Hi,
I installed window 7 which is retail,can you help me plese to enlighten my mind what does a retail operating system means.?
Thank you in advance.
There are essentially two types: OEM and Retail:
1. OEM. Although if you get a complete generic OEM version, it
contains the same software, it has the following disadvantages as
compared with the retail version:
a. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer, sold,
or given away (except with the original computer).
b. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.
c. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call them
with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support from your
OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and non-existent. Or
you can get support elsewhere, such as in these forums or newsgroups.
2. Retail. Retail versions come in two types: Full and Upgrade. The
Full version can do a clean installation or a supported upgrade. The
Upgrade version can an upgrade of Vista (if it's installed) or a lower
level of Windows 7. Despite its very misleading name, the Upgrade
version can *not *do an Upgrade of Windows XP (but it can do a clean
installation of XP--or Vista--*if XP or Vista is installed).
Source: Microsoft website http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/windows-7-full-version-versus-retail-version/343db7a0-552f-4a66-902e-c0189bc1c2aa
Hope that answers your question? :)
Kind regards,
