Vista OEM Question.

slipd

slipd

slipd

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Hey guys,

Just a quick question: Does Vista OEM become void (Your licence anyway) if you upgrade any hardware components on your machine? I know there was a bit of a kafuffle when Vista launched surrounding this issue :p

Does it still stand?

Cheers,

SW.
 
Only when your PC is upgraded significantly enough to constitute as a new machine, such as a new motherboard.

Sticking some extra RAM in is covered under the OEM agreement.
 
All based on the motherboard.
If it fails and you have your machine repaired (motherboard might be swapped etc) then fine.
However as soon as you upgrade your motherboard from a license legal point of view you do need a new OEM license.
 
Okay, thanks guys :)

I should be okay then - it'll be for a laptop, so the only things I'll be ever likely to upgrade/replace are the memory/hard drive/cpu? Probably not going to happen tho during my ownership!

I think I'm safe then :p

Cheers,

SW.
 
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but without search it's the most relevant thread I could browse and find.

I'll be honest here, I've never owned a legit copy of Windows and think I really should at some stage.
I periodically upgrade my hardware so logically I should go for a retail version.
In reality, I hear people constantly saying that they get their OEM versions reactivated each time they upgrade with no bother.

Is this the case? I know it now reads like I'm trying to go legit and cheat at the same time, but if I can buy an OEM version of vista and know that I can reactivate it should I change a MB in the future then I will buy a proper OEM copy of the OS.
If I can't, then there is no way I'll buy a proper copy as the cost for a retail version is extortionate.

So what I'm trying to do here, is make a token effort to go legit!!! :p
 
emailiscrap said:
<snip>
Click to expand...

Ok, 1 MB = 1 OEM licence.

However if your motherboard fails, apparently you can reactivate on a new motherboard, however you have to ring up MS. Now they cannot tell if your old MB failed or not. Apparently! I am not sure of this, because I like to buy legit (ie the right thing).

It's nice to see an effort!
 
sam.wheale said:
Hey guys,

Just a quick question: Does Vista OEM become void (Your licence anyway) if you upgrade any hardware components on your machine? I know there was a bit of a kafuffle when Vista launched surrounding this issue :p

Does it still stand?

Cheers,

SW.
Click to expand...



If you are polite but firm MS will give you licenses as long as you don't take the ****
 
emailiscrap said:
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but without search it's the most relevant thread I could browse and find.

I'll be honest here, I've never owned a legit copy of Windows and think I really should at some stage.
I periodically upgrade my hardware so logically I should go for a retail version.
In reality, I hear people constantly saying that they get their OEM versions reactivated each time they upgrade with no bother.

Is this the case? I know it now reads like I'm trying to go legit and cheat at the same time, but if I can buy an OEM version of vista and know that I can reactivate it should I change a MB in the future then I will buy a proper OEM copy of the OS.
If I can't, then there is no way I'll buy a proper copy as the cost for a retail version is extortionate.

So what I'm trying to do here, is make a token effort to go legit!!! :p
Click to expand...

Simply put - why bother?
You have never bothered to buy the OS in the past - simply deciding that theft is the best way forward.
The OEM license has been explained and explained again - it is tied to the motherboard it is first installed on.
No if's, no but's - unless the motherboard dies and you recieve a warranty replacement, as soon as you replace your motherboard your license is no longer legal.
You buy your OEM license and you are legal.
You replace your motherboard in six months time there is no way you are going to go and buy another license, so once again you are illegal.
So why bother?
Either you want to get yourself legally licensed - in which case decide if you are likely to replace your motherboard twice during the lifetime of the OS and if you are it pays to buy retail.
Or you don't care about license legality - in which case just carry on stealing it.
 
TheDean said:
If you are polite but firm MS will give you licenses as long as you don't take the ****
Click to expand...

