OEM vs Retail
- Thread starter kkleuang
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MasterDell
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Where did you reinstall the key to? I believe that if you change motherboards, you need a non-OEM key. OEM keys are meant to stay with a motherboard forever. If you contact Microsoft you might be able to get them to allow a motherboard change if you say you had no choice.
If you change motherboards but keep the same model of board, you might get lucky and the OEM may work.
If you change motherboards but keep the same model of board, you might get lucky and the OEM may work.
Darkbreeze
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What version of windows are you referring to? OEM versus Retail has entirely different restrictions based on the Windows version.
fixxxer113
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OEM is strictly sold with new PCs and cannot be sold separately to end users. It is preinstalled by manufacturers. DSP is the license that also needs to be installed on a new PC (max 60 days after purchase) but can be sold to individual users.
Both OEM and DSP have downgrade rights, but cannot be transferred to other PCs. If you retire your PC you must retire the license. You can upgrade all parts of your PC without changing the license except the motherboard. That's considered a new PC.
If you replace your motherboard because of failure within its warranty with the part that the manufacturer offers as replacement, you have the right ti reinstall the same OEM/DSP license even if the replacement is a different mobo.
Retail licenses are full licenses intended for installation on new or old PCs. You can transfer the license to another computer. You don't, however, get downgrade rights. The version you buy is the version you must use.
Retail also usually comes with both 32 and 64bit media (not really important nowadays) while DSP/OEM are all different media.
Both OEM and DSP have downgrade rights, but cannot be transferred to other PCs. If you retire your PC you must retire the license. You can upgrade all parts of your PC without changing the license except the motherboard. That's considered a new PC.
If you replace your motherboard because of failure within its warranty with the part that the manufacturer offers as replacement, you have the right ti reinstall the same OEM/DSP license even if the replacement is a different mobo.
Retail licenses are full licenses intended for installation on new or old PCs. You can transfer the license to another computer. You don't, however, get downgrade rights. The version you buy is the version you must use.
Retail also usually comes with both 32 and 64bit media (not really important nowadays) while DSP/OEM are all different media.
MasterDell
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http://www.outletpc.com/xk2782-microsoft-windows-8-1-64-bit-operating-system-oem.html?utm_source=xk2782-microsoft-windows-8-1-64-bit-operating-system-oem&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=pcpartpicker&utm_content=Microsoft%2B-%2BSoftware%20%2F%20OS%20%3E%20Microsoft%20Windows%208
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=91219&vpn=WN7-00615&manufacture=Microsoft&promoid=1338
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MSWN700615&c=CJ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
http://www.macmall.com/p/8388480?dpno=9772811&source=zwb12166
http://www.pcm.com/p/product~dpno~9772811~pdp.idiieia
http://www.outletpc.com/c5740.html?utm_source=c5740&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=pcpartpicker&utm_content=Microsoft%2B-%2BSoftware%20%2F%20OS%20%3E%20Microsoft%20Windows%207
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02733&manufacture=Microsoft&promoid=1549
You most certainly can buy OEM copies.
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=91219&vpn=WN7-00615&manufacture=Microsoft&promoid=1338
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MSWN700615&c=CJ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
http://www.macmall.com/p/8388480?dpno=9772811&source=zwb12166
http://www.pcm.com/p/product~dpno~9772811~pdp.idiieia
http://www.outletpc.com/c5740.html?utm_source=c5740&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=pcpartpicker&utm_content=Microsoft%2B-%2BSoftware%20%2F%20OS%20%3E%20Microsoft%20Windows%207
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02733&manufacture=Microsoft&promoid=1549
You most certainly can buy OEM copies.
fixxxer113
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You'd be surprised, but resellers don't always comply with all the licensing rules. You might see a lot of OEM licenses for sale, but the truth is that if you go by the book, they can only be sold to system builders that resell PCs and not individual users. From the Microsoft OEM partner site:
"Q. Can I purchase OEM system builder software for personal use?
