Oem vista

AlyCat

AlyCat

AlyCat

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Joined
9 Dec 2008
Posts
109
Ok so iv got an oem version of vista installed on my pc but my motherboard has died and iv been told that my version of vista will be tied to my motherboard which means i will need a new copy of windows.
is this true?
Are there anyways around this?
Cheers
 
OEM is tied to the board it was originaly installed on and is not transferable.

Only time it is possible I think if your board is changed under warranty and that board is not produced any more and the manufacturer offers a different board, then you can use the same license, otherwise a new license is required.

Can you not RMA your current board,
 
no it is an old board had it for a few year
my modem got hit by lightning you see and has pretty much buggerd my mobo and gpu
so im out of luck then =(
 
If you did resinstall it on a new machine, all you'd need to do to activate it, at most, is use an automated telephone service to receive a code to put in.
 
OEM is tied to the board it was originaly installed on and is not transferable.
Click to expand...

Rubbish.

I moved my OEM Vista 32bit to my downstairs machine when my main machine went 64bit (now Win7 RC1 on both machines) and it installed fine - activated automatically online - didn't even need a phone call.

If you need to phone MS to re-activate - just tell them the truth - i.e. your mobo died and you've had to get a new one and they don't make your old one anymore.

is this true?
Click to expand...

Install it and you'll find out :-)
 
amigafan2003 said:
Rubbish.

I moved my OEM Vista 32bit to my downstairs machine when my main machine went 64bit (now Win7 RC1 on both machines) and it installed fine - activated automatically online - didn't even need a phone call.

If you need to phone MS to re-activate - just tell them the truth - i.e. your mobo died and you've had to get a new one and they don't make your old one anymore.
Click to expand...

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean its legal ;)

Regarding calling MS, its always worth a try, worst they can say is 'no'. And while I guess it would technically be against the terms of the license, if its MS giving you the key then there's not going to be much problem.
 
Yep deffo call MS.

It will install fine on a new board but you will be breaking the law. It happened to me a few years ago, I called MS and they sorted it out over the phone no worries.

Was XP Pro tho, not Vista..
 
You can usually call MS and reactivate it, or if you don't use the key over a certain period of months it automatically resets at their end.

I just recently activated one of my OEM keys on entirely new hardware than it was on before without having to call or anything so it's now tied to my new hardware.

There's a lot of propaganda on the subject but Microsoft's actions seem to suggest they aren't too bothered as long as you don't take the ****.
 
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amigafan2003 said:
Rubbish.

I moved my OEM Vista 32bit to my downstairs machine when my main machine went 64bit (now Win7 RC1 on both machines) and it installed fine - activated automatically online - didn't even need a phone call.

If you need to phone MS to re-activate - just tell them the truth - i.e. your mobo died and you've had to get a new one and they don't make your old one anymore.



Install it and you'll find out :-)
Click to expand...

Then the OP will be no more legal than if he goes and downloads himself a copy of Windows.
The ability to move the OEM OS is when you receive a new MB via warranty.
Just because his MB has failed - buying a new one is not a warranty swap.
So to move his OS over he will be licence illegal.

Now as has been said, physically there is nothing stopping him from installing the OS on his new machine and successfully activating.
However he might just as well download an illegal copy of the OS - as he'll be just as legal.
 
stoofa said:
Now as has been said, physically there is nothing stopping him from installing the OS on his new machine and successfully activating.
However he might just as well download an illegal copy of the OS - as he'll be just as legal.
Click to expand...

Actually he could be physically stopped via telephone from re-activating if it was "illegal", but Microsoft are almost always happy to "aid and abet" in reactivating it. ;)

The only thing they are against is people trying to use one license for multiple PC's.
 
Caged said:
EULAs are not the law. At least not yet.
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Exactly. One of my pet bugs is people who refer to it being legal and illegal. It's neither. EULAs are (generally untested) contracts between two parties, and are a civil matter not criminal.

Software companies are happy to bounce up and down waving their EULA if something doesn't go in their favour, but just you try using the EULA against them to your benefit... See how enforceable the company feels EULAs are then. I found this out recently, and still have the T-shirt :p

It might be considered a breach of the EULA (agreement) to reinstall OEM on a new mobo, but that would be a civil issue and MS would need to take action against you for it in a civil county court. Which they don't. At the end of the day, if MS decide to give you a reactivation code after you explain what happened, the terms of your license have changed anyway, so the original EULA is not applicable. This means you are not 'unlawfully' licensed at all, but fully legit.

JMHO.
 
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