Updating from Home Premium to Ultimate and moving Home Premium

[Guest]

I have a computer that runs Home Premium and another one that runs XP. The
Home Premium came as a OEM disc with the new system. Now I want to upgrade
the Home Premium computer to Vista Ultimate and move the Home Premium to the
XP computer. I have a new (non OEM) version of Vista Ultimate on a separate
disc.

The Question:

How do I update the Home Premium computer to Ultimate without losing what's
already on it? And after doing so, can I install the Home Premium package on
another computer or do I have to do something to move the license to the
other computer like you do with Adobe software?

I have two licenses - just need to swap them without losing all my data and
software.

thanks

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

To start with, and OEM license is not transferable. It is only valid for the
hardware it is first activated on. In the case of a preinstalled OEM
version, this means that the license to use Vista is permanently tied to the
computer it comes with.

So, to your situation:

a) You cannot use the OEM Home Premium on a different machine than it came
with.

b) You can upgrade the Home Premium to Ultimate using a retail full version
or upgrade and it should preserve user accounts, data, programs, and
settings.

c) For the XP system, you'll need a separate upgrade license.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Guest]

ummm... the computer that came with the OEM disc was custom built and came
preinstalled with absolutely nothing. I installed Vista myself on the blank
system. are you saying the program somehow notifies Microsoft of the stats of
the system AFTER it is installed and that way ties the OS to that computer?
In that case, what happens when I rip out the motherboard or switch
processors or something like that? I'm sorry but it doesn't really make sense

mor10

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

An OEM version is permanently tied to the first system it is activated on
and is not transferable to a different system. This is a well-established
limitation of the OEM license, and one reason why it is cheaper than a
retail version. While you can make some upgrades or replacements to the
system, major changes are not allowed, nor can you remove it from the system
entirely and then install and activate it on another system. An OEM license
lives and dies on the system it is first activated on.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[StephenB]

Are you sure that the Home Premium disc is OEM? Did you purchase it from a
system builder? Since you installed Home Premium to the custom built PC, I
suppose you could install it to the other computer, but you may need to call for
activation.
Rick is correct. An OEM install of Windows is tied to the PC as it is only meant
to be supplied with the PC by the system builder. It is therefore not
transferable. Assuming that you bought the OEM copy of Vista and had the PC
built for you (or built it yourself) as long as that copy of Vista only exists
on a single PC, you will be okay - assuming that it can be activated on the
other PC.
-steve

 

[Guest]

The Home Premium disc is definitely OEM - it came with a white paper wrapping
that states "OEM System Builder Pack".

Sounds like I have to reevaluate my plan and install the Ultimate package on
my other computer instead. That leads to one final question.

The computer I would install it on (which currently runs XP) will be
replaced with a new one within 6 months and I'd want to transfer Ultimate to
the new one. The Ultimate disc is not OEM but a full version. Based on what
you guys are saying I'm assuming I won't have the same transfer problem with
the Ultimate disc, correct? I can just install it on a new PC as long as I
remove it from the old one?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

If it is a retail version of Ultimate, you can move it from one system to a
new one as you see fit. This is one benefit of retail over OEM. Activation
will merely require a phone call.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com