Ok i really need to clear this up

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:22

Ok we have all heard about VISTA RETAIL and OEM versions right, right.

OEM you can only install on Machine A, when you try and install it on machine B it wont let you.

But how can they do this?

XP

You install XP on one machine ok fine.

Then you try and install it on another machine and you have 30days to do this right.

So you try and activate it with the same code and it wont work so you just ring up Microsoft and say you had to fromat your machine they give you a new code, job done.

Is VISTA diffrent?

Psycho Sonny · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:23

stickroad said:
Ok we have all heard about VISTA RETAIL and OEM versions right, right.

OEM you can only install on Machine A, when you try and install it on machine B it wont let you.

But how can they do this?

it is oem? do you know what oem is? and use the big search button it helps

DevilsAdvocate · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:25

You can install it, just can't activate it.

z0mbi3 · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:26

has the how they can do it question been answered though?

My guess is it's chance and they probably can't enforce it if you play stupid. Time will tell though.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:26

DevilsAdvocate said:
You can install it, just can't activate it.

Then you ring up Microsoft and they give you a new code?

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:28

Psycho Sonny said:
it is oem? do you know what oem is? and use the big search button it helps

I think your missing my point.

Yes i know what OEM means, you can only install it one one machine (Motherboard) blah blah blah.

But cant you just ring Microsoft up and they give you a new code?

scratch · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:36

Just because you can do something doesn't make it legal. I can drive my car faster than the legal speed limit, but that doesn't make it legal.

Installing an OEM OS on a second PC and then phoning Microsoft and telling them you've reinstalled windows to get it activated is defrauding them. Whether that bothers you or not is down to you, but you're going against the license agreement and as such you may as well have downloaded a warez version and used a dodgy key.

Andy

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:39

So in other words you can do it?

Or will the magic of Technology go into overdrive and actully STOP you from installing in on another PC using the same disc/code whatever?

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:44

stickroad said:
So in other words you can do it?

Or will the magic of Technology go into overdrive and actully STOP you from installing in on another PC using the same disc/code whatever?

They can't stop you installing it, but they may not activate it so it will only work for 30 days. Though I suppose there is nothing stopping you reformatting every 30 days and using the os for free, though they probably lock out some features on the unactivated version.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:46

Energize said:
They can't stop you installing it, but they may not activate it so it will only work for 30 days. Though I suppose there is nothing stopping you reformatting every 30 days and using the os for free, though they probably lock out some features on the unactivated version.

Yeah lol

But how will they stop me from activating it, i know it wont let you over the internet what about if you phone up and say you had to reformat my hard drive?

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:48

A checksum is created on your pc using the time&date and hardware installed, so they will know if you are installing it on another pc when you tell them your checksum.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:49

Is this something they are doing differently with VISTA than to XP, because i have never encountered them asking me for this Checksum

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:51

stickroad said:
Is this something they are doing differently with VISTA than to XP, because i have never encountered them asking me for this Checksum

As far as I am aware they did the same thing with xp. But they were more lax and just activated people regardless.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:52

Sorry could you please explain this Checksum to me?

Surely if the Checksum is created when you install O/S on your pc and your hard drive is wiped you wont be able to get that specific info back?

scoopex · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:54

stickroad said:
Is this something they are doing differently with VISTA than to XP, because i have never encountered them asking me for this Checksum

All you do is tell them you had to reformat your pc and they will give you a new validation key over the phone.

Done it many a time using my OEM version of windows XP.

Slam62 · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:56

Nobody knows, the question is how soon before someone tries ...

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 20:59

lol now we cleared that up.

Everyone getting excited about VISTA lol, unless you already have it and if so what version have you got?

buachille · 22 Jan 2007 at 21:22

won't be buying it for a while.

can't run alcohol on it, and i like my virtual drives. :cool:

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 21:28

lol well i still need to decide what to get the Retail Home Prem and dual boot the 32 and 64bit or the OEM version and dual boot the 64bit along with XP?

csmager · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:40

stickroad said:
Sorry could you please explain this Checksum to me?

Surely if the Checksum is created when you install O/S on your pc and your hard drive is wiped you wont be able to get that specific info back?

It would be stored on the MS servers. Hence when the new checksum isn't the same as the old one, you fail online activation.

This forces you to ring Microsoft, so as soon as they answer the phone they know without asking you've installed it on a different PC, or you wouldn't've failed activation.