Many thanks...
My son has been informed and we take immediate action.
I will rport on it.

Regards
Huib

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> Huib wrote:
> > The XP SW is on the PC en is working well.
> > There is a MS licence nr. and we will receive a CD.
> > I was informed that my son meanwhile bought already the PC.
> > Currently he has not yet an internet connection so we can´t check out
> > the update.
> >
> > We were informed that it is possible that we got a message that the
> > licence nr is in use and if so we have to contact MS to make it free.
> > Is this all true? And what procedure do you have to follow in that
> > case?
>
> Reinstall the OS (Windows XP) ASAP. It's that simple.
> You have no idea what the previous owners left on there - and yes - it is
> entirely possible that there is something collecting every keystroke and
> sending that to someone via the Internet whenever it can - collecting data
> for those to use to steal your identity or at least borrow it for a bit..
>
> Why is it that you "will receive a CD" on a second-hand (used) computer?
> That makes little sense. Hopefully it is an original CD.
>
> As far as it being "possible" that you receive some message that the
> "license is in use" and then contacting Microsoft to "make it free" - no -
> not normally. If you ever receive a message like that - something has gone
> wrong. You should have a Windows XP CD and - being a personal machine like
> that - a unique CD Key that belongs to that computer. Worst thing that
> should happen is that you reinstall with your original Windows XP CD and use
> your unique CD Key and then cannot "activate" your copy of Windows XP over
> the Internet because it has been less than 120 days since it was activated
> in such a manner.. You thn have to activate over the phone - which unless
> there is some flag on that particular CD Key - should consist of a 5 minute
> AUTOMATED phone call and writing down some long number sequences.
>
> Also - any other software on the machine that was sold AS part of the
> machine (you got a receipt, right?) has to have a way to restore it with its
> proper Keys as well...
>
> Once you get the Windows XP CD and CD Key - reinstall - you don't want to
> take chances with this thing and you want to know it is a good license so
> you can get it back to this person who sold you something illegal ASAP.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
>