Questions for those who purchased OEM Vista

K

konsole

Member
This question is directed at all those people that have purchased an OEM version of Windows Vista to install on their home built system. (not people who have gotten an OEM copy with their computer purchase from Dell, HP etc.).

1. Have you switched out the motherboard with a different model board and/or upgraded the hard drive/memory, and successfully reinstalled Windows without having to purchase a new license?

2. If you have to purchase a new license key when changing model of motherboard and/or upgrading hard drive/memory, why not purchase a retail copy instead so you can reinstall Windows many more times in the future?

3. Sure retail version may be twice as much money as OEM but if it means you can use it through 2 or 3 or more major upgrades isnt it worth the extra money, or do you think you will be using a different operating system when it comes time to make the first major upgrade?
 
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OEM discs have their own key and you don't have to purchase the key repeatedly. I haven't used one since my old Compaq that ran Windows 98 so maybe this has changed.
 
If you have a major hardware change, it's likely that the key will not work again.

All you have to do is call Microsoft and explain what happened and they'll issue a new key.

Retail disc's are fine, but you can still only have it installed on one computer at a time, so it's really no different.
 
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