Buy a new computer with Vista OEM and you get two product keys

[Guest]

Don't be surprised. No piracy, no crack. It's legal and Microsoft deserves
some credit.

launch the 'command prompt' and type

slmgr -dli

and pay attention to the 'partial product key' in the pop-up dialog.
Compare this partial product key with the product key on the COA tag
attached to your computer. You'll be lucky if the product key does not
contain the partial product key
You can verify my assertion by install Vista (with the Vista installation
CD/DVD or system restore CD provided by the PC maker) on another machine and
use the product key on the COA tag to activate. Enjoy.

 

[David B.]

You do not get 2 keys, the key on the COA sticker is your license, the one
Vista is actually loaded with is some type of volume key used by the OEM to
do the image install, it has been this way for some years, you are not
authorized to reload using the key in use on the Vista OEM install.

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[Guest]

If you're correct, then why will one successfully activiate Vista on another
PC using the key on my COA sticker?

 

[David B.]

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I'm saying, for those that like to remain in
compliance with the EULA, they cannot do what you suggest because what you
stated in your OP is not "legal", and MS WOULD likely consider it piracy.
The Key on the side if the PC is valid for that PC ONLY, it is not
transferable to another computer.

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[Guest]

Well I don't read EULA that carefully. But it seems MS can do nothing to
prevent key transfer of this kind.

 

[Alias]

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I'm saying, for those that like to remain
in compliance with the EULA, they cannot do what you suggest because
what you stated in your OP is not "legal", and MS WOULD likely consider
it piracy. The Key on the side if the PC is valid for that PC ONLY, it
is not transferable to another computer.

And how would MS know about it, being as their flawed WPA program
activates it and their flawed WGA program genuinizes it? How is using
something you bought stealing? Besides, breeching an EULA is NOT illegal
and is NOT stealing. It's a civil offense, not a criminal offense and
stealing, be it grand or petty larceny, is a criminal offense.

Of course, that won't stop the Justins of the world from declaring
anyone who breeches the terms of an EULA as "thieves".

Alias

 

[David B.]

MS wouldn't know about it, that's why it works. Using the OEM license you
bought on the computer you bought it with is perfect, transferring that OEM
license to a different PC is a violation of the EULA, whether you read the
EULA or not, or whether you choose to violate it or not. You did not pay for
the right to use the Product key that shipped with your OEM PC on another
PC. I'm not getting into the ethical/moral implications, I'm just explaining
how the license works.

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[Guest]

Yes, we should not gett into the ethical/moral implications. Why does MS give
me a product key that is different from the one used by the Vista on my PC?

 

[Guest]

So the OEM can image the disk.

Yes, we should not gett into the ethical/moral implications. Why does MS
give
me a product key that is different from the one used by the Vista on my
PC?

 

[Richard Urban]

Microsoft supplies a key with the operating system when they send it to the
OEM (original equipment manufacturer). This key "must" be displayed on the
computer - somewhere, by agreement with Microsoft.

The OEM then places an image of Vista, that they have created (including any
specialized drivers, programs and "craplets"), on the computer. This image
has a volume license key so that it can be used hundreds/thousands of times.

If for any reason you want to install Vista from the DVD supplied with your
computer (OEM's do not give you this without you pulling their teeth and
threatening their first born with damnation) you would use the key on the
side of the computer. If you had already used this key elsewhere you can
figure out what the consequences may be.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban MVP
Microsoft Windows Shell/User

 

[Guest]

If for any reason you want to install Vista from the DVD supplied with your
computer (OEM's do not give you this without you pulling their teeth and
threatening their first born with damnation) you would use the key on the
side of the computer. If you had already used this key elsewhere you can
figure out what the consequences may be.

According to what you said, the key on the COA sticker belongs to the one
who purchases the PC and is (and will) not be used, unless the PC owner uses
it to reinstall the OS. But what may happen when someone installs a pirate
Vista using a key generator and the key being generated happen to be the key
on the COA sticker?

 

[Joe Guidera]

You're correct. The OEM that pre-activates Vista on a computer (assuming
they pre-activate) may activate with a different key than that provided on
the sticker. The key provided on the sticker is provided to you as the
consumer because you may need to re-install Vista on THAT PC and wouldn’t
have access to the original key used to do so.

However, as others have posted according to the license agreement which you
agreed to during the first boot sequence you are prohibited from using that
key in a manner other than for which it was intended. OEM licenses are
generally non-transferable.

Cheers,
J

 

[Eric]

You're correct. The OEM that pre-activates Vista on a computer (assuming
they pre-activate) may activate with a different key than that provided on
the sticker. The key provided on the sticker is provided to you as the
consumer because you may need to re-install Vista on THAT PC and wouldn't
have access to the original key used to do so.

However, as others have posted according to the license agreement which
you agreed to during the first boot sequence you are prohibited from using
that key in a manner other than for which it was intended. OEM licenses
are generally non-transferable.

