OEM CDs

[DevilsPGD]

There has been a lot of talk about OEM licenses recently -- One question
I have that I haven't been able to find an answer for yet...

I have a number of PCs in my house that have valid XP Pro OEM licenses.
A Dell laptop, a Gateway laptop, a couple home-built desktops, and a big
name OEM desktop (A Dell or something I think -- It's not my box and I
don't recall the brand)

Can I use one OEM CD to install all of these machines, each with the OEM
sticker on the machine or do I need to use the manufacturer supplied OEM
CD (where applicable -- The gateway laptop didn't include any media)?

The goal is mostly just that I want to use a OEM SP2 slipstreamed CD to
get all the PCs up to SP2, plus a few other install options I want
preset.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

There has been a lot of talk about OEM licenses recently -- One
question I have that I haven't been able to find an answer for
yet...

I have a number of PCs in my house that have valid XP Pro OEM
licenses. A Dell laptop, a Gateway laptop, a couple home-built
desktops, and a big name OEM desktop (A Dell or something I
think --
It's not my box and I don't recall the brand)

Can I use one OEM CD to install all of these machines, each
with the
OEM sticker on the machine

If each of the OEM versions were complete generic one, yes. There
would be no difference between the CDs. But...

or do I need to use the manufacturer
supplied OEM CD (where applicable -- The gateway laptop didn't
include any media)?

....when you're dealing with OEM versions coming from major large
OEMs like this they are probably not generic versions, and are
customized for the particular hardware--perhaps even BIOS-locked
to it.

So the answer to your question is probably not. You'd need to use
the specific CD supplied with each computer.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You can only use the Product Key with the original
manufacturer's installation CD. You may find that
slipstreaming may not work with a manufacturer's
customized OEM CD. Slipstreaming is more successful
when using a generic Microsoft labeled OEM CD.

If you were to try to use a different manufacturer's CD
with a different Product Key, it may install OK, but
you'll never get it to activate because of a BIOS-lock design.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| There has been a lot of talk about OEM licenses recently -- One question
| I have that I haven't been able to find an answer for yet...
|
| I have a number of PCs in my house that have valid XP Pro OEM licenses.
| A Dell laptop, a Gateway laptop, a couple home-built desktops, and a big
| name OEM desktop (A Dell or something I think -- It's not my box and I
| don't recall the brand)
|
| Can I use one OEM CD to install all of these machines, each with the OEM
| sticker on the machine or do I need to use the manufacturer supplied OEM
| CD (where applicable -- The gateway laptop didn't include any media)?
|
| The goal is mostly just that I want to use a OEM SP2 slipstreamed CD to
| get all the PCs up to SP2, plus a few other install options I want
| preset.
|
|
| --
| Nobody ever lost money underestimating the human intelligence.
| -- P.T.Barnum

 

[kurttrail]

There has been a lot of talk about OEM licenses recently -- One
question I have that I haven't been able to find an answer for yet...

I have a number of PCs in my house that have valid XP Pro OEM
licenses. A Dell laptop, a Gateway laptop, a couple home-built
desktops, and a big name OEM desktop (A Dell or something I think --
It's not my box and I don't recall the brand)

Can I use one OEM CD to install all of these machines, each with the
OEM sticker on the machine or do I need to use the manufacturer
supplied OEM CD (where applicable -- The gateway laptop didn't
include any media)?

The goal is mostly just that I want to use a OEM SP2 slipstreamed CD
to get all the PCs up to SP2, plus a few other install options I want
preset.

Yeah, more than likely you can get it done that way, but as was
mentioned you'll break the BIOS-lock feature and may need to reactivate.
You may also be forced to do phone activation.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[xfile]

Hi,

I don't know others but I used only one slipstreamed copy for most of tasks,
such as adding or removing components, repair installation, and so on.

I don't do many clean installations but for those I did, I had no problem.
I only have three Dell notebooks, one IBM notebook, two DIY desktop systems
(if I remember correctly, one is with retail and the other is with OEM
license), and I use their own product key for activation but only one media
for the work.

I'm not a legal expert but I figure as long as I keep all those
documentations and stickers, I'd let Microsoft do the work for checking
which license goes to which system - if they come to my hone. I do the same
for Office bundled with branded systems which I always include in the
purchase. I have so many copies but use only one for repair, add or remove
and so on.

Again, my assumption is that MS should be more concerned about the number of
license rather than the media used. I could be wrong, of course. As far as
for the technical problem, I have not experienced any problems for
installation but I might be lucky.

I did experience failed Internet registration for both Windows and Office
during one time when I messed around hardware too much and caused several
re-installations during a short period of time. I just called the number
provided and went through activation one by one and that's it.