Pre-Installed Windows Key

[941chip]

Some time ago a friend happened to upgrade my store brought computer from windows 7 home premium to windows 7 ultimate, and I was wondering what will happen with the pre-installed keys from home premium? Is it reusable or forever stuck with ultimate?

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

You mean your friend ILLEGALLY upgraded to Ultimate....

Your OEM key is locked to your motherboard....so can ONLY be used to reinstall on your machine...

All the best Brett

 

[cbrunnem]

Hi

You mean your friend ILLEGALLY upgraded to Ultimate....

Your OEM key is locked to your motherboard....so can ONLY be used to reinstall on your machine...

All the best Brett

Way to jump to conclusion there but on things like this you normally do.

Op if you have Ultimate on your computer the key that came with yours is free but like brett said it is tied to your machine. You could probably uninstall ultimate and reinstall the OEM windows to free up the ultimate key.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

I dont know many people with "friends" who give away a £200 operating system, but of course if its all legal then the OP will have no problem posting a picture of the Ultimate sticker (with the numbers blanked out)

And I think I saw a pig fly today as well lol

All the best Brett

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Your copy of Windows is locked to the PC on which you purchased it. You cannot transfer that license to another PC.
You can upgrade any components or peripherals on your PC and keep your license intact. You can replace the motherboard with an identical model or an equivalent model from the OEM if it fails. However, if you personally replace or upgrade the motherboard, your OEM Windows license is null and void

 

[mouse24]

Humm, you can reinstall Home Premium on that machine only, since it is tied to that specific hardware configuration, what I am trying to say is yes you don't have home premium on that machine any more but you still can't give it away

Edit: Area beat me to it

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Some time ago a friend happened to upgrade my store brought computer from windows 7 home premium to windows 7 ultimate, and I was wondering what will happen with the pre-installed keys from home premium? Is it reusable or forever stuck with ultimate? No , the keys end of life will be when that motherboard dies.

 

[941chip]

Best answer selected by 941chip.

 

[bryonhowley]

I have replaced mainboards on mine and friends and even with having to use phone activation have never had a problem even with OEM versions. But back to the OP's question yes the OEM key is tied to that PC and can not be transferred to another PC.

 

[Brett928S2]

Who gives a PooPoo HOW they upgraded the system? The Legal or Ill Eagle aspects are None of anyone else's damn business. It is people like this that make me actually WANT to use that kind of software.

Getting back to this guys ORIGINAL question, if you update from Home to Ultimate, your key is immediately worthless, unless you install Home Premium back in. And Oh, Yah, what Area51 said: Once the motherboard fries, you got to toss the key too, but if you replace the motherboard, Microsoft MAY give you a new key.

The So called "ill eagle" versions, have a way to generate a key code based on the hardware in your machine.

This is why, if you have a store bought PC, and you change just ONE piece of hardware, sometimes you have to re-activate. I've done this a hundred times.

Hi

I will tell you who gives a poo.... TOMS HARDWARE does.... its against the rules here to give advice on ILLEGAL operating systems !

If you dont like the rules here, then argue with a Moderator.... do NOT give advice on how to crack an illegal version....

All the best Brett

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

This topic has been closed by Area51reopened