Dithering over Win7 OEM or Retail...

Angilion

Angilion

Angilion

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While looking into a better backup system than I'm currently using (which is essentially not backing up at all), I decided I may as well move to Win7 and use the backup built into it. So...USB 3 PCI express card, 1TB HDD for internal, put my current 500GB into a USB 3 caddy and use that for external backups.

But now I'm dithering over whether it's worth paying the extra for the retail licence for Win7 home premium. Maybe I'll be changing my motherboard, maybe I won't. Who can tell? Do MS actually enforce that rule, anyway? XP didn't bat an eyelid with my last motherboard+CPU+memory change.

I've also seen the retail version on sale for £80, which seems suspiciously cheap. Can't say where, of course, but something is amiss if the retail is selling at the same price as the OEM. Too good to be true usually is.
 
Be interesting to know how the whole OEM thing works as well. I have had the same case for ages, but changed the mobo and CPU three times - if i'd bought an OEM Windows licence, when would it have become legally invalid? And if it was Windows 7, would there have been a technical problem stopping me using it as well?
 
Angilion said:
I've also seen the retail version on sale for £80, which seems suspiciously cheap. Can't say where, of course, but something is amiss if the retail is selling at the same price as the OEM. Too good to be true usually is.
Click to expand...

Are you sure that wasn't an update version rather than full?

Personally these days, I would go retail rather than OEM, because the difference isn't huge, and you never know if Microsoft will enforce in the future.

Donkeyfumbler said:
Be interesting to know how the whole OEM thing works as well. I have had the same case for ages, but changed the mobo and CPU three times - if i'd bought an OEM Windows licence, when would it have become legally invalid? And if it was Windows 7, would there have been a technical problem stopping me using it as well?
Click to expand...

If the motherboard change is under warranty, or identical replacement, licence is still valid. Changing the CPU on its own is still valid. If you upgrade the motherboard, the first time you do it, invalidates the licence. At the moment Microsoft don't enforce it, but it still doesn't make it right.
 
Don't buy Retail copies from EBay - no matter how tempting unless than are around £5 - £10 cheaper than retail.
Any more than that and indeed - if it's too good to be true......

OEM licenses are for use with the original motherboard only.
If you are even contemplating breaking that license then don't buy Windows 7.
Simply download yourself an illegal copy.
It costs you nothing and you are as legal as somebody breaking the agreement on an OEM copy.

A retail license lasts you the lifetime of the OS and allows you to move it from one machine to another.
A retail license is less than double the cost of an OEM one - so just one motherbaord change during the lifetime of the OS and you've already made a saving.
 
Ben Cole said:
Windows Retail from the MM surely?
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of that - I don't use the MM and it hadn't crossed my mind to buy a 2nd-hand copy. I didn't know the retail license was that transferable.

But anyway, there aren't any for sale in the MM at the moment. Maybe there will be tomorrow, maybe not for ages.
 
El_Watcher said:
Are you sure that wasn't an update version rather than full?
Click to expand...

It was stated to be full, retail. Two different vendors, neither of whom had any previous record with the site. Boxed and sealed...but it's not as though that proves it's legit.
 
stoofa said:
Don't buy Retail copies from EBay - no matter how tempting unless than are around £5 - £10 cheaper than retail.
Any more than that and indeed - if it's too good to be true......
Click to expand...

It wasn't eBay.

Where I was looking, the retail copy from a definitely legit company sells for £111, which is more than £10 cheaper than RRP.
 
Ive seen Windows 7 kick up a fuss when Memory was changed in a PC saying it needs to be re activated due to hardware changes, OEM licecne lives & die's with ya hardware this means normally more than 2 or 3 vital hardware parts....

If ya M/B dies swap it re activate and all good, but If ya M/B, HD & CPU pack up then M/S can enforce the OEM licecne has died with the hardware.
But even if all 3 pack in and you build a new system install Win 7 and use the same OEM licence guess what.... it will accept it and will activate, but this will not happen automaticly it will promt you to call the activation help line you go through the motions and before approval it will ask you "On how Many Computers is this software installed on?" press 1 for 1 computer or 2 for more than one computer.

