removing the XP license key

[Birbone]

My boss has some old corporate machines that they want to sell without violating any license agreements.

What I want to do is fully install and patch Windows XP on these machines, and then remove the license key so that a valid XP license key (other than ours) has to be entered when the system is reactivated after the key is removed.

The idea is to allow the new owner(s) to purchase their own license and only have to enter their product key to enjoy a fully patched system.

Can this be easily done? Is there any legal concerns this would not address?


-B

 

[ArizonaGeek]

Why not just wipe the hard drives clean with something like Active Kill Disk (which works great BTW, best $20 I've spent) and leave them without an OS? This also makes sure you have no footprints of old information for someone to undelete and if they are going to purchase an OS (they might want Linux, an OEM license or some other version) they can load it themselves. We have donated and sold about 50 old computers and servers and it is just easier to start the Kill Disk and leave them overnight. At the very least you could forego someone getting old data.

If you are set on just leaving the key check out this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874

Cheers
Rob

 

[Davetoo]

Be aware also that if the systems were received with an OEM version of Windows on it already, it has to go with the system anyway.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[firewolfrl]

you can use the sysprep tool

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/introduction.mspx

https://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentpage.aspx?PageID=501924

I agree with Davetoo on the licensing..An issue you are gonna have is you are not giving the purchaser of the computer the hologram (or non-Hologram legal) Windows XP CD....that may bite you in the butt.

this tool works with the SYSrep tool
Microsoft System Builder Bypass Tool

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/introduction.mspx