If you're on an Windows XP or Vista box and live in the U.S...

[Steven Schveighoffer]

On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:02:43 -0400, Kagamin <spam at here.lot> wrote:

> Steven Schveighoffer Wrote:
>
>> OEM copies are not transferrable, but those will only work on the  
>> vendor's
>> BIOS key anyways.  So they are "technically" transferrable to another
>> system with the same vendor, but I don't think the license officially
>> permits it.
>
> I think, OEM copy can be transferred with computer on which it's  
> installed.

I think Nick means "transferrable to a different machine".  Of course the  
OS can stay installed on the computer its installed on.

OEM versions of XP use SLP licensing, which means the BIOS contains a  
special key in a certain location in memory, and the OEM version of XP  
will only activate if that key is present (in fact, the SLP key *is* the  
activation, there is no internet-based activation).

Case in point, if you get a Dell with an XP pro disk, you can install the  
disk on any system, even ones that are licensed for XP home, and it does  
not require activation.

-Steve