Does anyone know what the vista licence says about installing it on my desktop and laptop simultaneously? and what if i upgrade my pc in six months(new HD, more ram etc). What does it say about that?

Thanks

Theres a lot to the licensing, but basically, you can only have it installed on one computer at a time. So this means you will not be able to do the desktop and laptop simultaneously and have them both activated. Its basically one license per computer. Its not like it was in the past where you had one license and installed it anywhere you wanted as many times as you wanted (even though it was only supposed to be one license per computer), this was because activation was different back then. Vista activation now will only allow activation on one computer at a time, and if you install it on a second computer the first computer install will be de-avtivated. So you can still install it on as many computers as you like but only one at a time will work.

If you upgrade then the machine you upgrade will need to be re-activated.

Thanks for the explanation Spooky, i guess its good it wont die after a few installs on different machines but that really sucks not being able to install it on both my laptop and desktop simultaneously. Are you or anyone else aware of a way i can do this(nothing illegal), i mean can i purchase vista for my desktop and buy a cheaper extended license allowing me to install on my laptop without buying 2 complete fully priced copies?

Thanks

Technically, all versions of Windows have come with a license that forbids installing one license on multiple machines, unless it was a VLK license. Windows XP's activation was the first attempt at enforcement of this, but the VLK loophole still existed (and that's why most pirated copies of the OS use VLK keys to get around the check). However, with Vista, even VLK copies will require activation with a KMS or use a MAK that requires activation from Microsoft, therefore to get around it in Vista it's likely that cracks and other means of patching the OS will be required.

With XP you could get an OEM copy if you bought some hardware component with it. The OEM copies are cheapers. Don't know if this applies to Vista ... In fact I've just checked eBuyer (British online retailer) and they are offering 3 pack editions of Vista Home Premium for £220. That's about £73 per copy. It doesn't look like you need to buy hardware either.

The OEM and Retail copies have different EULA's, both having been updated or 'clarified' from XP's.

The OEM EULA dictates that it is to be installed on the one machine only and stay with that machine for that machines lifetime. You can change hardware and MS say that the changes that require an activation will be more flexible than XP, but the maximum will apparently be 2 activations only (note that like XP, that's different from being reactivated due to a reinstallation on the same hardware or for a minor upgrade change). Little different from XP on the face of it, except that because the EULA apparently wasn't clear enough, many OEM XP Licence holders have managed to activate an OEM copy on multiple machines (one at a time, just transferring their copy to a new machine) by phoning MS when activation failed. This time around for Vista, MS say that won't be possible. Time will tell I guess

The Retail EULA dictates that it is to be installed on the one machine only, but unlike the OEM EULA, The Retail EULA is transferable from machine to machine, but you can only activate one copy at any given time. Also, OEM copies come with either 32bit or 64bit; Retail comes with 32bit and 64bit in the box with your supplied product key valid for both.

Bottom line; if your the sort of person who rarely updates their PC's hardware or just buys a whole new machine with a pre-installed OS, then OEM will be fine for you. If on the other hand you regularly update hardware and/or machines and don't want to keep shelling out for a new copy of Vista every couple of activations, then you will likely want (a more expensive) a Retail licence.

So what constitutes a minor update then? I assume memory would but what about processor, graphics card, another hard drive, etc. I'm sure a M/B wouldn't be minor right?

upgrading a video card, or adding more RAM, those are minor. Replacing a system's guts (the motherboard) would be considered major, and would likely trigger reactivation (unless the motherboards were identical, of course - that might not trigger it).

Well the two new machines I'm planning for my wife and I will keep us going for a while and besides I won't be able to upgrade for a while after the money I'll have spent!!

Weather I can limit myself to only one further major upgrade in the next five years will be tough though! Mind you I'll have three licenses (I'm planning an HTPC as well) so if I need to do a major upgrade then I'll just upgrade the one that hasn't been done for a while.

Right, thanks, I'm convinced. OEM is the way for me. Besides if I do need to buy another license I'll have not lost anything as the retail version is still twice the price (unless of course I need to do it again).

There might be some kind of family upgrade license...
ref: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=201

/øistein

Doesn't seem very cost effective. I don't need ultimate so it'll still be cheaper to get three OEM copies of Vista.

The only EULA that allows you to install an additional copy on a portable computer is the Retail (not OEM) license for productivity software. OS licences have always been 1 per computer.

If you own a retail version of Ultimate edition and you're located in the US or Canada, you can purchase up to two additional Home Premium licenses for $49.95USD each.

Details here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/...nt.mspx#qualify

Sorry to our friends who live elsewhere, but I imagine that this may be offered at a later date to international folks.