"oem" and "license only"

[kris]

If a copy of any Windows operating system is purchased as
an OEM instead of retail do you have to purchase a
license? Also I noticed while shopping online that some
merchants offer "license only". What does that mean?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Avoid purchasing an OEM version of Windows XP.
"License Only" means you get the Product Key and
no installation CD. So, if you do not already have
an OEM CD, then the OEM Product Key (license)
is useless. Read the following:

OEM versions of Windows XP:

-- cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation.
-- must be installed "clean" on a freshly reformatted drive or partition.
-- cannot be transferred to a different computer in the future.
-- the license cannot be sold or transferred to another user.
-- are not eligible for free Microsoft technical support.
-- must be purchased with some type of computer hardware.
-- any problems whatsoever with the installation CD or Product Key.
is not eligible for Microsoft support....you have to deal with the "seller".
-- cost less than "retail versions" due to the above limitations/risks.

Should you purchase an OEM license version of XP?
http://www.tek-tips.com/gfaqs.cfm/pid/779/fid/4004


My personal advice is to purchase a "Retail Version" of Windows XP
which Microsoft will support.

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

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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


| If a copy of any Windows operating system is purchased as
| an OEM instead of retail do you have to purchase a
| license? Also I noticed while shopping online that some
| merchants offer "license only". What does that mean?

 

[Cerridwen]

If a copy of any Windows operating system is purchased as
an OEM instead of retail do you have to purchase a
license?

No - but you have to be aware of the restrictions governing an OEM licence.

- Support from the vendor only
- Non transferable
- Can only perform a clean installation
- May not be sold without the system it's installed on

Also I noticed while shopping online that some

merchants offer "license only". What does that mean?

Exactly what it says on the tin - COA with PIK, no media.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

If a copy of any Windows operating system is purchased as
an OEM instead of retail do you have to purchase a
license?

No. The license is aprt of the product.

Also I noticed while shopping online that some
merchants offer "license only". What does that mean?

It means you don't get a CD.

Be aware that the OEM version can only legally be sold with
hardware, although these days, any piece of hardware, even a
power cord, qualifies. Although if you get a complete generic OEM
version, it contains the same software, it has the following
disadvantages as compared with the retail version:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call
them with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support
from your OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and
non-existent. Or you can get support elsewhere, such as in these
newsgroups.

 

[kurttrail]

In


No. The license is aprt of the product.

The "shrink-wrap license" is hidden in the product, and is so long and
complicated, and full of unconscionable terms, that it's enforceability on
individuals is more suspect than SCO's "licensing" claims against IBM.
Especially, when MS tries to tie the copy of software to a computer that
wasn't even a part of the sale, like when you by an OEM copy with a single
piece of hardware.

It means you don't get a CD.

Yep. But if you burn a copy of somebody else's OEM CD, then the Product Key
you get with "license only" will work, both with installation, and Product
Activation.

Be aware that the OEM version can only legally be sold with
hardware, although these days, any piece of hardware, even a
power cord, qualifies.

I've seen it sold with computer case screws.

Although if you get a complete generic OEM
version, it contains the same software, it has the following
disadvantages as compared with the retail version:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

According to MS. In reality, MS has no way to stop you from moving it to
another computer, unless you tell them that's what you're doing, and MS had
no right to know what you do in the privacy of your home.

Even with Product Activation, there is absolutely nothing MS can do to stop
you from moving OEM XP to another computer.

"The only information required to activate is an installation ID (and, for
Office XP and Office XP family products such as Visio 2002, the name of the
country in which the product is being installed)." -
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp#details

"Microsoft Product Activation detects the hardware configuration on which
the product is being installed and creates hash values for that
configuration . . . . A hash value cannot be backwards calculated to
determine the original value. In addition, Microsoft only uses a portion of
the original hash values. Together, these hash values become the complete
hardware hash that is included in the installation ID." -
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp#details

So even under MS's Product Activation Post-EULA policies, MS can not require
any information other than the installation ID to activate OEM WinXP, and MS
can't figure out what actual hardware OEM WinXP is installed on.

MS, Ken, & all of the rest of the MicroSycophants can repeat, "It can never
legally be moved to another computer, sold, or given away," over & over
again, until the Universe expands into nothingness, but in reality, you can
move it, sell it, or give it away if you want to.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

Upgrading is for the lazy, and usually gives people many headaches, if not
immediately, then sometime down the road.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call
them with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support
from your OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and
non-existent. Or you can get support elsewhere, such as in these
newsgroups.

And like MS support is worth an extra $100? It's more like paying for the
extended warranty in an electronics store, except that MS's warranty pretty
much absolves them of any & everything that can go wrong with their
security-hole riddled software, so they can just give up whenever your
problem is too hard for them to figure out, or you'll get the "it's somebody
else's problem" answer.

Buy retail! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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

 

[Sandy]

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

Upgrading is for the lazy, and usually gives people many headaches, if not
immediately, then sometime down the road.
-----------
Besides, there is a utility included which allows you to save & transfer
most of your customized settings, personal files, etc directly over to the
new 'clean' installation. One or two more steps involved than just running
an upgrade version, but the end result is comparable and actually safer.
-----------

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call
them with a problem, but instead have to get any needed support
from your OEM; that support may range anywhere between good and
non-existent. Or you can get support elsewhere, such as in these
newsgroups.

