Microsoft on Thursday relaxed rules for Windows Vista that limited the number of times a user could transfer the operating system to new hardware, a response to sharp criticism from well-connected enthusiasts and system builders.
Last month, Microsoft was condemned for language in the Windows Vista license that let buyers shift the OS only one time after it had been installed on a PC. The phrasing was more specific than that used in the Windows XP license, which did not specify the number of allowed transfers.

"The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the 'licensed device,'" read the original Windows Vista license.

The new language reads: "You may uninstall the software and install it on another device for your use. You may not do so to share this license between devices."

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