Basically what i've run into so far with the OEM is that you aren't covered in their 90 day free technical support thing, and charge you $59 per support enquiry. Other than that i've had no trouble with activating.

There is a magic number, if you have 3 h/w changes on an OEM copy (although legally you are only allowed 1!) then you get blacklisted.

OK then, so while we are at it...does memory change means i ll have to buy a new copy as well?

And as Jbennet says 3 h/w changes make u blacklisted, what hardware changes are you referring to. I mean say i changed the CPU Fan, Chnaged a network card would that mean i m done with that OEM version and have to get a new copy. So basically the OEM OS CD would be rendered useless once a cpu is changed. Say after the cpu change I try to do a clean install of the same OEM OS, would that get me anywhere or do i have to dish out money from my pocket for a new one?

I thank you all for all the advice and opinions that you have presented guys.

Warm Regards
Raj

CPU itself and motherboard

RAM, drives, fans, cards are fine

so i guess i should stop using my computer to test customers CPU's lol. Im using oem winxp and not Vista ,but that doesn't matter right .actually full winxp home disk using oem key ,last install on my new hdd.!

I think thats because you do change the processor back to the one that you had when you installed that OS. But then again how would you test it with another CPU if the OS doesnt work with different CPU??? What exactly do you do to test the CPUs then? As theoratically the OS should not load with a different CPU than the one it was installed onto.

Now is there a solid evidence of it that an OEM version user changed the CPU, Hard Drive or MOBO and had to get a new copy of OS or are these things just hearsay? Sorry guys, Not being blunt on your advice but just want to know for sure that anyone who has actually been through the whole ten yards with an OEM and changed the processor etc, what were the consequencies?

Regards
Raj

i have been thorugh the whole ten yards and the fact is that if you change what microsoft describe as system critical components, you need to reactivate, and that OEM copies may only be bundled with new "system critical components" and if these are removed then the licence is void

Read the OEM EULA. Its very clear

the last cpu i tested is still in my computer ,forgot to change it back and the owner has yet to bring his computer back to have it changed back.
i have put about 5 or more different cpu's in my computer and windows will boot.and i have left some of them in for a number of days ata time .

So I take it your OS is not an OEM version then Caper, because if it was then as jbennet says it should not have worked, am i right?

Raj

its is oem key ,but its winxp home full verson disk i use to install instead of the computer makers recovery cd.