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Vista Licence

  • 10-03-2007 11:45am
    #1
    311
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,332 ✭✭✭


    If I buy vista for a pc and the pc breaks down in a year,
    Can I install it on another machine or am I screwed ?


Comments

  • #2
    Saruman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    Depends... do you mean Retail or OEM?
    you can on retail but not (technically) on OEM (hence price difference).
    Of course MS will probably let it slide if you just tell them you upgraded your motherboard as it died.


  • #3
    311
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,332 ✭✭✭311


    Thanks saruman ,I'll keep that in mind.
    I was going to go for the ulitmate oem ,maybe I should wait and buy a complete new machine with vista so. Had one planned for june/july.


  • #4
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,567 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Saruman wrote:
    Of course MS will probably let it slide if you just tell them you upgraded your motherboard as it died.
    When you ring up to activate windows are you talking to a microsoft employee ?

    Or just an outsourced call centre staffed by non-microsoft employees, and if so does what they say outweigh the EULA you have agreed to ??

    As for the spirit of the law, lets not forget that microsoft originally intended for Retail VISTA to have ONE motherboard change, but had to back down from that.



    With OEM reactivation on a different motherboard only applies if the motherboard was replaced under warrantly by the PC manufacturer. yes it sucks big time, but microsoft have billions in the bank because of it.

    In the early days the microsoft license cost 3-5% of the cost of a computer, now it's far higher.


  • #5
    311
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,332 ✭✭✭311


    OEM's are probably best bought with new machines then ,getting the maximum from the licence.
    Full versions are best bought for existing machines ,so you can re register the licence??


  • #6
    Oracle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,630 ✭✭✭Oracle


    I've rang the Microsoft phone line to activate, the person I spoke with had what sounded like an Indian accent. They asked me questions like: "Why are you installing Windows XP?" and "Do you have Windows XP on any other PC?" I was asked for the Product Key on the side on the PC then given an activation code. It was all very quick and easy. :) I think they were reading from a script.


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  • #7
    Paddyo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 414 ✭✭Paddyo


    My understanding was that you cannot just buy an OEM licence. You must buy it with a new machine? And the licence stays with that machine.

    Paddyo


  • #8
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Paddyo wrote:
    My understanding was that you cannot just buy an OEM licence. You must buy it with a new machine? And the licence stays with that machine.

    Paddyo
    As far as I know, you can buy an OEM licence with any piece of hardware (eg a mouse) and technically it must remain with the hardware.


  • #9
    Saruman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    komplett does not even require this any more :D
    Recently i was asked to reactivate XP home on my media centre because i put in another hard drive. What i mean by that is, i stuck in a hard drive just to copy stuff from it to my main hard drive, so i stuck it on the cdrom IDE cable.
    Anyway when i booted back up windows said i had to activate again, i left it till i was done with the transfer and everything was back to normal... then i tried online and was told my key was activated too many times so i stopped that and did it on the phone.
    All that happened was after i entered my ID the computer voice asked me questions which ended "did i replace the motherboard?" and i said no and then it gave me my code. Did not even have to speak to anyone.


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