If you press 2 they wont approve the activation if you press 1 they will approve it.
Go figure as the fact your PC died and you have done a fresh install on effectivly a new PC it is only installed on one PC so you would press one. In no way does it ask if your PC has died and you have reinstalled windows and reused your OEM licence on new hardware.....

Just depends if you have morals or not M/S will never know on your door asking for audits of your microsoft licences LOL :-)

I use Volume licensing for all my M/S software so no need to worry :-)
 
MuttsNutts said:
Ive seen Windows 7 kick up a fuss when Memory was changed in a PC saying it needs to be re activated due to hardware changes, OEM licecne lives & die's with ya hardware this means normally more than 2 or 3 vital hardware parts....

If ya M/B dies swap it re activate and all good, but If ya M/B, HD & CPU pack up then M/S can enforce the OEM licecne has died with the hardware.
But even if all 3 pack in and you build a new system install Win 7 and use the same OEM licence guess what.... it will accept it and will activate, but this will not happen automaticly it will promt you to call the activation help line you go through the motions and before approval it will ask you "On how Many Computers is this software installed on?" press 1 for 1 computer or 2 for more than one computer.

If you press 2 they wont approve the activation if you press 1 they will approve it.
Go figure as the fact your PC died and you have done a fresh install on effectivly a new PC it is only installed on one PC so you would press one. In no way does it ask if your PC has died and you have reinstalled windows and reused your OEM licence on new hardware.....

Just depends if you have morals or not M/S will never know on your door asking for audits of your microsoft licences LOL :-)

I use Volume licensing for all my M/S software so no need to worry :-)
Click to expand...

So you have a volume license agreement at home then?
Must be quite an expensive way of buying licenses?

Nothing really to do with morals.
You have two choices with MS licenses.

1. You stick to the license - there is a license for your every need, so just buy the right one.
2. You don't stick to the license

If your option is 2 then DO NOT BUY ANY LICENSES.
There is absolutely no point at all paying any kind of money for a license you will invalidate.
If you've grown up enough to realise the world doesn't owe you a living and that you should pay for the things in the world you use, then just make sure you buy the license which covers you for the use you want.
So if you're someone who upgrades now and again then Retail is the only real, cost-effective option.
 
If you want to follow MS EULA to the letter, buy retail.

If you fancy saving a bit of cash and tip-toeing around the minefield of licensing that not even MS themselves fully understand then get an OEM copy. Worst case, you call up and follow the automated process, when asked "Is this the only PC this license is installed on" you push the right button or if asked in person give the right answer "My HDD died and I had to do a re-install".

MS or otherwise have absolutely no idea what hardware you are hosting your OS on.
 
Angilion said:
But now I'm dithering over whether it's worth paying the extra for the retail licence for Win7 home premium. Maybe I'll be changing my motherboard, maybe I won't. Who can tell? Do MS actually enforce that rule.
Click to expand...
What rule?.

I always purchase oem windows software, why?, because it is cheaper and it does the same thing as retail. Yes, we know a retail entitles one to microsoft support, but why would i want microsoft support?.

I change my hardware a lot of the time, or i test other hardware and swap out etc, be it motherboard, cpu, ram, i have only purchased the one copy of windows 7 OEM, sometimes it will automatically activate online other times it's just a telephone activation, job done. I recentley tested an amd system then swithced back to Intel and i did this three or four times and activation was automatic.
 
The rule is the EULA/Licensing terms, nothing to do with support entitlement.

OEM can only be provided with a "New PC build" (a very loose term) and is bound to the motherboard on which it is first installed upon. You can replace said motherboard like for like if it breaks but changing it is considered a new pc. As such an OEM licence is now invalid. A retail licence can be transferred.

In the real world it makes no difference whether you used OEM or Retail but you are breaching the licence usage.
 
Thanks for clearing that up.

So basically, OEM is bound to the motherboard you first install it on, but Microsoft have no actual way of technically stopping you from installing it on a second mobo two years down the road other than appealing to your sense of honesty - they don't log the details of the first install and then compare it to any later installs.
 
I'd go for a used retail copy (at roughly the price of a new oem license) over anything else, simply for the resale value.

If getting an oem license, I would not want to spend above £40.
 
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