Why Fresh Start?
If you’re a school looking to use donated computers safe in the knowledge that they are properly and
legally-licensed, then Fresh Start is for you. It’s designed to remove any doubts surrounding the use
of donated Pentium II or older computers.
Many donated PCs no longer have their original operating systems. Often, this uncertainty has
deterred organisations from giving valuable equipment to schools. Likewise, schools are sometimes
unsure about the legal use of computers delivered in this way. Fresh Start addresses all these issues.
It assumes that most PCs received as donations to schools originally had a Microsoft® Windows® licence.
As such, it provides appropriate documentation and replacement Windows installation CDs at no cost to
schools.
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How does it work?
Fresh Start is designed to make the process involved in using donated computers easy for schools.
Institutions complete a short online application, which, once reviewed and approved by Microsoft, results
in a letter that serves as proof of valid Windows 98 or Windows 2000 licences for its donated personal
computers. Microsoft will also provide one copy of the software on CD. With
minimal effort, primary and secondary schools can take advantage of this no-cost solution and receive
proper documentation for Windows operating systems, as well as the installation CDs for donated computers.
So they can get on with their role as educators.
What constitutes an eligible donated PC?
Personal computers are eligible for the Fresh Start programme if they:
- Have been received as a donation;
- Have been used previously;
- Previously had an original Windows operating system installed (to the best of the
institution’s knowledge);
- Are not transferred to students or other external organisations;
- Contain an Intel Pentium II (or equivalent) or older processor.*
*Donated computers with Intel Pentium III (or equivalent) or newer processors that have a
Windows Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker affixed to the machine and some form of
proof that they were acquired as a donation already have sufficient licence documentation,
and therefore do not need to be reported through this programme.
What do I need to do to prove that computers were donated?
Any document that supports the donation process such as a receipt, packing slip, inventory list, or
letter of donation is sufficient.
Why isn’t Windows XP included in the programme?
Research shows that most donated PCs run Windows 98 or Windows 2000. In addition, the hardware
of most donated PCs doesn’t support more recent operating systems. However, we will continue to
review the needs of schools and introduce other products as required.
Does Fresh Start apply retrospectively?
Yes. As long as the computers meet the criteria outlined above, they can be registered.
Where do I go to get started?
Please fill in the online form here.
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