Dell laptops

Yurka said:
The OEM bit is the worrying bit for me though, as the CD key they provide is only a one off install isn't it? (i.e. OS installed at Dell - being the one time use only of that key) hence not allowing you to reuse the key which is stuck onto the OS disc. I take it this is the case with XP... (I kinda prefer XP to vista) as vista just recognises the hardware signature that is linked to the key when it is first installed.

or have I just got that completely all wrong? :confused:
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I've used OEMs all my PC life - it's not a "one shot" install. You can use it as many times as you like. The OEM licence is exactly the same as a full retail boxed licence - the only difference is the OEM licence is supposed to be supplied with hardware.

If what you were saying was true, you'd need to buy a new copy of windows every time you reformatted... madness!!!
 
Binned the OS as soon as i got it, didnt even boot it fully before. As for drivers all you need is the gfx ones and the touchpad ones and thats it really. No key needed its easy to do the Vista install, as for delivery it goes from pre-production to delivery quickly just keep checking the track and trace.
 
schnipps said:
Binned the OS as soon as i got it, didnt even boot it fully before. As for drivers all you need is the gfx ones and the touchpad ones and thats it really. No key needed its easy to do the Vista install, as for delivery it goes from pre-production to delivery quickly just keep checking the track and trace.
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This moring it changed to "CALL LOCK OUT. "
 
Qdos said:
I've used OEMs all my PC life - it's not a "one shot" install. You can use it as many times as you like. The OEM licence is exactly the same as a full retail boxed licence - the only difference is the OEM licence is supposed to be supplied with hardware.

If what you were saying was true, you'd need to buy a new copy of windows every time you reformatted... madness!!!
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That's got me thinking - I know these OEM versions of windows you can buy are meant for supplying with new systems - and I've read that they will stop working if you change enough of the hardware (especially the motherboard) in your system, but how does it know? I mean if you're doing a fresh install the CD doesn't know it's been used before.

Is it maybe the authentication servers (at microsofts end) store your hardware config and don't let you authenticate if your hardware is a lot different to what they've got recorded?

Of course this is irrelevant to laptops where hardware rarely changes (especially motherboard).
 
Qdos said:
The OEM licence is exactly the same as a full retail boxed licence - the only difference is the OEM licence is supposed to be supplied with hardware.
Click to expand...

Nope, the license is different. A retail license is essentially transferable to a new machine, the OEM one isn't.
 
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