And like MS support is worth an extra $100? It's more like paying for the
extended warranty in an electronics store, except that MS's warranty pretty
much absolves them of any & everything that can go wrong with their
security-hole riddled software, so they can just give up whenever your
problem is too hard for them to figure out, or you'll get the "it's somebody
else's problem" answer.

 

[Michael Stevens]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Upgrading is for the lazy, and usually gives people many headaches,
if not immediately, then sometime down the road.

Upgrading is NOT for the lazy, and DOES NOT usually gives people many
headaches,
if not immediately, then sometime down the road.

Perhaps you confuse a quick upgrade as a blanket assessment for all XP
upgrades. I would agree with you if this is what you base your
recommendation.

When the upgrade is properly executed and researched, there is very little
difference in stability and performance. To do a proper upgrade, you need to
prep as if you are doing a clean install. This is not being lazy it is being
smart and informed. There are many instances where applications and hardware
are impossible to use with a clean install of XP, they can only be used if
the computer is upgraded from the original Windows.

The XP upgrade scans the original system registry, creates a backup of the
files necessary to restore the applications. The Windows folder is then
deleted, leaving the other folders intact along with their data. XP setup
then creates a new clean Windows folder from the i386 folder on the XP CD or
on the hard drive. This is a clean Windows folder with no carry over from
the previous Windows OS. XP setup then imports the registry settings and
updated drivers into the new Windows folder. If the incompatible
applications and hardware have been removed or updated, there will be no
carry over of any information from the previous OS.

This is what happens on a proper XP upgrade. It is also a no brainier to
upgrade as the first option when you have prepped for a clean install. The
upgrade will save you hours of setup time, and I have never done a clean
install that I didn't forget to backup something.

A quick XP upgrade, I would never recommend

I snipped your other points about OEM because I have no direct experience.
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[kurttrail]

Upgrading is NOT for the lazy, and DOES NOT usually gives people many
headaches,
if not immediately, then sometime down the road.

Perhaps you confuse a quick upgrade as a blanket assessment for all XP
upgrades. I would agree with you if this is what you base your
recommendation.

When the upgrade is properly executed and researched, there is very
little difference in stability and performance. To do a proper
upgrade, you need to prep as if you are doing a clean install. This
is not being lazy it is being smart and informed. There are many
instances where applications and hardware are impossible to use with
a clean install of XP, they can only be used if the computer is
upgraded from the original Windows.

The XP upgrade scans the original system registry, creates a backup
of the files necessary to restore the applications. The Windows
folder is then deleted, leaving the other folders intact along with
their data. XP setup then creates a new clean Windows folder from the
i386 folder on the XP CD or on the hard drive. This is a clean
Windows folder with no carry over from the previous Windows OS. XP
setup then imports the registry settings and updated drivers into the
new Windows folder. If the incompatible applications and hardware
have been removed or updated, there will be no carry over of any
information from the previous OS.

This is what happens on a proper XP upgrade. It is also a no
brainier to upgrade as the first option when you have prepped for a
clean install. The upgrade will save you hours of setup time, and I
have never done a clean install that I didn't forget to backup
something.

A quick XP upgrade, I would never recommend

I snipped your other points about OEM because I have no direct
experience.

"When the upgrade is properly executed and researched, there is very little
difference in stability and performance."

The upgrade process, especially for XP, is too arcane for the average
computer to execute "properly," and coupled with that most people upgrade
over an already screwed up installation of a previous MS OS, and that XP is
flakier than most with marginal hardware, upgrading to XP is bound to go
south at some time for the average computer user. The XP upgrade from 9X is
especially difficult because it requires reinstalling almost as many drivers
as a clean install does, and many older programs screw up different things
when upgrading, so you might as well research how to do a clean install,
plus it's handy knowledge to have if you are forced by some malfunction to
do it in the future. Better to learn how at your own pace, than when you're
under the gun of some OS catastrophe.

For me, I would never upgrade to a new OS. A clean install may take longer,
but you don't have to worry about some upgrade conflict creeping up some
time down the road.

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

 

[Alex Nichol]

If a copy of any Windows operating system is purchased as
an OEM instead of retail do you have to purchase a
license?

No - an proper and legitimate OEM one bought with hardware includes a
license. But it is solely for the machine where it is first installed,
and you would not subsequently be able to move it to a later machine.
Also it will only do a clean install - not an upgrade - and carries no
support direct from MSoft.

Also I noticed while shopping online that some
merchants offer "license only". What does that mean?

Regard those as scams: especially if they are being sent 'via
international mail', and the site URL is outside the US. They are
additional licenses for people who already have volume licensed CDs in
corporations, and are not legitimate for use with individual CDs. You
can get additional licenses through a page at MSoft - but the discount
is small and buying a regular retail copy at Best Buy or similar will
probably be cheaper

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

Upgrading is for the lazy, and usually gives people many headaches,
if not immediately, then sometime down the road.

I disagree. Unlike with previous versions of Windows, an upgrade
to XP replaces almost everything, and usually works very well.

My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since it's much
easier than a clean installation. You can always change your mind
and reinstall cleanly if problems develop.

And like MS support is worth an extra $100?

No, I don't think so. I agree with you here. If that were the
only difference, I'd recommend that almost everyone get the OEM
version.

To me, the most significant of the differences is the difference
in the licensing rules, which prevent moving OEM versions to
other computers. But regardless of what you or I think about how
significant the various restrictions on OEM versions are, I was
*listing* those restrictions, not evaluating them.