Hi,

You may be correct, but also, may not be.  The unit she purchased could of
haved the COA attached to the side or back of the unit, and that gives her
the legallity needed to use the software.

It was kind of a 2 edge sword when MS started this procedure.  It stopped
the blatent stripping and reselling of software in large and small
organizations, but it also married that OS to the machine for the life of
the machine.

Thanks,

Joe Lore
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I am not an expert on this but believe that you technically do not own the
right to use Windows on your computer. You purchased the hardware and not
the software. The person that sold you the computers should have provided
the original installation software on disk or CD. Now, I believe your best
choice would be to purchase a version of Windows (98, ME, 2000, or XP -- XP
would be my choice) and do a new install. Be forwarned, this option would
erase all other software which you also do not have the installation disk.
You can try a repair install (which is what the MS tech recommended), but
this does not always correct system problems.

Do you own any version of Windows? If so, you might qualify for upgrade
pricing. WinXP Home can be had for about $90. Wish I have better news, but
in the future, make sure you get the original software if you purchase
second hand. The person who sold you the hardware "retained" the license for
the software and might be using it on another system. Using the same OS on
two systems is against the EULA (licensing agreement between you and
Microsoft).

Depending upon your needs, Linux might be an alternative, but this is not
for the faint of heart. But the OS software is free to download and usually
comes with lots of applications software.

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