A. For Windows 8.1, if you are building a PC for your personal use or installing an additional operating system in a virtual machine, you must purchase a full packaged retail product, not OEM system builder software."
Also, be very careful of sites that only sell the stickers. These are 100% illegal licenses, taken from other PCs. Only a sealed package with the sticker and the DVD is valid for resale.
Darkbreeze
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Yeah, we're aware of all that, but the fact is that credible sites like Newegg and Amazon are not going to deal with sketchy licensing practices and ALL the major vendor sites have continuously sold OEM versions of Windows since day 1. If Microsoft had a problem with this it would have been stopped almost immediately. I'm not seeing any OEM versions currently though PCPartpicker, but they were certainly available until the last month or so.
That being said, I'd never be inclined to buy an OEM license when retail versions are like ten bucks more.
That being said, I'd never be inclined to buy an OEM license when retail versions are like ten bucks more.
MasterDell
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Exactly.
PCPartpicker has OEM licesnces listed. They just took away the "OEM" name beside them. Click on one of the links, and it should still say it at the top adjacent to the name. If not, click on one of the retailer links.
Moonstick2
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Amazon are far more hands-off when it comes to third-party vendors, e.g. prior linking to The Electro Hut (which was sketchy as anything) or Xbox wireless receivers that are labelled Microsoft but buyers report are fake.
It's ill-advised to assume that because something is on Amazon, it's all above board and kosher. Newegg I don't know enough about to comment.
fixxxer113
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It is not illegal for online resellers to list OEM licenses on their sites. Personally, I would only list them in b2b sections but that's a matter of preference and marketing decisions. The licensing rules still stand though. The reality is this:
If you are a home consumer and violate licensing rules, I don't think anyone will come banging on your door to give you a fine. It's up to you to decide if you want to stick to the licensing and policies of vendors.
If you have a business and plan to use your licenses there, I strongly suggest going by the book as audits do happen and penalties are issued.
As for resellers, a large reseller that has an online store can easily argue that they can't actually control who orders the licenses. They can inform the public on licensing terms, but it's up to the customer to be compliant. If you are a reseller that has a brick & mortar store and is knowingly reselling licenses while violating terms, you will be in big trouble if you are audited. I have seen stores fined and even closed because of mislicensing or piracy, after being inspected by the BSA (Business Software Alliance) and/or Microsoft themselves.
If you are a home consumer and violate licensing rules, I don't think anyone will come banging on your door to give you a fine. It's up to you to decide if you want to stick to the licensing and policies of vendors.
If you have a business and plan to use your licenses there, I strongly suggest going by the book as audits do happen and penalties are issued.
As for resellers, a large reseller that has an online store can easily argue that they can't actually control who orders the licenses. They can inform the public on licensing terms, but it's up to the customer to be compliant. If you are a reseller that has a brick & mortar store and is knowingly reselling licenses while violating terms, you will be in big trouble if you are audited. I have seen stores fined and even closed because of mislicensing or piracy, after being inspected by the BSA (Business Software Alliance) and/or Microsoft themselves.
Darkbreeze
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The stores you've "seen" get hit up were almost certainly "fined or even closed" because they were using outright unlicensed versions of windows on client installations. I've installed OEM versions of windows on at least 150 machines, and then reactivated them via phone after a motherboard change on at least 15-20 machines. In reality, Microsoft couldn't care less what version you buy, so long as you buy. They even have a rather poor record of tracking down and enforcing outright violations by brick and mortar's that are using torrented operating systems on a regular basis, so they certainly aren't looking to punish those who have actually bothered to pay for a valid license of ANY kind.
Darkbreeze
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If you only paid 30 bucks for a product key for ANY Microsoft product, you either got a phenomenal deal or a blacklisted/stolen key. There are NO Microsoft authorized resellers that sell product keys that cheap. There are some G2A resellers, but they are not authorized to sell those keys and most of them are illegal keys.
For valid keys, you can usually get a reauthorization after a hardware change if you bother to make the activation phone call.
For valid keys, you can usually get a reauthorization after a hardware change if you bother to make the activation phone call.
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