Deleting and moving windows 7 license

cookie1977

Hope someone can help and it's probably obvious but apart from calling microsoft I'm not sure of how to do this.

I've ordered an Alienware m14x laptop which is coming with windows 7 home x64 (It was saving me 123 euro taking home instead of pro). I already own a full copy of Windows 7 pro x32/x64 (single license) which I installed on another dell latitude laptop. I'm going to reformat that laptop and set it up with fedora and I want then to format the alienware when it arrives and put windows 7 pro x64. I was just wondering if anyone knew of a simple way to remove the license from one laptop and put it on another other then calling microsoft and explaining to them. Thanks in advance.

yoyo

Is it a retail or OEM copy of 7 Pro? If retail (Will have come in fancy box and cost a lot) you can just reload windows and activate it (You may need to activate over the phone if multiple activations were used), if its OEM I'm afraid its tied to the Latitute motherboard, you may be able to activate it online on the alienware, or even bluff to support that its simply a reinstall but that is akin to piracy which is not reccomended,

Hope this helps

Nick

cookie1977

No it's totally retail. I got a great deal on it. 2 months prior to it launching amazon.co.uk sold a limited number of copies of it for 101sterling and I was lucky to get it.



Pity it's not simpler but sure I'll give them a buzz anyway. Thanks

yoyo

cookie1977 wrote: »

No it's totally retail. I got a great deal on it. 2 months prior to it launching amazon.co.uk sold a limited number of copies of it for 101sterling and I was lucky to get it.



Pity it's not simpler but sure I'll give them a buzz anyway. Thanks

You should be good to go, phone activation is easy enough tbh, just answer their questions and they give you an unlock code (you need to use the automated system first iirc), I doubt you'll have any problems with online activation anyways, good price for retail

Nick

cookie1977

Amazing price when I found it. Especially as it was full retail and not oem or upgrade. I remember the system kept crashing as word spread it was available but I got lucky and managed to nab one. And it wasn't limited to 32 or 64, it came with both options. Cheers Nick

Capt'n Midnight

Bottom line is that you can't move the OEM preinstall copy of windows ever. It lives or dies with the motherboard it was supplied with.

This is why OEM is cheaper than retail :rolleyes:

Windows is expensive because that is what the market will bear
Mac OSX costs €30 and Linux/BSD etc. are usually free

[it might still be possible for a corporate customer to upgrade it but the upgrade would cost more than a retail license]

cookie1977

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Bottom line is that you can't move the OEM preinstall copy of windows ever. It lives or dies with the motherboard it was supplied with.

This is why OEM is cheaper than retail :rolleyes:

Windows is expensive because that is what the market will bear
Mac OSX costs €30 and Linux/BSD etc. are usually free

[it might still be possible for a corporate customer to upgrade it but the upgrade would cost more than a retail license]

No I understant it. I was just hoping for a button on windows to click "deactivate" like you get on photoshop or other software. I see I can change licenses on windows 7 directly on my pc but I can deactivate. It would have saved me the hassle of calling MS.

Capt'n Midnight

cookie1977 wrote: »

No I understant it. I was just hoping for a button on windows to click "deactivate" like you get on photoshop or other software. I see I can change licenses on windows 7 directly on my pc but I can deactivate. It would have saved me the hassle of calling MS.

The retail copy is transferrable

The upgrade copy is transferrable ONLY IF it up graded a license that was already transferrable. If you upgrade a OEM copy it becomes non-transferrable.

cookie1977

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

READ THE EULA !

IT'S NOT YOUR SOFTWARE, IT'S MICROSOFTS

OEM IS NON TRANSFERRRABLE - !!!!!!!!

The retail copy is transferrable

The upgrade copy is transferrable ONLY IF it up graded a license that was already transferrable. If you upgrade a OEM copy it becomes non-transferrable.

Have to say capt I've no idea what you're on about or even if you've actually eead this thread properly. I own a full retail copy of win 7 pro (not oem or upgrade) and asked if there was a quick way of deactivating a license on a pc so I could move it to another, other then calling ms to do this and as Nick has explained, unfortunately there isn't. So I don't know where you found the need to use bold, caps and ! points but I certainly don't think it was necessary. Want to try that again?

Capt'n Midnight

cookie1977 wrote: »

Have to say capt I've no idea what you're on about or even if you've actually eead this thread properly. I own a full retail copy of win 7 pro (not oem or upgrade) and asked if there was a quick way of deactivating a license on a pc so I could move it to another, other then calling ms to do this and as Nick has explained, unfortunately there isn't. So I don't know where you found the need to use bold, caps and ! points but I certainly don't think it was necessary. Want to try that again?

Ah


I thought it it looked like you were trying to reuse the home license

cookie1977

No problem. Appreciate you coming back on this

demanufactured

You dont need to deactivate anything
Just install it on your new machine and dont use the other one

uncle_sam_ie

What happens if you install the OEM version and a week later the motherboard dies and needs to be replaced? Does it mean forking out more money for a new OEM?