No they won't.
Lie to Microsoft activation team and there is a good chance they will reactivate your license.
So when you call up say that your motherboard failed or it is exactly the same machine and there is a good chance you'll get a new activation code.
Now make the same call any number of times to the Activation Line and tell the absolute truth "I've upgraded my machine" and no matter how polite or firm you are you'll be told that you cannot reactivate the OS as this breaks the license agreement.

This all goes back again to the "legally" and "physically" question - it is amazing but it would appear 90% of people don't realise there is a big difference between the two.
 
In my experience, and I have re-activated Vista twice and Xp 4/5 times, I have always got what I wanted without question :)
 
TheDean said:
In my experience, and I have re-activated Vista twice and Xp 4/5 times, I have always got what I wanted without question :)
Click to expand...

Only because you lied to Microsoft though. If you told the representative over the phone the truth that your copy has already been activated once on another machine, you wouldn't get what you want without question. You'd be told to buy a new license. :)
 
This does bring up the question of unenforceable licensing and the amount of money spent on it. Would it not be better to spend that money on getting an OS out of the door that... well... works before putting these measures in place?

I say go for it with the OEM version, if M$ give you an activation code of their own free will then it's their problem. I've never heard of any other software being tied to one particular part of a computer in such a way. (Even with apple!)
 
refresh said:
This does bring up the question of unenforceable licensing and the amount of money spent on it. Would it not be better to spend that money on getting an OS out of the door that... well... works before putting these measures in place?
Click to expand...

Their OS does work. It wouldn't be so popular and well-spread if it didn't work. If programs crash this isn't always the OS's fault, some third party software is buggy and crap and would still manage to crash even when it isn't being used.

I guess you don't use Windows then, seeing as it doesn't work? ;)

refresh said:
I say go for it with the OEM version, if M$ give you an activation code of their own free will then it's their problem. I've never heard of any other software being tied to one particular part of a computer in such a way. (Even with apple!)
Click to expand...

Microsoft only give new activation codes under the premise that the customer is telling the truth that it isn't being activated on a new machine again. If you lie to Microsoft it isn't them being dense, it's the customer being a liar. :)
 
I do not use Windows or any MS software if I can help it and will not be entering into the flame war about OSs. ;) (That'll teach you to be sarcastic! :p )

Surely MS should be aware that customers aren't always honest, especially with this daft lisencing idea that they have implemented now. Anyone would thing they are being monopolistic here! (Imagine Sony telling me I could only play CDs that they make on one hi-fi, there'd be hell to pay!)
 
refresh said:
I do not use Windows or any MS software if I can help it and will not be entering into the flame war about OSs. ;) (That'll teach you to be sarcastic! :p )
Click to expand...

So the gaming-esque PC spec in your signature isn't running XP? Bit of an overkill on hardware for a Linux box. :p

refresh said:
Surely MS should be aware that customers aren't always honest, especially with this daft lisencing idea that they have implemented now. Anyone would thing they are being monopolistic here! (Imagine Sony telling me I could only play CDs that they make on one hi-fi, there'd be hell to pay!)
Click to expand...

Yes but what's the alternative? They have to allow customers to activate OEM copies more than once, but without introducing an expensive screening system I can't see how they can stop dishonest users from exploiting it. :)
 
iCraig said:
So the gaming-esque PC spec in your signature isn't running XP? Bit of an overkill on hardware for a Linux box. :p
Click to expand...

Nah, I'm a coder, I like power, especially when linux lets me use it rather than hogging it all.

iCraig said:
Yes but what's the alternative? They have to allow customers to activate OEM copies more than once, but without introducing an expensive screening system I can't see how they can stop dishonest users from exploiting it. :)
Click to expand...

A potentially controversial answer here: scrap the OEM.
 
refresh said:
A potentially controversial answer here: scrap the OEM.
Click to expand...

What would this achieve? The OEM license makes Windows affordable for the majjority of users. Why scrap that?

One thing that people seem to forget, the OEM licensing model that Microsoft uses for Windows isn't uncommon, many software firms have very similar EULAs.

Burnsy
 
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