s pre-installed , installing the Volume edition of XP is a violation of Microsoft license

it's purely a licensing consideration, the XP vol lic CD is a full version of windows, not an upgrade (and no check is done at setup time)

this is the official MS statement from the MS volume licensing web site when you download Volume license CD of XP:

\----

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By checking this box, I acknowledge that I may install this full version of Windows only on desktops for which my organization has acquired:

• A qualifying operating system license1 AND a Volume Licensing Windows upgrade license for this version, or

• A full license for this version of Windows through an OEM or from a retail source (Full Package Product)

1See the Product List for details

ANY OTHER INSTALLATION OF THIS SOFTWARE IS IN VIOLATION OF YOUR AGREEMENT AND APPLICABLE COPYRIGHT LAW.

\----

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[mreferre]

So was my understanding correct (and we should put both Kevin and Robert to jail ) ?

Massimo.

[rsa911]

Robert already has a bunch of unopened XP retail boxes lying around so nobody can force him to upgrade to vista