John
Tue Nov 29 05:51:33 CST 2005
Shane wrote:
> One wonders what you consider yourself to have a right to do.
Perhaps I'd better clarify that then:
I want to be able to update my BIOS to the latest version and still be
able to use the OEM Millennium Edition license (which I paid for and
which is my property) to reinstall the copy of Millennium Edition back
onto this computer.
Please note that I say "license" and not "copy" here, because of couse
I'm aware that I don't own the copy, but rather only a license to use
it. I do, however, own that license, even though I realize that it is
only a conditional "owning".
80)>
> Long ago I made a copy of my OEM ME, removing any files with OEM in the
> title or MSBATCH. I don't know if it's necessary, but thought so at the time
> and replaced the retail cd root setup.exe (which did not exist) with one
> from 98SE, hex editing it to make it work in ME (replacing any mention of
> Windows 98 with Windows Millennium Edition). Actually I burned the contents
> of C:\Windows\Options\CABS to the cd Win9x folder (with the consequence that
> on installation System Restore is already patched).
>
> In case you wonder, the point was not to install it on other machines, but
> to do future clean installations on *my* machine without having certain
> options preselected. I learned a good deal more about Windows this way, also
> was able to make EBDs for other countries, such as Canada and Australia,
> information I wanted.
>
> Anyhow, when I next came to attempt to install from the *original* OEM cd,
> it would not proceed. The only reason I could see for this was that I'd
> updated the bios meantime (I had to update the bios to get my retail copy of
> XP to install).
AHA!!! This is great information because I'm thinking about updating to
XP and so wonder the following. If I:
1. Updated my BIOS to the latest version, thus losing the (for lack of a
better term) "matching code" that was placed in it.
2. Bought an update version of XP and did a fresh install on a formatted
disk
When it got to the point where I am supposed to prove that I have a
pre-existing copy of Windows - would inserting my Magnell version of
Millennium Edition Windows still work or would the XP disk look at my
computer's BIOS to verify that the ME disk was matched to my computer?
That you had to update your BIOS makes me concerned that I might have to
do likewise. If so, then I would have to purchase a new, full copy of
ME before I could install XP and that would simply not be fair. Your
hack sounds to me like it would effectively work around this problem.
> So, I'm using *the descendent of* the copy of ME that came with this
> computer and I almost certainly threw the original disc away. No-one at all
> is out of pocket, no-one has been wronged, no-one would even know if I
> didn't admit to it. But that's how to stop the cd from refusing to install
> on a pc whose bios has been updated.
Shane, thank you very much for your help. You did indeed provide the
answer that I was looking for.
I guess Mike M was correct in that I never originally *had* a question.
Thus, it seems that his initial reply was totally uncalled for in the
first place. In retrospect, it would seem that he was only trolling
for an argument with his totally unnecessary warning about copywrite
protection.
Your reply though Shane, was both constructive as well as helpful. For
this I thank you very much! Have a great day.
> "John Corliss" <jcorliss@fake.invalid> wrote in message
> news:11omdocfllfrg97@corp.supernews.com...
>
>>Mike M wrote:
>>
>>>>If this is so, then everybody who uses an OEM version of Windows ME
>>>>should be aware of this fact. I don't know if it applies to every copy
>>>>of OEM ME, but it certainly applies to my Magnell version
>>>
>>>BIOS locked OEM copies of Win Me are comparatively rare, so much so that
>>>yours is one of the few cases that I am aware of. This does prompt me
>>>however to ask one question and that is why, after all these years, are
>>>you wanting now to update the bios on what must be a pretty old
>>>motherboard that has probably been out of production for four or five
>>>years? What features are you hoping that the new bios will provide that
>>>are not present in your current bios?
>>
>>The MOBO isn't quite that old. I special ordered this computer with ME on
>>it (why I did so is my business and is not germane to this discussion.)
>>
>>What I'm trying to do is to upgrade my RDRAM from 256 mb to 512 mb. That,
>>for reasons that I won't go into here, might necessitate a BIOS update.
>>
>>
>>>Note also that your OEM copy of Win Me is legally licensed for use only
>>>with the computer and motherboard with which it was supplied and to
>>>attempt to install it on another motherboard would be construed by
>>>Microsoft to be a breach of the EULA to which you agreed when you first
>>>used your PC.
>>
>>I am totally, absolutely, completely aware of this. I'm a 54 year old man
>>and I assure you, I don't engage in software piracy.
>>
>>My desire is only to update my BIOS and then be able to reinstall my OS. I
>>have NO INTENTION of trying to install my copy of Windows on another
>>computer. In fact, over the past several years I have informed Microsoft
>>about several warez websites carrying cracked copies of Windows. Those
>>sites always get shut down and I am always thanked by Microsoft.
>>
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/default.mspx
>> mailto:piracy@microsoft.com
>>
>>I loath software piracy and am very active in the freeware movement. Our
>>newsgroup constantly gets requests for cracks to this program or that, and
>>I am one of the people who consistently jumps down the throat of the OP.
>>We have no desire for our group to become a hotbed of warez discussion.
>>
>>Now.... back to my question?
--
Sincere regards from John Corliss