Removing Windows is definetly legal. What I would be more worried about is whether you have the proper documentation to run Windows at all. Just because they came to you with Windows loaded on them, doesn't mean that you have a legal copy (or at least that you can prove it). If they are new enough there will be a sticker attached to the computer with the OEM number. These are older the license so it probably on a seperate card. Since you received these from an institution they may have some other type of bulk license that didn't go with the computers. We ran into this with a donation from the Census Bureau. We received 20 laptops with no OS. When I called my contact didn't have any idea where to direct me to get the paperwork. We finally ended up installing Linux on them and running them as thin clients using a wireless NIC. Safest bet if you don't have any of these is to run something open source. -- Jonathan Moore Directory of Technology Winfield Public Schools Office 620.221.5100 Fax 620.221.0508 Quoting Brandon Dorman <brandonfpu@yahoo.com>: > Hi guys, > > I've been on this list since it's inception, actually Matthew Szuliak > even sent me an e-mail welcoming me to the list, that was pretty cool. > (I'm a student, I took a four month break to counsel kids at a summer > camp from May-August). > I (in my spare time) train senior citizens how to use computers and > hopefully, the internet. Yesterday I picked up donated computers from > the County of Fresno, California. I was so excited. They are Pentium 2 > 266's with 17 inch monitors, ethernet cards included. I haven't fired > them up yet, but I know they also have windows 95 and some components of > Office Installed. Over the summer I also got donated 5 old compaq > presario 166's. I am planning on installing linux on at least some of > these. Would it be legal, as far as you guys know, to make a backup > copy of one of the new windows machines (they were ghosted on there) and > then install linux. (I'm thinking Redhat 8 when i get it, actually). > I know as a non-profit when things are donated to us, we are still > under and obligation to follow the rules(and since right now my > organization receives donations and operates under the umbrella of the > school, if we got in trouble for something, the school would be the one > being prosecuted). But what about this situation? Would it be ok to > not use the windows licenses that were donated us? Or if we decide we > need to install it back later, simply copy the image over there? Hmm. > There's no time limit, tomorrow (sunday) some friends and I are gonna go > over and set things up, we only have power for about 4 computers at this > point anyway. I'll have to call the power company and get more outlets > in our facility there. > Hope the e-mail made sense. There is a website describing some more > things at http://scdd.tripod.com Feel free to vote on a name. I need > to update it, it hasnt' been updated since I left before the summer. > Thanks! > > -- > Brandon Dorman <brandonfpu@yahoo.com> > Fresno Pacific University (Student) > > > > _______________________________________________ > Subscription and Archive: > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/open-source-now-list/ > - > For K12OS technical help join K12OSN: > <https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn> > ------------------------------------------------- Visit Winfield Public Schools http://usd465.com This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ _______________________________________________ Subscription and Archive: https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/open-source-now-list/ - For K12OS technical help join K12OSN: <https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn>