Microsoft Vista OEM

[coolraj003]

Hi Everyone

I am thinking about buying Vista ultimate edition which is costing me way less than as an OEM than a retail boxed software. The thing is it really is not a very plausible option for me to dish out £300+ on a new retail boxed one. WHat are the coplications around it. I know it probly will mean i ll have to do a clean install for it to work properly. But then after that what are the limitations on it as in updating the system or in case i do a system hardware upgrade or change etc, would that be a problem given that i have an OEM version. Cos obviously I might think about getting a better drive in teh future and some other upgrades buyt would this cause a problem for me?

I am saving a lot of money if i do buy one as OEm than the boxed off the shelf version. DO enlighten me guys as I want to be fully sure about everything if i do take this step. THrow in any and every problem you can think of. Would it mean that if i do a hardware upgrade i ll have to reformat and do a clean install to avoid troubles.

Your help would be highly appreciated.

Regards
Raj

[kannan nair]

both have there on problems.if you r going to buy the boxed version then you have to upgrade your hardwares.like video card with atleast shader model 2.0,mother board with ddr2 compatible for descent working.and also minimum 1 gb ram as i am a regular vista user.these things will cost around the same rate of OEM.if you buy OEM it might have microsoft certified hardwares.

[coolraj003]

I recently got my motherboard upgraded adn had the amd athlon 64 x2 3800+ processor on an MSI board with 2 gb ram ddr2 667mhz but running on xp pro, so i dont think i ll need to upgrade any other hardware like the processor, mobo, memory etc for a good while. But i am definitely thinking about getting the vista ultimate 32 bit OEM so that is why i wanted to clarify my doubts after readin other posts and threads about OEM softwares. Please do keep em coming as all your thoughts are valuable to me.

Regards
Raj

[jbennet]

Yeah

OEM is tied to the hardware

If you upgrade your CPU or Motherboarrd you will need to buy a new copy. Also, it must be purchased with a "system critical component" e.g CPU or Motherboarrd and there is NO support from microsoft. Also, it comes with NO manuals or packaging.

[coolraj003]

But as i just got my system upgraded I would not need to get anything changed at least for another couple of years unless something just gets completely messed up like spilling beer while using the dvd drive as a cup holder....juss an example, i dont actually do it.

Other than that would there be problems say if i want to upgrade the optical drive to say a blu ray one or something on those lines. Also what are the issues relating to hard drive changes cos that might be a possibility soon as my current one is only a 40 gig sata.

All suggestions welcome.

Regards
Raj

[jbennet]

if you swap the dvd drives it will be fine

if you swap the hard drives you will need a new copy.

40GB wont do for vista anyway. An ultimate install is about 18gb

[scru]

Yeah

OEM is tied to the hardware

If you upgrade your CPU or Motherboarrd you will need to buy a new copy.

What?I thought they dropped that crap when people started complaining... :sweat:

[jbennet]

no, thats the whole point OEM is cheaper, its for distcibution with new PCs. Thats why dell disks arent supposed to be intalled on non-dell pcs, for example

[scru]

wait...I an Acer with Vista installed. I'm not OEM right? Because I'm gunna need to upgrade my CPU in a few months....

Don't tell me I'm screwed...

[jbennet]

if it came with your PC its almost undoubtably OEM and you will fail activation

[necromxxx]

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.

[jbennet]

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.

[coolraj003]

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

[jbennet]

CPU itself and motherboard

RAM, drives, fans, cards are fine

[caperjack]

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.!

[coolraj003]

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

[jbennet]

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

[caperjack]

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 .

[coolraj003]

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

[caperjack]

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