Reinstalling OEM Windows?

manic111 · 25 May 2008 at 12:24

I bought an OEM version of Vista with my latest build-it's about a year old now, and I'm looking to do a fresh re-install. Just wondering if I could do this on my OEM license. I havent changed any hardware or anything...

crazyDAJT · 25 May 2008 at 12:41

manic111 said:
I bought an OEM version of Vista with my latest build-it's about a year old now, and I'm looking to do a fresh re-install. Just wondering if I could do this on my OEM license. I havent changed any hardware or anything...

It is fine. if you haven't change your motherboard

RJC · 25 May 2008 at 13:57

When you go and re-activate over the internet it might come up saying this key is already in use, just use the automatic telephone option takes 2mins.

Rob

SlyReaper · 25 May 2008 at 14:17

Actually, it might be fine even if you HAVE changed your motherboard. Yesterday, I swapped out my motherboard for a better one, and of course had to do a reinstall. I expected I'd have to ring MS up to reactivate, but it reactivated over the internet anyway.

If your hardware is the same, then you'll certainly be able to reactivate over the internet.

DampCat · 25 May 2008 at 14:30

I *believe* you can reinstall twice on an OEM with different hardware before you have to phone them. Clarification would be nice but i'm 99% positive that was the case.

Dingo · 25 May 2008 at 15:53

The phone option isn't too onerous and I have reactivated a couple of times one copy of XP on different hardware.

Brian Stuart · 25 May 2008 at 19:13

SlyReaper said:
Actually, it might be fine even if you HAVE changed your motherboard. Yesterday, I swapped out my motherboard for a better one, and of course had to do a reinstall. I expected I'd have to ring MS up to reactivate, but it reactivated over the internet anyway.

If your hardware is the same, then you'll certainly be able to reactivate over the internet.

You may have been activated but you are not legally licensed.

ants83 · 25 May 2008 at 19:59

Brian Stuart said:
You may have been activated but you are not legally licensed.

well it still works the same does it not? you dont get a message saying 'your ilegally licensed'.

it should say well done youve not been mugged out of £70 just for changing your mobo

crazyDAJT · 25 May 2008 at 20:07

ants83 said:
well it still works the same does it not? you dont get a message saying 'your ilegally licensed'.

it should say well done youve not been mugged out of £70 just for changing your mobo

I wonder where this is thread is going to go....

*runs and hides behind the sofa*

pingwing · 25 May 2008 at 20:11

Just avoid sp1 (the update) i had to do this to my laptop (i couldnt cope with vista for ages till i noticed that the power saving drivers just didnt work in xp

)
SP1 decided my lisence key just wasnt valid at all (the oem one off the bottom of my laptop) which wasnt pleasing...

(then again i didnt notice the warnings that the sound drivers wernt ready for sp1....)

Fire Wizard · 25 May 2008 at 20:28

ants83 said:
it should say well done youve not been mugged out of £70 just for changing your mobo

Hello ants83, Microsoft aren't mugging anything out of you. Before you buy a license, you would read the licensing terms of that particular license that you are looking at purchasing and in the case of an Operating System OEM license; it is restricted to the original motherboard that the Operating System was first installed on.

If you wish to not have this restriction, purchase a Retail license which can now be bought at a very reasonable cost of £123.36 inc VAT for Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 or £198.56 inc VAT for Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 .

setter · 25 May 2008 at 22:12

Fire Wizard said:
Hello ants83, Microsoft aren't mugging anything out of you. Before you buy a license, you would read the licensing terms of that particular license that you are looking at purchasing and in the case of an Operating System OEM license; it is restricted to the original motherboard that the Operating System was first installed on.

If you wish to not have this restriction, purchase a Retail license which can now be bought at a very reasonable cost of £123.36 inc VAT for Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 or £198.56 inc VAT for Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 .

thinking of making the jump to vista 64, had no idea that the retail version of home premium had dropped so much in price :cool:

Brian Stuart · 25 May 2008 at 22:52

ants83 said:
well it still works the same does it not? you dont get a message saying 'your ilegally licensed'.

it should say well done youve not been mugged out of £70 just for changing your mobo

If you want to pirate software :rolleyes:

SlyReaper · 26 May 2008 at 01:01

If I had been unable to reactivate my copy of XP after swapping out the motherboard, by phone or internet, I would have been seriously tempted to download a pirate copy.

Having to obtain pirate copies of software that you've paid for seems a bit daft doesn't it?

Lagmeister · 26 May 2008 at 11:22

SlyReaper said:
Having to obtain pirate copies of software that you've paid for seems a bit daft doesn't it?

You haven't paid for the software, you have paid for a license to use that software under the terms and conditions outlined within the EULA, there is a difference here, you never own the software that you buy.

Dano · 26 May 2008 at 11:44

Lagmeister said:
You haven't paid for the software, you have paid for a license to use that software under the terms and conditions outlined within the EULA, there is a difference here, you never own the software that you buy.

and that is a big can of worms within the EU.

Brian Stuart · 26 May 2008 at 12:02

Dano said:
and that is a big can of worms within the EU.

It may well be and for the record I'm not sure the MS EULA would stand up in court but until there is case law on the issue then it is what we have to abide by if we wish to rermain legally licensed.

Lagmeister · 26 May 2008 at 12:44

Brian Stuart said:
It may well be and for the record I'm not sure the MS EULA would stand up in court but until there is case law on the issue then it is what we have to abide by if we wish to rermain legally licensed.

That is true, there are some very dodgy things that go into the EULA's now days, but as you say there has been no legal cases to stand up against it and how binding they are is questionable. But to be honest, i'm not going to be the one to stand up to MS's legions of angry lawyer men, though the EU stuff may eventually make them re-think their stance

Brian Stuart · 26 May 2008 at 12:56

Lagmeister said:
That is true, there are some very dodgy things that go into the EULA's now days, but as you say there has been no legal cases to stand up against it and how binding they are is questionable. But to be honest, i'm not going to be the one to stand up to MS's legions of angry lawyer men, though the EU stuff may eventually make them re-think their stance

Go on you know you want too

(could leave you with a shortage of money however)
The big boys normally get it their way though.

Fire Wizard · 26 May 2008 at 13:19

SlyReaper said:
If I had been unable to reactivate my copy of XP after swapping out the motherboard, by phone or internet, I would have been seriously tempted to download a pirate copy.

Having to obtain pirate copies of software that you've paid for seems a bit daft doesn't it?

Hello SlyReaper, that's not quite right. You bought a OEM license which I am presuming you know the licensing terms off? If so, then you would be fully aware of the restrictions that an OEM license holds. It is not Microsoft fault that you completely dismissed reading the licensing terms, it is your own (If that is the case which I am guessing it is otherwise you wouldn't be complaining).

Further more, do not then come and say that you are forced to download a pirate copy of Windows because you failed to make sure that you understood the terms and conditions of an OEM license.