Quote:
Originally Posted by The Master Chief 
Alright I have an oem version of windows and was wondering if I can install it again on my new computer.
I would be using the same HDD but in a new computer. It is OEM. I mean would it even install?
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You might want to read thru this thread:
OEM Clarification , by BFRD Site Administrator
http://www.overclock.net/windows/156...ification.html
Excerpt:
I am tired of reading so many posts suggesting that you may install an OEM copy of a Windows OS on multiple computers and still retain a proper license. Just because you call up and ask for a license key and you are given one does NOT make it OK. Not getting caught is not the same thing as being allowed. The operators that are manning those phone lines do not have the training (or inclination) to determine if you are installing on a new machine or not. The license is clear; OEM = one machine only.
OEM licenses are cheaper for a reason, and it has very little to do with not having a box. It is cheaper because eventually you will need a new machine and will then have to buy another copy of the OS. So next time someone suggests that installing an OEM OS on a new (read: not the original) computer is OK; will get a Piracy Infraction.
Notes:
* Minor hardware changes are permitted
* A motherboard change is never minor
* Hardware failure may not allow you to re-activate a license
* This thread is about licensing not morality
* MS will often allow you to re-activate even though they shouldn't, they have stated this will not protect you from prosecution
* If you are upset about the licensing issues of OEM software complain to your system builder
Quote:
* Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?
ANSWER. Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store (i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating system products are not transferable from one machine to another. The End User License Agreement (EULA) governs the terms for transfer of licenses. Some EULAs for copies of certain older OEM operating system products (i.e., MS-DOS®, Windows® 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups 3.1) distributed in 1995 or earlier may permit transfer of the OEM operating system software license under limited circumstances. (See Software Product Transfer section of your End User License Agreement.) |
Quote:
* If I "retire" a PC with an OEM license on it, can I use that software on a new PC?
ANSWER. No. To put it simply, OEM product is "married" to the original PC on which it was installed. Current OEM licenses are not transferable from one machine to another. The software cannot be moved from PC to PC, even if the original PC it was installed on is no longer in use. This is true for all OEM software - operating systems and applications. |
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