The second old laptop mentioned in yesterdays narrative is now running Windows XP as well.

It’s not like Microsoft is losing any money from me doing this. It’s not, “Rather than spending money on Windows XP, I’ll install this copy,” it’s “I’ll try this copy, and if it works, that’s nice, but I’ll go back to the legal copy anyways.”

I guess I’ll start with the beginning…
Long long ago in a galaxy far away…

The Unnecessarily Long Background Paragraph
Right then. So, the company my dad works for (henceforth known as “Work”) recently gave him a brand new laptop for work. He decided to buy his old one, and $10 later, it became my brother’s laptop. But then, my laptop died out, as you should already know, O faithful reader. Thus, in order to survive the long period I would be without my beloved laptop, my father brought home an extra old laptop he had from “Work”. Unfortunately, I turned it on, and it failed me. So he brought home another laptop. This one worked. I still felt like fixing the first laptop, and thus he brought home many CDs. Some contained OEM software such as drivers or diagnostic tools. Some came from the old laptop, some came from the new, and more still came from the newest laptop provided by “Work” in the first sentence, but none contained Windows 2000. Finally, Windows 2000 was provided, Windows was restored, and all were merry.

The Epic Body
Later, I decided to do something with the OEM CDs from the newest of the laptoms, for among them was Windows XP Professional. I had considered installing it on the aforementioned broken laptop, but I thought that Microsoft’s activation would smite this plan for sure. However, on this bold day, I removed the laptop-that-had-had-Windows-2000-reinstalled-and-hadn’t-been-touched-since from my closet, used the sell “Partition Magic” on it to create space. I then inserted Windows XP Professional and let it go. When it rebooted, to my surprise, there was no “THOU HAST BUT THIRTY DAYS TO ACTIVATE THIS SOFTWARE OR THOU SHALT PERISH” messages. No key icon in the system tray. “Woot” accurately expressed my feelings. However, I did not know the extent of my success, for I had believed that although I had it installed, Windows Update would deny me access for sure, reminding me of my invalid copy of Windows. It did not. And when the Seventh Explorer of Internets replaced the Sixth, it required a full out “validation” to ensure I had a legal copy. To my surprise, it told me I did. I rejoyced.

The !(Shocking) Conclusion
And thus Windows Genuine Advantage fails yet again. Of course, I doubt I’ll keep this illegal copy of Windows installed since that’s, well, illegal, but it was odd to know that there was not even a batting of an eyelash in the process.

Mom: T.J., come set the table–Wait, no, Chris, set the table, T.J.’s “too busy” with his essay.
Me: I said we could go…
Mom: Shut up.
Me: I also said I was almost finished with my essay
Mom: *Again, no answer except mumbling*

Mom: How could you have not wanted to go to Outback?
Me: I have an English essay to write, but I’m almost finished so we can go.
Mom: Well it’s too late now, we could have had to go at 5:00.
Me: Well, I was given the option of us going or not at 6:00, so why does it matter?
Mom: It’s 6:30, we’ll never get in.
Me: Dad got out of work and went right to robotics where he picked me up, so this is the earliest we could have gotten home.
Mom: I was expecting you home at 6:15.
Me: How does that make a difference if you said five?
Mom: *No answer.*

And I wanted my Outback, damnit.