K-12 schools nationwide that receive donated or refurbished computers running the Windows operating system (OS) now can take advantage of a little-known initiative from Microsoft Corp. that lets administrators ensure the machines they've received are properly licensed.

The free, online program is the latest attempt by Microsoft to get back within the good graces of its education customers, many of whom had criticized the software giant for taking too tough a stance on its software licensing policy. (See "Lament: Microsoft licensing stance hurts poor schools," http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4012.)

Dubbed the Fresh Start for Donated Computers program, the initiative enables K-12 schools that receive second-hand machines without the proper paperwork and/or the original Windows OS to secure software licenses and Windows installation CDs at no cost.

Microsoft estimates more than 2 million donated PCs go unused in schools nationwide because they either have been stripped of their operating systems or were accepted without the proper documentation. "It's kind of a tragedy to see all of [these computers] piled up and not being used," said Sherri Bealkowski, head of Microsoft's Education Solutions Group.

To take part in the program, school technology leaders must log onto Microsoft's Fresh Start for Donated Computers web page (see link below) and complete a short online application meant to ensure that the request is being made by a bond fide K-12 school.

Upon reviewing the application, the company sends a letter of approval along with the documentation, as well as one copy of the software on CD-ROM for donated computers that no longer have the original Windows OS loaded.

Schools can choose between versions of Windows 98 and 2000, depending on which system best matches the functionality of the donated computer and their technology environment and standards, the company said.

While the program has been up and running since January, many school technology leaders probably are hearing about it for the first time. That's because Microsoft wanted to break the program in gently to ensure that the online process addressed educators' concerns.

"We wanted to figure out a way to do this and make it as easy as we could to provide documentation," Bealkowski said. "A lot of these machines come with no paperwork, no documentation, nothing on them at all."

So far, the initiative has met with strong approval from educators, many of whom say working with Microsoft hasn't always been so easy.

"Microsoft's licensing programs sometimes are as clear as mud," said Al Green, technology coordinator for Falcon School District 49 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fresh Start, however, represents a change of heart by the Redmond, Wash.–based software giant, which—as recently as last summer—urged its school customers not to accept donated or refurbished machines unless they came equipped with the proper software licenses.