Microsoft: Reused PCs Need Windows, Too

The Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program is designed to make it easier for companies to install Windows on PCs they fix up and resell

Microsoft (MSFT) is working hard to ensure that Windows is the operating system of choice on the growing number of refurbished personal computers being used by budget-conscious nonprofits, schools, and consumers in the U.S. and developing world.

To that end, the Redmond, (Wash.) software maker last year began the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program to make it easier for refurbishers to install versions of Windows onto desktop computers, says Microsoft Chief Environmental Strategist Rob Bernard.

Of the roughly 70 million PCs sold in the U.S. each year, about 3.5 million are fixed up and resold, according to research firm IDC. The number may rise in the coming months as the economic slowdown forces companies and other purchasers to trim budgets and hunt for bargains. "Demand for all used equipment is likely to grow," says IDC research manager David Daoud.