OEM Vista activation issue

square_imp · 1 Nov 2007 at 13:46

Hey,

recently having problems with my OEM Vista home premium 64bit activation. I changed my sound card to an external one from the on-board sound and vista has de-activated itself and now wants a new activation code and by the looks of it wants me to pay for it :eek:

. Is there a way I can get a new one from MS? Apparently I hear that as I bought the oem version and made my computer myself I am not really meant to have the oem version in the first place as I am not a registered system builder or whatever... Any help much appreciated

Square

Tute · 1 Nov 2007 at 13:55

You just need to phone them up, explain, and they will give you a new code. The activation thingy is a bit twitchy in Vista, I would be careful how hard you sneeze as that may make it prompt for re-activation.

Burnsy2023 · 1 Nov 2007 at 16:01

You don't need to be a registered MS partner to use a system builder version of Windows. Just phone them up like Tute says and as them to reactivate you

Burnsy

smithy83 · 1 Nov 2007 at 16:30

think they will let me reactivate with a totaly new system?

worked for xp not for vista tho

Burnsy2023 · 1 Nov 2007 at 16:31

smithy83 said:
think they will let me reactivate with a totaly new system?

I hope not. New system, new OEM licence.

Burnsy

square_imp · 1 Nov 2007 at 18:29

Thanks for the help, will give them a ring tomorrow and hope for the best.

Duke · 1 Nov 2007 at 18:31

square_imp said:
will give them a ring tomorrow and hope for the best.

No need, they will be fine with it

swinnie · 1 Nov 2007 at 18:31

smithy83 said:
think they will let me reactivate with a totaly new system?

OEM Licences are not Transferable between machines without breaking the EULA.

OEM refers to software licensed only for a particular system. OEM software is purchased along side a system or hardware parts. Certain OEM programs have limited functionality, but most do not. OEM software is often cheaper than the full versions but not as cheap as academic or student editions.

Source: Wikipedia

square_imp · 2 Nov 2007 at 14:13

right, just phoned them and they said they cannot give me a new activation code, I explained it all truthfully about buying the software with a new computer from overclockers etc. They said that the software needs to be installed by overclockers and therefore I should get in contact with overclockers and either exchange my oem copy for a retail version or get overclockers to re-install or something. Not really sure what I can do now, guess I need some proper help from overclockers, essentially I have £70 of useless software. lame.

Square

Burnsy2023 · 2 Nov 2007 at 14:21

They are wrong, try again, if they give you more hassle I'll sort them out

Burnsy

div0 · 2 Nov 2007 at 14:30

Phone up an say this:

[You] - Hi there - I recently upgraded the sound card on my PC and now my O/S (Vista) is asking me to Re-Activate.

Provide no more information than that, and just answer whatever questions they ask you

From what you've said your licence is perfectly valid and they should re-activate it for you.

You've just worried them by providing too many needless details about where the software/pc came from.

Keep things simple and try again

jonislost · 2 Nov 2007 at 14:35

You should be fine with this, i changed my:

Motherboard
CPU
HD
Graphics
RAM

I phoned up saying my old motherboard shorted out and she gave me the really long code and everythings fine

div0 · 2 Nov 2007 at 14:42

jonislost said:
You should be fine with this, i changed my:

Motherboard
CPU
HD
Graphics
RAM

Not good advice IMO.

Mentioning that you changed the mobo is likely to cause problems.

Motherboard replacement is only allowed under the OEM licence if it is done as a warranty replacement under RMA. Mentioning that you changed your motherboard is likely to cause them unnessesary concern. In your case, the fact that your mobo developed a fault was probably enough for them to be happy to issue a new code. But in general, mentioning a change in motherboard, is likely to cause them concern as they consider the motherboard to represent the whole 'pc' that the OEM software is licenced to.

Seeing as he did just upgrade his sound card, then he should have no problems.

Fire Wizard · 2 Nov 2007 at 15:02

Hey jonislost, if you had purchased Windows XP OEM edition and then (For example) 5 months down the line you upgraded your motherboard (We are not talking about replacing your motherboard under warranty here

), I am afraid you would need to buy a new copy of Windows to stay legal. Now if you then rang up Microsoft and said to them my motherboard developed a fault and needed replacing (Effectively lying to them

) you are actually violating the EULA and using your copy of Windows illegally.

jonislost · 2 Nov 2007 at 15:04

div0 said:
Seeing as he did just upgrade his sound card, then he should have no problems.

Thats exactly what i was getting at.

jonislost · 2 Nov 2007 at 15:10

Fire Wizard said:
Hey jonislost, if you had purchased Windows XP OEM edition and then (For example) 5 months down the line you upgraded your motherboard (We are not talking about replacing your motherboard under warranty here ), I am afraid you would need to buy a new copy of Windows to stay legal. Now if you then rang up Microsoft and said to them my motherboard developed a fault and needed replacing (Effectively lying to them ) you are actually violating the EULA and using your copy of Windows illegally.

I like living dangerously

Of course i kid. I'll be getting 4gb of ram very soon (in like 2 weeks) At this point i am forced into a situation to upgrade to a 64 bit o/s. So i like to think i'm "borrowing" windows for a couple of weeks. I'm sure Mr Gates can sub me for this two week window!