This will sound stupid, as I should probably know this...

[IndyGunFreak]

I often see on PriceWatch, Windows XP, and other MS products, for sale at extremely cheap prices, but it then says, "No Media".

1st, Is this simply the licensing agreement, and a Product Keycode and password(there is obviously no media)? How do you get the product you just bought, installed? 2nd. I assume this is legal, but I want to be sure.

Lets say I was going to buy a "copy" of XP in this manner. I have a hard copy(CD) of XP that I used to install on my PC. Could I use my CD to install XP on another computer, enter the Product Key and Password off the agreement I bought from Pricwatch, and expect the Windows XP to work?

I know this is stupid, and the answer is probably obvious to most of you, I just want to be sure I understand this correctly.

Thanks
IGF

[Jtemple]

I believe "No Media" means no documentation. You don't get any books or manuals or the fancy box or anything - just a CD and key. I could be wrong.

It's probably OEM software meant to be sold with a new computer. Some businesses have found ways around the "only to be sold with new computers" rule. There's a local shop out here that will sell you an OEM copy of Windows XP Pro (for $150) if you buy a $3 mouse.

Another valid product key will not work with your existing XP disk. You have to use the key that was issued with the disk.

[fastvfr]

No Media means that there is no XP disk included; the cost is simply for the license.

If you buy a license for XP Home, then that license will allow you to activate any available XP Home w/o SP1. They are not disk-dependent. The keycodes changed a bit for XP Home SP1, and again for SP2 copies.

The XP Home keycodes will not activate XP Pro or allow XP Corporate to run, so you'll need to buy the rights to use one of those if that OS is on the disk you own.

Essentially, the idea is that if you have six PC's and one XP Pro disk, then you need to buy 5 more XP Pro licenses, which means that you don't need to drop $199 per PC but only $90 or so, since you already have the media in hand.

This (http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl?c=327906&sc=2&category=5&range=11,20,32) link is selling the licenses only (Certificates Of Authenticity) for some of the various M$ OS'es.

Use these only if you already have the corresponding disk.

Media = storage media for the code.

Best regards,

FastVFR

PS. That's how a shop can just buy 3 disks (XP Pro, XP Home and Win98SE or Win2K), install the OS with them repeatedly to client machines, and sell these stickers to people in a completely legal fashion, thus saving part of the money charged to customers for a new OS.

There is a REASON that the OEM PC's don't ship with OS disks, folks!!

[Jtemple]

Oops! It's not the first time I've been wrong.