Capt'n Midnight

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

What happens if you install the OEM version and a week later the motherboard dies and needs to be replaced? Does it mean forking out more money for a new OEM?

Yes.

Unless the manufacturer replaces the motherboard under warranty.

OEM is cheaper for a reason.

Read the EULA sometime.

uncle_sam_ie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Yes.

Unless the manufacturer replaces the motherboard under warranty.

OEM is cheaper for a reason.

Read the EULA sometime.

I got some more info on this. Here is a point of clarification in regards to motherboard replacement. This is a direct copy and paste from Microsoft's website:
Quote :

"Q. Can a PC with an OEM Windows operating system have its motherboard upgraded and keep the same license? What if it was replaced because it was defective?
A. Generally, an end user can upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on a computer—except the motherboard—and still retain the license for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created. Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred to the new computer, and the license of new operating system software is required. If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC as long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent, as defined by the manufacturer's warranty."

So, you wont need to buy a new OEM copy of windows 7 if the motherboard goes bad after installing it.

Capt'n Midnight

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

.. as defined by the manufacturer's warranty."

So, you wont need to buy a new OEM copy of windows 7 if the motherboard goes bad after installing it.

1 post a link

2 check again because last time I checked it was only if the manu replaced the motherboard under warranty , so user replacements may not count

uncle_sam_ie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

1 post a link

2 check again because last time I checked it was only if the manu replaced the motherboard under warranty , so user replacements may not count

It's under system builder licensing
http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/licensing_faq.aspx

Capt'n Midnight

That page refers to the rights of the OEM installer NOT THE END USER.
The OEM installer is allowed replace the motherboard the end user isn't.

Q. What are the End User Software License Terms?

A. An end user who acquires software is acquiring the right to use that software. End users don't "own" the software, which is intellectual property and is generally "owned" by its developers. The right to use the software is governed by the End User Software License Terms—which, in the case of OEM System Builder product, is an agreement between the system builder and the end user. The End User Software License Terms can typically be found within the software product, and an end user must accept the End User Software License Terms before running the software.

Q. Can a PC with an OEM Windows operating system have its motherboard upgraded and keep the same license? What if it was replaced because it was defective?

A. Generally, an end user can upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on a computer—except the motherboard—and still retain the license for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created. Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred to the new computer, and the license of new operating system software is required. If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC as long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent, as defined by the manufacturer's warranty.

The reason for this licensing rule primarily relates to the End User Software License Terms and the support of the software covered by that End User Software License Terms. The End User Software License Terms is a set of usage rights granted to the end user by the PC manufacturer and relates only to rights for that software as installed on that particular PC. The system builder is required to support the software on the original PC. Understanding that end users, over time, upgrade their PCs with different components, Microsoft needed to have one base component "left standing" that would still define the original PC. Since the motherboard contains the CPU and is the "heart and soul" of the PC, when the motherboard is replaced (for reasons other than defect) a new PC is essentially created. The original system builder did not manufacture this new PC, and therefore cannot be expected to support it.

uncle_sam_ie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

That page refers to the rights of the OEM installer NOT THE END USER.
The OEM installer is allowed replace the motherboard the end user isn't.

I read it as the end user can do this too but anyway, it sounds like MS aren't too worried about it as long as you paid for the key originally.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/303438-13-windows-retail
"To anyone who may be concerned - you can replace the motherboard very easily (even to different models/sockets) and still re-activate OEM copies.

I've done this multiple times with various different builds, you simply ring a microsoft number, and deal with a computer auto-prompter."

Capt'n Midnight

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

you can replace the motherboard very easily (even to different models/sockets) and still re-activate OEM copies.

I've done this multiple times with various different builds, you simply ring a microsoft number, and deal with a computer auto-prompter."

I believe the technical term is fraud.

At the very least you would be in breach of contract.


It's like saying that it's OK to drive in bus lanes on the basis that most people who do so aren't prosecuted.


TBH, people who do stuff like this just increase Microsoft's market share at the expense of the competitors. If you can't afford windows, Mac OSX is about 1/10th the price and there are lots of free alternatives.

uncle_sam_ie

I think MS are smart to be relaxed about it because in the end they don't want me getting a pirated copy. The OEM version is a fair price and it would be just bad luck if the board I'm using was faulty.

Capt'n Midnight

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

I think MS are smart to be relaxed about it because in the end they don't want me getting a pirated copy. The OEM version is a fair price and it would be just bad luck if the board I'm using was faulty.

Bill Gates has been quoted as saying he'd rather people pirate M$ software than the competitors.

When businesses get hooked they send in the BSA
http://www.bsaaudit.com/about-the-business-software-alliance-bsa-fines.asp


I've said it before and I'll say it again, Microsoft's punishes legit users by charging them vast amounts of money for a full retail copy of Windows 7 with all the bells and whistles which costs more than a laptop which comes with a copy of windows 7 with some tweaks, while not chasing down those who breach copyright law. It's literally criminalising a large section of those who use computers.