OEM siftware

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PPBart

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I'm a bit confused about what I can and cannot do with an Windows OEM disk...

Can an OEM version of Windows be installed and activated more than once? NOT intending to violate licensing requirements! Rather, I'm just wondering if the software is installed and activated on an existing HDD, then that HDD is later replaced with a new drive, can the original software be installed and activated on the new HDD?
 
An OEM disc from a manufacturer can be used on multiple machines, but they must be used on the same brand of computer (Dell with Dell, Gateway with Gateway, etc.). You then need to use the license found on the machine you installed it on. You cannot transfer OEM licenses from one computer to another.
 
Hmmm... let me be a bit more specific...

I recently upgraded an aging desktop from XP to Win7. To do so, I purchased a Win7 OEM disk. Performance of the old machine is still not acceptable and so I will be building a new one. I would like to use the same OEM disk to install Win7 on a new (larger) HDD in the build. The old machine will be cannibalized for the build and then the remainder kept for parts, so the same license will not be in use on more than one PC.
 
The OEM license was tied to the motherboard you installed it on. If you are starting from scratch then technically you can't use the same key.
 
johnb35 said:
The OEM license was tied to the motherboard you installed it on. If you are starting from scratch then technically you can't use the same key.
Click to expand...

So, if one were simply replacing a dead motherboard he would have to buy a new license? Interesting! I honestly thought the license was tied to the HDD.
 
Nope its tied to the motherboard. When you activated the original install with the key, the key and a string of numbers was sent to microsoft. If you try activating with the same key with a different motherboard, it won't activate.

You can try calling the activation number and speaking to someone and see if they will activate it for you, all depends on the person you talk to. But legally you would need to get a new key since its a new motherboard.
 
Nope. Always tied to the motherboard. Retail copies however, can be used on multiple machines as long as it is no longer running on any other computer.
 
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