Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (
More info?)
No. The person didn't sell you XP (probably hoping to sell it to someone who can't legally use it) so you only own the computer. If he sold you XP he would HAVE to sell you the computer as part of the license agreement between the seller and Dell (note MS is not a part of this) or be in breech of his agreement with Dell regarding the XP. As the computer is sold not licensed one can't restrict the sale of a computer. But think about the legal consequences of being in breech with Dell - they can pull the license, but as he sold the computer that it was licensed to be on he doesn't have a usuable license anyway.
But you have no rights to his now useless copy of XP. He retains the right to install it on your computer I suppose.
So as you lose and he can't benefit this is worse than a zero sum game - it is a negative sum game. This leads one to suspect he intends to use it (and he will have problems doing that on anything but a Dell) or sell it to some poor person (who will have problems using it on anything but a Dell). All Dells come with a copy of XP so it's pointless to get a second copy for it. He probably doesn't know this.
Where I live the streets are littered with computers. Can't you just look on the street for one. While I place former hardware in good homes most people treat computers with contempt and dump them on the street. I gave away a 486 this year (I'd been trying to give it away for years - it was worth something when I tried to find it a new home. I did find it one 5 years ago but the person decided they hated computer and gave it back after a year), and a 700 pentium 2 years ago, and a 233 4 years ago..
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"kkantchev@hotmail.com" <kkantchevhotmailcom@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:2F22BDDE-E395-4B71-9E52-FAE8A0B400B7@microsoft.com...
> Hi Dave, thanks for your reply.
> In this case if I call Dell, are they going to tell me the license number of
> the OS? They should know what it is, based on the serial number of the
> computer.
>
> "David Candy" wrote:
>
>> Yes. But the OS becomes (in a legal sense) useless to him/her. You can't sell the Dell XP without the computer (a condition of the license) but as you own the computer you can do what you want with that. But Dell XPs are only allowed to be used on the computer it came with. By not supplying it to you it is now worthless to the seller as the seller no longer has a computer that it is allowed to be used on..
>>
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>> "kkantchev@hotmail.com" <kkantchevhotmailcom@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:AA65B6CC-84D0-4B62-8DA2-123F806915E4@microsoft.com...
>> > Hi everyone,
>> > Here is the problem I'm having. I purchased Dell OptiPlex GX60 from eBay.
>> > The seller posted a picture of the PC with OS License sticker on it.
>> > Unfortunately when I got the computer the sticker was removed. When I asked
>> > the guy why is that, he said that usually many items on eBay don't have the
>> > original picture. When I told him that I was expecting to get the PC
>> > licensed, he said that in the description clearly states the OS is optional.
>> > Well, it wasn't that clear and easy to find that, but yes there was such a
>> > statement. Now I feel ripped off. I paid about $300 for 3 years old computer
>> > an if I have to pay for new license, that purchase becomes a little pricy. I
>> > was definitely expecting to get licensed machine.
>> > So, here is my question. Is the seller allowed to remove sticker from
>> > original Dell machine and sale it without it?
>> >
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance
>> >
>> > Krass
>>