Help! Bought OEM by accident

Pure.Calm

Pure.Calm

Pure.Calm

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Joined
9 Aug 2010
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11
Hey guys,

I am building a new computer for the first time and my parts arrived today. The problem is i accidently ordered The OEM System Builders Pack for windows 7. Will i be able to install it if i dont have the license? If not is there any way i can?

Thanks
 
Hey thanks for your response. Im just very worried because it woul be a lot of money to lose and this is my first build =s Anybody sure one way or the other? I dont want to open it and not be able to replace it lol.
 
You can install it fine, but The license is tied to the MOBO so if you want to reinstall on new components or a new PC legitimately, then you have to buy again. (I think I've got that right:D)
 
Ok thanks.

Im gona start building now, but il check back when its time to instal the OS so if anyone has anything else to add please post it here, il appreciate it.
 
It'll be fine - the only appreciable difference between OEM and Retail is that, as someone has said, OEM is tied to the motherboard once installed, whereas Retail can be installed on as many machines as you like (provided there is only one concurrent installation).
 
Pure.Calm said:
Ok thanks.

Im gona start building now, but il check back when its time to instal the OS so if anyone has anything else to add please post it here, il appreciate it.
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Just a suggestion, but *don't* activate Windows straight away - use the 30-day grace period as a shakedown to make sure everything's working OK (you'll be given the option not to activate over the Internet during the setup procedure).

Particularly as it's your first build, you'll likely run into various issues and may want to reformat more than once before you end up with your final "clean" installation. Windows doesn't like being activated too many times within a short period (I forget the precise details), and although it's not an insoluble problem, it's a potential hassle you could probably do without.

Once you're completely happy with your setup, you can just go into Control Panel > System and activate over the Internet as normal. :)
 
CaptainCrash said:
Just a suggestion, but *don't* activate Windows straight away - use the 30-day grace period as a shakedown to make sure everything's working OK (you'll be given the option not to activate over the Internet during the setup procedure).

Particularly as it's your first build, you'll likely run into various issues and may want to reformat more than once before you end up with your final "clean" installation. Windows doesn't like being activated too many times within a short period (I forget the precise details), and although it's not an insoluble problem, it's a potential hassle you could probably do without.

Once you're completely happy with your setup, you can just go into Control Panel > System and activate over the Internet as normal. :)
Click to expand...

excellent advice. better still, just skip entering the license key when installing so that it can't activate until you're ready! \o/
 
CaptainCrash said:
Just a suggestion, but *don't* activate Windows straight away - use the 30-day grace period as a shakedown to make sure everything's working OK (you'll be given the option not to activate over the Internet during the setup procedure).
Click to expand...

Yup, you don't need to enter a key during install, and indeed while you get an intial grace period of 30 days, you can in fact reset that grace period 3 times, giving you a theoretical total of 120 days before you need to enter a key and activate.

So yup, you can use Windows for 120 days without entering a key.

On the 30th day, open up a command prompt with administrative privileges (right-click and "run as administrator") and enter the command slmgr -rearm. After a reboot, the counter will be reset to 30 days.

Just to clarify, it doesn't give you an additional 30 days - it resets the counter to 30 days.
 
You could always use nefarious means to activate your Windows and keep your legit key on standby for if Bill Gates or the Windows 7 licensing enforcement police ever knock on your door with a search warrant to inspect your computer, that's probably the most convenient way to use Windows in the long term as long as you're not anal about licensing, even the retail version is a huge pain in the bum when it comes to installing new hardware.
 
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