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Vista OEM


cachirro

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Me and some friends want to buy windows vista.

We want the OEM version, cause it is much cheaper, however i've read something about the OEM versions being blocked to the 1st hardware you put it in the first time.

If that's true, that's gonna be a problem, cause we change hardware regularly, and if that happens, ew must buy a new license??

Where can i confirm this situation in an official MS source?

I tryed looking in MS site all over, and didn't found anything about OEM versions.

So i ask you guys to please help me. Thanks.

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Me and some friends want to buy windows vista.

We want the OEM version, cause it is much cheaper, however i've read something about the OEM versions being blocked to the 1st hardware you put it in the first time.

If that's true, that's gonna be a problem, cause we change hardware regularly, and if that happens, ew must buy a new license??

Where can i confirm this situation in an official MS source?

I tryed looking in MS site all over, and didn't found anything about OEM versions.

So i ask you guys to please help me. Thanks.

Yepp that is true, you will have to put another serial, which is understandable, but for a company which deploy let's say even 20 computer (same hardware) it is a pain in the a**, coz they ALSO go deep into the bios of each machine and check HDD serials.

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Actually you can save the phone call.

ALL MS OEM Licenses are "binded" to hardware, since Window 95.

The mere fact that until XP there was not an effective "preventive measure" to make difficult or impossible for people to install the OEM files on different machines, does not mean you were not breaking the EULA when you installed a OEM OS to other hardware.

If you "often change hardware" you need to have a FULL (not OEM) license, or buy each time a new OEM one bundled with hardware.

Why do you think that OEM is so much cheaper than FULL?

Quite simply if you get FULL you pay more at the beginning but you have more "freedom", if you get OEM you pay less at the beginning but you pay more in the long run (unless you take the resolution of breaking the EULA).

jaclaz

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The problem is getting mixed information.

Even now, the number 1 pc magazine in portugal just wrote this on a vista analysis:

"dont worry! a new vista instalation on a new or modified pc, won't make you buy a new license. activation works like xp. if you want to install in a new pc, just remove from the old one"

What do you think?

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in many countries (especially in europe) the EULA is not valid since it violates local law. there is no harm in breaking it. even if MS decides to shut down your copy of windows, you can sue them, and they know that, thats why MS wont do anything.

There is still the moral obligation (which cant be enforced). so if it makes you feel better when you do what MS wants you to, feel free to buy the more expensive retail version.

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Here in Portugal we had a massive discusion in one of our forums about this..

so if you want to know... OEM dont block to the 1st hardware.. what does say in MS Eula, is that when you install in some computer it can only then be installed in that it sticks to it.... This is the legal side..

MS Eula considers illegal that you after install a OEM License in a PC you change it to other... so you dont have problems if in the future you want to reinstall it in other pc... just the fact that is considered Ilegal...

OEM versions are just like the Retail ones, but difere on type and quantity of support, by other words, you just receive the DVD without garanty with a little or none information like a manual... and that RULE that you can only install it on the same computer that you installed the first time

hoped it help...

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Let's put this EULA talk aside. If I end up buying an OEM license and install it on a computer and decides to upgrade later on, will the OEM license activate? Or it's going to be blocked?

Yes, it will activate, as many times as you want. But if you excede 3 times you will either have to wait 120 days to be able to activate from the internet again. or you can always, with no limit, activate from the phone...

So, NO it's not going to be blocked....

:thumbup :thumbup

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Actually, with Windows XP, all OEM re-activations (royalty or retail) would fail without a call to Microsoft. I'm not so sure that won't carry forward to Vista. Who wants to be the first to test this out? ;)

just so your all aware, i purchased Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit OEM installed it and registered it online.

From there i did the same again on another one of my systems, different board/cpu totally different in everyway

installation was fine.

went to activate it and was directed as expected to phone for activation which i did

entered the 48 digit code into my phone blah blah blah and a nice chap asked the same usual 3 question you get when activating with OEM versions of XP.

from that point onwards nothing changed !!!

gave me my 48 digit code to enter and bobs your uncle activation was done.

so to see if this was a one of thing i did it again on my laptop and again after ringing up to activate and answering the 3 usual questions i was give a 48digit code and again bob was my uncle.

so it looks like the nasty rumours about Vista's EULA is unfounded.

im aware doing this is in breach of the EULA but it was done for testing purposes only (cough).

Edited by Batfinks
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Actually, with Windows XP, all OEM re-activations (royalty or retail) would fail without a call to Microsoft. I'm not so sure that won't carry forward to Vista. Who wants to be the first to test this out? ;)

just so your all aware, i purchased Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit OEM installed it and registered it online.

From there i did the same again on another one of my systems, different board/cpu totally different in everyway

installation was fine.

went to activate it and was directed as expected to phone for activation which i did

entered the 48 digit code into my phone blah blah blah and a nice chap asked the same usual 3 question you get when activating with OEM versions of XP.

from that point onwards nothing changed !!!

gave me my 48 digit code to enter and bobs your uncle activation was done.

so to see if this was a one of thing i did it again on my laptop and again after ringing up to activate and answering the 3 usual questions i was give a 48digit code and again bob was my uncle.

so it looks like the nasty rumours about Vista's EULA is unfounded.

im aware doing this is in breach of the EULA but it was done for testing purposes only (cough).

Let me get this straight. You bought 1 license and was able to activate it on 3 different computers with no problems by calling Microsoft? Why didn't you try activating online?

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Actually, with Windows XP, all OEM re-activations (royalty or retail) would fail without a call to Microsoft. I'm not so sure that won't carry forward to Vista. Who wants to be the first to test this out? ;)

just so your all aware, i purchased Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit OEM installed it and registered it online.

From there i did the same again on another one of my systems, different board/cpu totally different in everyway

installation was fine.

went to activate it and was directed as expected to phone for activation which i did

entered the 48 digit code into my phone blah blah blah and a nice chap asked the same usual 3 question you get when activating with OEM versions of XP.

from that point onwards nothing changed !!!

gave me my 48 digit code to enter and bobs your uncle activation was done.

so to see if this was a one of thing i did it again on my laptop and again after ringing up to activate and answering the 3 usual questions i was give a 48digit code and again bob was my uncle.

so it looks like the nasty rumours about Vista's EULA is unfounded.

im aware doing this is in breach of the EULA but it was done for testing purposes only (cough).

Let me get this straight. You bought 1 license and was able to activate it on 3 different computers with no problems by calling Microsoft? Why didn't you try activating online?

for the first system i did, for 2 system i tried and sent me to phone activation same with my laptop

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