Windows Vista Home Premium (OEM) Version

Notorious Lee · 13 May 2007 at 17:52

I am thinking of buying Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit of which the OEM version is on Overclockers website for £75.19 inc VAT.

What is the difference between the OEM version & the retail version?

Thanks.

tom_e · 13 May 2007 at 17:55

OEM is tied to one computer setup only, do any major upgrades and kiss goodbye to your 75quid. Retail kock yourself out and install on as many pcs as you like as long as its only on one at any one time. Thats about the long and short of it

Notorious Lee · 13 May 2007 at 18:56

So with you saying as long as you don't make any major upgrades I suppose you mean upgrading your Motherboard?

I am presuming it wouldn't matter if you were upgrading your graphics card, etc?

Faustus · 13 May 2007 at 19:20

blitz2163 said:
OEM is tied to one computer setup only, do any major upgrades and kiss goodbye to your 75quid. Retail kock yourself out and install on as many pcs as you like as long as its only on one at any one time. Thats about the long and short of it

That's only partially true - a work colleague of mine installed Vista HP OEM version on day of release, two weeks ago is Motherboard died. He contacted MS and explained what had happened, even offered to send them receipt for new Motherboard. They accepted his story (which was genuine) and provided a re-authorisation code for him to reinstall Vista again which shows MS are not always the villains they are made out to be

Burnsy2023 · 13 May 2007 at 19:40

Faustus said:
That's only partially true - a work colleague of mine installed Vista HP OEM version on day of release, two weeks ago is Motherboard died. He contacted MS and explained what had happened, even offered to send them receipt for new Motherboard. They accepted his story (which was genuine) and provided a re-authorisation code for him to reinstall Vista again which shows MS are not always the villains they are made out to be

That because as it failed, he is completely licensed and MS should have lethim reactivate.

There's plenty of stuff in the Windows sticky about this.

Burnsy

stoofa · 13 May 2007 at 19:40

If a motherboard fails then usually you will be replacing it with the same make/model.
You can get such an installation reactivated without much hassle at all.
However a motherboard upgrade does mean the requirement to buy a new copy of the OS.

gareth170 · 13 May 2007 at 20:48

Notorious Lee said:
So with you saying as long as you don't make any major upgrades I suppose you mean upgrading your Motherboard?

I am presuming it wouldn't matter if you were upgrading your graphics card, etc?

yes u can upgrade your graphics card, hdd, etc.. just not the motherboard..

Faustus · 13 May 2007 at 21:02

stoofa said:
If a motherboard fails then usually you will be replacing it with the same make/model.
You can get such an installation reactivated without much hassle at all.
However a motherboard upgrade does mean the requirement to buy a new copy of the OS.

Nope not true - work colleague I mentioned took the opportunity to not only replace the motherboard he upgraded with latest socket 775 board, Intel Core 2 Duo processor and new Ati graphics card. Basically a new PC.

Burnsy2023 · 13 May 2007 at 21:05

Faustus said:
Nope not true - work colleague I mentioned took the opportunity to not only replace the motherboard he upgraded with latest socket 775 board, Intel Core 2 Duo processor and new Ati graphics card. Basically a new PC.

He's still not licensed though.

Burnsy

Faustus · 13 May 2007 at 22:50

burnsy2023 said:
He's still not licensed though.

Burnsy

Not sure what you mean by that - he's re-installed Vista and gets all the updates etc. so what is the issue?

gareth170 · 13 May 2007 at 23:05

Faustus said:
Not sure what you mean by that - he's re-installed Vista and gets all the updates etc. so what is the issue?

he as broken his license there for it means his unlicensed.

being activated doesn't mean your licensed..

being licensed and being activated are 2 different things

Burnsy2023 · 13 May 2007 at 23:19

Faustus said:
Not sure what you mean by that - he's re-installed Vista and gets all the updates etc. so what is the issue?

Well, for most people, not a lot. But if you're going to pay for a license why invalidate it?

Burnsy

Faustus · 14 May 2007 at 19:59

burnsy2023 said:
Well, for most people, not a lot. But if you're going to pay for a license why invalidate it?

Burnsy

Well he clearly didn't set out with the intention of invalidating his licence, it came about as I said earlier due to his Motherboard failing. He made a number of efforts to get a replacement Mobo but no one was stocking or making them anymore which is why he bought the latest Mobo. I mean wouldn't you in that position, if you have a major hardware failure and can't source a replacement then surely this is an opportunity to do a major upgrade.

sunderland · 17 May 2007 at 12:52

so what say i bought the oem version then 6 months down the line i need to reformat,but leave all the original hardware in could i still do it or would i have to buy a new copy cheers

Burnsy2023 · 17 May 2007 at 14:54

sunderland said:
so what say i bought the oem version then 6 months down the line i need to reformat,but leave all the original hardware in could i still do it or would i have to buy a new copy cheers

As long as you don't change the MB, you can reinstall as many times as you wish.

Burnsy

TheDean · 17 May 2007 at 14:56

burnsy2023 said:
As long as you don't change the MB, you can reinstall as many times as you wish.

Burnsy

|Even then I wouldn't say it was difficult to blag MS

Burnsy2023 · 17 May 2007 at 14:57

TheDean said:
|Even then I wouldn't say it was difficult to blag MS

Lets not get into that arguement

Burnsy

TheDean · 17 May 2007 at 15:17

burnsy2023 said:
Lets not get into that arguement

Burnsy

It's not even an argument mate - I've done it more times than I can remember....

Burnsy2023 · 17 May 2007 at 15:29

TheDean said:
It's not even an argument mate - I've done it more times than I can remember....

I don't contest that, I contest the point of doing it, but thats been done to death.

Burnsy

sunderland · 17 May 2007 at 15:47

burnsy2023 said:
As long as you don't change the MB, you can reinstall as many times as you wish.

Burnsy

cheers burnsy m8 just what i wanted to here,will go and get myself the premium version then cheers again m8