Cheers,
J

If the PC is set up using volume license, and you can boot into Windows and
get the key used and it is different than the one on the case, then you have
two keys. You could then use the CD and key provided to install the OS on a
different PC. The problem is (assuming Vista works like XP) that you could
not reinstall the OS on the PC it was purchased with then, because the OEM
CD with it will not accept the volume license. You would have to get a
volume CD to use the key they set it up with.

 

[Dave B.]

Are we going to have to go over every scenario?
It has been my experience with OEM PC's, that even when you reinstall with
the recovery CD you do not use the key on the COA, it uses the original
volume key and never asks you for one during OS install, some do ask though.
If it doesn't activate after the install, you just call MS and activate over
the phone.

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[Gary VanderMolen]

If the PC is set up using volume license, and you can boot into Windows and
get the key used and it is different than the one on the case, then you have
two keys. You could then use the CD and key provided to install the OS on a
different PC. The problem is (assuming Vista works like XP) that you could
not reinstall the OS on the PC it was purchased with then, because the OEM
CD with it will not accept the volume license. You would have to get a
volume CD to use the key they set it up with.

I've seen nothing to suggest that Vista's OEM DVD is any different than
Vista's volume license DVD (if there even is such a thing). All Vista
DVDs are identical, only the key is different.

 

[Joe Guidera]

Umm, not quite. The key or keys provided with an OEM machine are not
transferable (period) to another machine (by that I mean legally - not
physically). While you could physically use the key on another machine (if
no other machine was ever activated using that key), you'd be violating your
license agreement in doing so.

The same was true of XP. OEM keys have never been transferable to another
machine (at least not since I can remember anyway).

Retail boxed copies, on the other hand, may be transferred (though I believe
the current EULA agreement actually specifies the number of times that may
occur - though I know it went through a few changes late in the beta). One
of the reasons that I usually ended up re-installing the OS using a retail
copy over an OEM copy (also allowed me to call MS if I needed to without the
typical hassles).

J

 

[Eric]

Umm, not quite. The key or keys provided with an OEM machine are not
transferable (period) to another machine (by that I mean legally - not
physically). While you could physically use the key on another machine
(if no other machine was ever activated using that key), you'd be
violating your license agreement in doing so.

The same was true of XP. OEM keys have never been transferable to another
machine (at least not since I can remember anyway).

Retail boxed copies, on the other hand, may be transferred (though I
believe the current EULA agreement actually specifies the number of times
that may occur - though I know it went through a few changes late in the
beta). One of the reasons that I usually ended up re-installing the OS
using a retail copy over an OEM copy (also allowed me to call MS if I
needed to without the typical hassles).

J

I believe XP stores your install key in the registry, so I'd guess Vista
does too...
If you can find the key, and they used a different key than the one they
gave you (likely on a sticker on the side of the machine), it should be
physically possible to install on another machine using one of those keys.
No one ever said anything about legally. Of course it's not legal to use
two keys given to you like that where you only paid for one...
Just like it's not legal to use an XP volume license purchased for 25 PCs on
26 PCs, though it works and no one would find out as long as at least one of
those machines doesn't have internet access, unless they physically come and
audit your machines.

 

[Stephan Rose]

I believe XP stores your install key in the registry, so I'd guess Vista
does too...
If you can find the key, and they used a different key than the one they
gave you (likely on a sticker on the side of the machine), it should be
physically possible to install on another machine using one of those keys.
No one ever said anything about legally. Of course it's not legal to use
two keys given to you like that where you only paid for one...
Just like it's not legal to use an XP volume license purchased for 25 PCs
on 26 PCs, though it works and no one would find out as long as at least
one of those machines doesn't have internet access, unless they physically
come and audit your machines.

And honestly, who really gives a crap? Aside from MS I suppose.

I mean if I as a single person have 3 computers at home just as an example,
and install the same copy with the same license on all 3 computers, WHAT
does it really actually MATTER??

I am still only ONE person, I can still only use ONE computer at a time!

I may though want configure the different computers for different purposes
and tasks to keep them from getting too cluttered up without spending over
a grand on licenses (ie..3 ultimate licenses for example) on an operating
system where I can only use ONE at a time anyway as I can only be in front
of ONE computer at any given point in time.

To me, the whole licensing thing is getting way out of hand.

Having multiple licenses makes sense for a company that has 10 employees and
needs a license per employee. Perfectly reasonable and understandable.

But for homes? It's ridiculous, especially considering the cost of any
semi-reasonable version of the OS.

--
Stephan Rose
2003 Yamaha R6

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[Richard Urban]

If a person can afford 3 computers..................................

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Regards,

Richard Urban MVP
Microsoft Windows Shell/User

 

[Stephan Rose]

If a person can afford 3 computers..................................

Oh you mean 3 computers actually capable of running Vista faster than a
snail towing a boat anchor (if at all)? Ok I partially see that point.

Then again, it is easily enough possible to build a computer to meet plenty
of needs for less than $1,000...but I suppose it would have a hard time
running Vista then...

--
Stephan Rose
2003 Yamaha R6

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