MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

How Microsoft Grants Software Licenses
A software license grants a user the right to run an application. Microsoft grants software
licenses in one of three ways:
Full Packaged Product A Full Packaged Product is boxed software like you would
buy in a retail store. Full Packaged Products are intended for consumers who need
to purchase a small quantity of software licenses. When you install the Full Packaged
Product version of Windows XP Professional, Setup asks you to enter a product
ID (a 25-digit code found on the product packaging) during installation. You
must also activate Windows XP Professional after installation.
Original Equipment Manufacturer or System Builder Original Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) and System Builder licenses are acquired when you buy a computer
that already has software installed. Typically, you do not have to activate this
type of license.
Volume Licensing Microsoft Volume Licensing programs are intended for consumers
who need to purchase large quantities of software licenses, such as in a small
business or corporate environment. When a company has a volume license for
Windows XP Professional, the installation files are typically made available for
installation over the network. Product IDs and product activation are not required.
Practice: Prepare for Installation
In this practice, you will determine whether your computer meets the minimum
requirements specified by Microsoft to run Windows XP Professional and whether the
hardware in your computer is in the Windows Catalog. Complete the two exercises that
follow.
Exercise 1: Gather Information About Your Computer
Lesson 1 Preparing for Installation
1. From the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type msinfo32 and click OK.
3. The System Information utility opens to show a summary of your system. Use this
information to fill out the following table and determine whether your computer
meets the minimum hardware requirements.
2-9