Windows 2000 professional- Is it legal to download for free?

[yossim]

Hi, I am running xp via parallels, and I have not purchased a product key for it. So it is going to stop working in 28 days. I don't want to buy xp again since I already have like three discs, but they are all invalid because they each are installed on a computer once. So I was wondering if, since MS retired 2000, it is legal to download, and if so, where?

 

[SilentPanda]

No it's not.

 

[TEG]

No Microsoft Product is ever legal to download for free, ever. Your best bet is to just go through the Activation process of your XP install, and if it doesn't work, pay for a license (between $30 and $60) and call it a day.

TEG

 

[yossim]

Thank you all for the Information. I have one more question though. Where can you buy product keys for xp? I've looked all over microsoft.com, and I still can't find anything. (I guess if all else fails, I can talk to MS' Indian tech support)

 

[old-wiz]

It's easy enough to buy old products via newegg.com.

 

[Bill Gates]

If you aren't using the computers that you installed XP on anymore, and they are retail (not OEM) copies then you can call Microsoft and have them reset the activation status so that you can use one of your old copies again. Otherwise you can also purchase just a license key (no media) by speaking to someone on the activation hotline. I did that years ago when XP first came out.

 

[balamw]

If you aren't using the computers that you installed XP on anymore, and they are retail (not OEM) copies then you can call Microsoft and have them reset the activation status so that you can use one of your old copies again. Otherwise you can also purchase just a license key (no media) by speaking to someone on the activation hotline. I did that years ago when XP first came out.

You may even be able to transfer license even if it is OEM, many here have reported success in doing that. Just because OEM doesn't explicitly grant you transfer rights, doesn't mean that Microsoft won't let you do stuff beyond the license if you just ask...

I reported this thread to the mods due to the (now removed) links to Win2K downloads which are a direct violation of the sticky post in the forum. Do not post piracy-related links in threads

B