Windows XP OEM

Geoff

Geoff

VIP Member
I was reading through Wikipedia, and came upon this for Windows XP OEM usage:

OEM licenses are to be installed by professional system manufacturers only. Under Microsoft's OEM License Agreement, they are not to be sold to end-users under any circumstance, and are to be pre-installed on a computer using the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) before shipment to the customer, and must include at the very least the manufacturer's support contact information. They are therefore designed for installation only on a single computer and are not transferable, even if the original computer is no longer in use. This is not usually an issue for users who purchase new computer systems because most pre-assembled systems ship with a pre-installed operating system. There are few circumstances where Microsoft will allow the transfer of an OEM license from one non-functioning system to another, but the OEM System Builder License Agreement (SBLA), as well as the OEM End User License Agreement (EULA) do not contain any allowance for this, so it is entirely up to Microsoft's discretion, depending on the situation.

If thats correct, then I wonder how Newegg and other vendors can sell OEM versions, unless they can slip buy because customers buy parts to build PC's.
 
Usually, stores make you buy other hardware stuff from their stores before you can purchase an OEM version of Windows.
 
Whats also interesting is that it says you can not move it from one PC to another, so I guess there really is a difference between retail and OEM.
 
I thought it was well known that a OEM branded or unbranded is connected to the board its installed on! You all think they are selling them cheaper to be nice.
 
Well, I say you should have to pay for the OS thats on the disc and you can put it on as many computers as you want.

Thats the only good thing about mac OS - you can put them on at least three computers.
 
Weird... I use XP Home OEM on an unbranded disc. One of the files in the "ValueAdd" folder has software from Citrix, but other than that it's unremarkable. I've reactivated it a few times with new hard drives and a new motherboard with no problems, and I wasn't required to buy any hardware or anything at all when I purchased it.
Tom
 
With XP's unbranded OEM disk following SP2 MS made a revision in the EULA liscensing to allow 3 simultaneous or 3 consecutive activations. With 3 at the same time only one can be connected online at any given time.

With Vista it's one OEM per system with the new version's licensing. Probably the most likely reason for the revision not widely known is the lengthy delay seen with Vista while people were upgrading into new machines not having a new version to run on them.
 
PC eye said:
With XP's unbranded OEM disk following SP2 MS made a revision in the EULA liscensing to allow 3 simultaneous or 3 consecutive activations. With 3 at the same time only one can be connected online at any given time.
Click to expand...

Show me something from (mircosoft) that proves that. A OEM branded or unbranded can only be installed on 1 computer at a time and with a branded OEM only 1 computer that it was installed on. Even a Retail XP can only be installed on 1 computer at a time. Show me something.
 
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StrangleHold said:
Show me something from (mircosoft) that proves that. A OEM branded or unbranded can only be installed on 1 computer at a time and with a branded OEM only 1 computer that it was installed on. Even a Retail XP can only be installed on 1 computer at a time. Show me something.
Click to expand...
Yes, just as what I posted states as well. It actually says that an OEM license is only good on one PC, regardless of if that PC is no longer in commission or not, it can not be transferred. However if you get a nice rep, they may let you transfer it.
 
I have before too. Like you say it depends on who answers the phone and the questions they ask, and a little bit of the answers you give:D.
 
I can quote a small portion of a private conversation with someone who does work for MS on what made the difference between XP -XP/SP1 and then XP/SP2.

"The differences in the disc from SP1 and SP2 was due to a change in the EULA between the 2 versions. The EULA was updated and changed cause SP2 allowed for several new features. 1. being big drives over 137GB. 2. Being multi core CPU's. Originally XP was only allowed 1 core and 1 CPU. It had to be updated cause of the change in technology."

"So as i have previously said. You could install it on 3 different machines and activate it. As long as only 1 machine was active on the internet. This would not violate the EULA or TOS. Since only 1 machine can check in and get updates at any given time.

The reason for more than 1 PC now is cause of WGA. The Windows Genuine Advantage checks in with Microsoft roughly every 2 weeks to at elast once a month for updates. If you have 3 PC with the same serial all activated checking for updates at the same time. I think that would set a alarm off at Micrsoft. Which will cause all of them to be considered pirated and the serial blacklisted."

When further inquiring about any MS pages about the changes seen in the SP2 revision ofthe EULA this is what the reply to that was.

"The whole thing about installing it on 3 PC's is only because I know that the serial will activate on 3 machines before you have to call M$. It is the same for OEM Vista. I know you have to call after you activate it on 1 machine. That is where all that stems from.

Not the actual terms of the EULA or TOS saying that you can have 3 machines with the same serial and acitvation. That is just me stating what I know form facts of the OEM licenses and how to use that to your advantage."
 
No as expected you would only read what you wanted to into it. What you obviously missed is the fact that in none of the licensing agreements will you find any reference to private home users. The system builders pages strictly refer to those who custom build systems seeing an OS preinstalled are required to provide the original disk along with the single machine. MS provides no support for OEM while the builders are required to.

The part on those who buy without already having a machine is vague when looking through that at MS. You can read that on the restrictions page. When first hearing that one I was scratching my head on that and made the inquiry to a programmer that should know first hand.
 
I repeat post 16. In that case Bill Gates came to my house yesterday and said you were full of it. (Like I said show me some proof), not another 2 paragraphs of your B/S.
 
You can stick post #16 in your craw! All I can is convey what I was hearing from other source when making an inquiry. Obviously you again failed to read the entire post and simply want to shoot off your mouth.

When asking "IF" there were MS pages that explained the revision seen in the EULA for OEM with the release of SP2 for XP. The main concern when reviewing MS information has more to do with activation and verification of you using a genuine copy and not if you see Windows installed on more then one system.

Activation is an anti-piracy technology designed to make sure that your copy of Windows XP is properly licensed. It works by verifying that the product key is valid and is only being used on the number of computers permitted by the software license. Activation uses a simple and fast process to protect your copy and ensure that you paid for the right thing. http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/ProgramInfo.aspx?displaylang=en&tab=XP

The only conclusion you can draw from what that source came out with and cross referencing information at Microsoft is that is a form of loop hole. Time to get an MSDN subscription.

"MSDN Subscription product keys can be used to activate software on up to 10 PCs." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/aa948864.aspx
 
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