Windows 7 - OEM or Retail

JamesU2005 · 21 May 2010 at 10:54

Can anyone clarify if whether I need Windows 7 OEM or Retail?

I'm building myself a new PC, for me to use and not to sell onto anyone.

To comply legally can I get OEM or do I need Retail?

Thanks.

Memphis · 21 May 2010 at 11:15

By the strictest letter of the EULA.... you should buy retail.

vanandjuanunited · 21 May 2010 at 11:18

oem will do but if you will be likely to upgrade mobo then retail best

AtreuS · 21 May 2010 at 11:18

Legally ( well to fully comply with the EULA and license ) im pretty sure you now need to get a retail.

However the OEM will install and activate perfectly well.

No doubt there will be a flood of comments about the rights and wrongs and so on but those are the options.

Burnsy2023 · 21 May 2010 at 12:37

Memphis said:
By the strictest letter of the EULA.... you should buy retail.

True_Scotsman · 21 May 2010 at 12:41

I would say Retail, as gives you the possibility to ugrade the motherboard in the future without having to buy another copy of Windows.

Eddie · 21 May 2010 at 13:18

Memphis said:
By the strictest letter of the EULA.... you should buy retail.

I don't understand that, in this case, how come retail is recommended?

Burnsy2023 · 21 May 2010 at 13:19

shoot1st said:
I don't understand that, in this case, how come retail is recommended?

Because if you're not selling the machine you can't abide by the System builder licence.

Eddie · 21 May 2010 at 13:37

Burnsy2023 said:
Because if you're not selling the machine you can't abide by the System builder licence.

So technically, as a system builder, you 'have' to be planning on selling the system in order to be able to install an OEM version of an OS in the first place, is that right?

Burnsy2023 · 21 May 2010 at 13:39

shoot1st said:
So technically, as a system builder, you 'have' to be planning on selling the system in order to be able to install an OEM version of an OS in the first place, is that right?

You have to transfer the system to a third party as well as using the preinstallation kit.

edscdk · 21 May 2010 at 13:44

shoot1st said:
So technically, as a system builder, you 'have' to be planning on selling the system in order to be able to install an OEM version of an OS in the first place, is that right?

sell it to your mum for 1p on the understanding she gives it to you as a present..

problem solved... system was built to be resold...

True_Scotsman · 21 May 2010 at 13:46

edscdk said:
sell it to your mum for 1p on the understanding she gives it to you as a present..

problem solved... system was built to be resold...

As far as i remember you cant sell it to family members (this may have changed).

edscdk · 21 May 2010 at 13:47

True_Scotsman said:
As far as i remember you cant sell it to family members (this may have changed).

bah, ok a friend...

Eddie · 21 May 2010 at 13:49

Burnsy2023 said:
You have to transfer the system to a third party as well as using the preinstallation kit.

I see, I did not know that, thx for clarifying.

Over the years I've been using OEM versions for all my own PCs - I guess that means I've been doing it wrong all this time.

Burnsy2023 · 21 May 2010 at 14:20

True_Scotsman said:
As far as i remember you cant sell it to family members (this may have changed).

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17969729

True_Scotsman · 21 May 2010 at 14:22

Burnsy2023 said:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17969729

Ok thanks for clearing that up

, the supplier must have got it wrong then.

The company I used to work for had some questions regarding this and thats what we were told by one of our suppliers.

EDIT:-

In the link you gave, 'OEM must be installed and sold to an unrelated party' - Maybe this is what he meant but got mixed up thinking this was family?

Burnsy2023 · 21 May 2010 at 14:27

True_Scotsman said:
In the link you gave, 'OEM must be installed and sold to an unrelated party' - Maybe this is what he meant but got mixed up thinking this was family?

I missed that, my bad. Edited to save confusion.

linktoinsanity · 21 May 2010 at 18:03

shoot1st said:
I see, I did not know that, thx for clarifying.

Over the years I've been using OEM versions for all my own PCs - I guess that means I've been doing it wrong all this time.

If I remember right MS only changed that with more recent versions of Windows. From Vista onwards? Burnsey may clarify this, but it's not always been against the EULA.

theheyes · 21 May 2010 at 19:32

Licensing aside, with a difference of only £12 in price it's pretty hard to recommend an OEM copy at all.

Caged · 21 May 2010 at 21:06

It's more than £12 difference.