buying used Vista

I have a freind who bought a retail copy of Vista home premium. he installed it, Activated it and then did not like it so he went back to XP media center. He wants to sell it and has offered me a good deal on it. Would I have any problems activating it on my desk top system ( home built of course). i am a little reluctant to buy it because of the driver issue with my printer (old canon F-30 that works very well and the drivers for my sound card X-fi in one of my other posts in hardware. I like Vista and I am slowly turning my desktop into a media oriented computer. So to say the least with Vista I can have my cake and eat it to.

vista, like Windows XP once activated is locked into that set of hardware. i would not buy that copy from this friend because it will require you to activate it, and since he has already done so, you could run afoul of the Microsoft licensing rules.
that is just my perspective, but wait a while and i am sure there will be more coming in on this topic.

As it's a retail copy you can buy it from him with no worries, of course he must no longer use it himself.

If it's an OEM version then that's not allowed.

No worries? What about the part where he tries to activate it and gets the message that the keycode is already in use?

Windows Vista Activation FAQ
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...vationfaq.mspx

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You might have to activate Windows again in a number of instances, such as:

• You uninstall Windows on one computer and install it on another. (This applies only to Windows Vista acquired via a retail purchase.) During installation, enter the product key that came with your copy of Windows. If automatic activation fails, follow the instructions that walk you through activating Windows by phone. You will have 30 days to activate your copy of Windows.

Note: If you acquired Windows Vista pre-installed on a computer, Windows Vista cannot be moved to another computer.


How many different computers can I install Windows Vista on using the same product key?

The number of computers on which you can install Windows Vista depends on the software license. For example:

• If you acquire Windows Vista via retail purchase (boxed product), it may only be installed on one computer at a time. You may choose to uninstall Windows Vista from the initial computer and install it on another computer. You will then be required to re-activate that copy of Windows on the new computer.
  
• If you acquire Windows Vista pre-installed on a computer, it may only be used on that computer.
  
• If you acquire Windows Vista via a volume license, visit the Windows Vista Volume Activation page.

Where do I find my Windows product key for activation?

The location of your product key is determined by the way you acquired Windows Vista.

• If you acquired Windows Vista via retail purchase, you can find your product key on the proof of license label affixed to the installation disc holder inside the Windows package.
  
• If you acquired Windows Vista via a computer manufacturer, you can find your product key on the Certificate of Authenticity, usually affixed to your computer.

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Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

No worries? What about the part where he tries to activate it and gets the message that the keycode is already in use?

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That could well not happen, if it does then a phone call will sort it out. It's the same if anyone moves there retail copy from one machine to another.

Thanks for the reply folks. I talked to the guy who wants to sell it and he told me if I have any problems with activation he would gladly return my money.

If you want to continue using the printer and drivers aren't available for it for Vista, install Vista on a separate partition if possible (or buy and install another HDD) and dual-boot. It's easily done and you won't have to worry about losing XP in case you need it later.