Do I need to buy another OEM Windows?

iviv said:
And then you would be no different from someone who simply downloaded a pirated version from the internet.
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Sorry but this statement is a load of crap, he's paid for his license just like every other retail owner it's not his fault MS make retarded terms and conditions.

OP phone Microsoft they will re-activate for you knowing full well their T&C's is unenforceable.

IMO they have only added this rule into their EULA because with previous OS's nobody was purchasing the overpriced retail version - it fools most people into paying the extra. If Microsoft were serious about enforcing it they would simply have to point black refuse reactivation (which they don't) and if they did that I bet they would end up in court and probably lose.

They've achieved what they set out to do. ie. people on internet forums policing others into buying retail and likening them to criminals if they don't.
 
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mmj_uk said:
Sorry but this statement is a load of crap, he's paid for his license just like every other retail owner it's not his fault MS make retarded terms and conditions.

OP phone Microsoft they will re-activate for you knowing full well their T&C's is unenforceable.
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LOL - no it isn't.
I really do not understand why you are finding this so hard to grasp.

I buy OEM, break license agreement - No valid license
I buy a dodgy copy of Windows from market - No valid license
I download Windows from warez site - No valid license
I download Windows from torrent - No valid license

See, if I do any of the above things I end up with exactly the same result - no valid Windows license.

Now some people, yourself included it would seem, don't care about software licensing.
You're happy to not pay for your licenses etc and fine, that is all well and good.
However some of us do actually have some morals.
When you grow up you realise the world doesn't owe you a living and that things have to be paid for.
When that happens you usually decide to stop stealing and actually pay.

MS do not make "retarded" terms and conditions.
The fact is that OEM copies were never desiged to be sold seperately, they were purely designed for OEM's to bundle Windows with their products.
MS release numerous licenses for Windows:

OEM
Retail
Educational
VLC
Open

Each license has different terms & conditions.
It's not difficult to make sure you buy the license that actually meets your requirements.
It is certainly not MS's fault that you decided to buy OEM when you knew full well at some point during the life of the OS you would be replacing the motherboard and thus losing the license.
 
mmj_uk said:
Sorry but this statement is a load of crap, he's paid for his license just like every other retail owner it's not his fault MS make retarded terms and conditions.
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What? Lets just have a look at this sensibly, shall we?

You want to buy a copy of windows. Ignoring all the different levels (Home, Professional, Ultimate etc), there are two options for you. OEM or Retail. One is a cheaper license which is tied to the motherboard. One is a more expensive but far more flexible license which lets you reinstall it as many times as you like. Both of these options are available to purchase, though most stores won't even sell the OEM version, just the retail.

So, he's paid for his restrictive OEM license. That's that.

Lets try an analogy. You pay for 20Mb broadband, but if you download over 50Gb a month, the internet gets cut off for the next calendar month. You could also pay slightly more for a 20Mb service without any download restrictions. But you decide to pay for the cheaper one since you don't think you're going to use that much. But you do and it gets cut off.
You have no right to complain because that's what you pay for.
 
If i were the OP, i'd buy a new Retail copy and be happy that i'm legal.

Also, if i find myself driving home from work at 35 mph in a 30mph zone, i'll head straight to the nearest police station and hand myself in.
 
mmj_uk said:
Sorry but this statement is a load of crap, he's paid for his license just like every other retail owner it's not his fault MS make retarded terms and conditions.
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The conditions aren't retarded just because someone can't be bothered to read the T&Cs of their specific license.

He has paid for his OEM licence like every other OEM user. I on the other hand have my free retail license via my university.

My mum has her paid for retail license, and can use that license like every other RETAIL user. OEM licenses mainly exist for system builders like Dell, HP etc who will support a PC until the main part (motherboard as defined) is replaced. After that, the license is no longer valid, and the system builder will no longer support that OS on a DIFFERENT system.

Just accept, that an OEM license is tied to the motherboard, and if you want to upgrade a motherboard over the years, it is safer, and cheaper, to buy retail!
 
If MS are legally entitled to (I am not an expert, but they certainly have fallen foul of laws around licencing in the past), and it was costing them large amounts of money, then surely they would block you from re-activating your OEM copy of Windows? At the end of the day, at least you have paid for a copy of Windows and not downloaded and never paid!

Fortunately for me I was able to take advantage of the student £30 Win 7 Pro :p
 
I see it fairly simply.

If you have bought OEM MS, and phone them up about reactivating it. If you tell the entire truth, and they agree to reactivate it on the phone, there's nothing wrong with your copy. It's there choice as a company whether to reactivate it or not.

kd
 
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