Want to download Windows XP for free, off the Internet? Where should you look? Or should you even look at all?
Launched in 2001, Windows XP was undoubtedly one of the best operating systems (OS) of that time. The successor to Windows 2000 brought various improvements including an appearance overhaul. Infact, we ourselves used SP2 for several years before switching to Ubuntu.
Windows XP is premium software. The common practice of downloading it from torrent sites is illegal in every sense of the word. Excuses like ‘I can’t afford it’, simply don’t work here. Others out there will always reason that doing such an act is not such a big deal as the one doing it will not be held accountable anyway. I will counter this opinion by saying that not getting caught does not make the unlawful, lawful. How will you respond to somebody stealing an item that you intended to make profit out of?
That does not mean, however, that there is no possible way of downloading a free copy of XP. This is where MSDN AA comes in. MSDN Academic Alliance is a program through which students of participating academic institutions can download original Microsoft software (with product keys) such as Microsoft Windows XP. Additionally, the students may continue to use the software after graduating. There are some conditions though; the software may only be used for non-commercial purposes and copies of it may not be handed out to others.
So if your college/university is a part of this alliance, you are in luck. For preceding steps, just contact the management at your institution. But I know some of you, who do not meet the aforementioned criteria, believe that they have a valid reason for scavenging ISO files on the Internet; you’ve lost your install CD. I am sorry to inform you that this is not the correct way forward. Buying a new install disc is the only legal solution.
Alternatively, if you have only lost the serial key you can try the following two methods before calling it a day:
1. If you have XP installed and running, you may use one of these applications to locate the key.
2. Request Microsoft to give you a replacement key by contacting MS Support. More details here.
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We, Shahan (left) and Farhan (right), are students, tech junkies, gaming enthusiasts and teenage bloggers from Pakistan.