Pro OEM vs Pro Retail

  • Thread starter Thread starter Yves Leclerc
  • Start date Start date
Y

Yves Leclerc

I am in the process of "slipstreaming" Service Pack 2 into two newer XP Pro
install CD. I have both an original XP Pro Retail and a "generic" XP Pro
OEM (not locked to a specific manufacturer/motherboard) CD. I have done the
"slipstreaming" to the both version. Now, my question is: Both original
CDs appear to be the same. Each has the original CD KEY. Besides the EULA,
are the two versions the same? Could I have "gotten" away only doing one
new CD with slipstreaming Service Pack 2, instead of the two?


Y.

PS: Sorry for the cross-post! Not sure which newsgroup this question
should be posted to?
 
OEM and retail each have their own unique Product Key.
You needed to do both if you want to install both.
 
I know that the Keys are different. I talking about the install CD. Can I
not have one new "slipstreamed" CD that I can use to install either OEM or
Retail. I know that the OLP version of the install Cd is completely
different.

Y.
 
No, because one is OEM and the other is retail.
An OEM key will not work with retail and vice-versa.
 
Yves Leclerc said:
I am in the process of "slipstreaming" Service Pack 2 into two newer
XP Pro install CD. I have both an original XP Pro Retail and a
"generic" XP Pro OEM (not locked to a specific
manufacturer/motherboard) CD. I have done the "slipstreaming" to the
both version. Now, my question is: Both original CDs appear to be
the same. Each has the original CD KEY. Besides the EULA, are the
two versions the same? Could I have "gotten" away only doing one new
CD with slipstreaming Service Pack 2, instead of the two?

Y.

PS: Sorry for the cross-post! Not sure which newsgroup this question
should be posted to?
Click to expand...

The OEM version won't do an upgrade. You have to do a full clean
install when using the OEM version. The idea of using an OEM version is
that there is nothing old (for OS and apps) on the computer where the
OEM version gets installed so it always does a clean install. For the
retail version, if it is an upgrade version that that's all it will do
and if it is a full version then it can do a full install or an upgrade.
 
That information is incorrect! You can do a clean install from an upgrade
disk. All you have to do is boot from the upgrade CD and proceed to install
XP. At some point in the installation, you will be prompted to insert a
qualifying Windows OS disk.

JAX

For the
 
Thank you! At least someone was "reading" my post! I know that the CD KEYs
are different between OEM, Retail and Volume Licensing versions.

Y.
 
JAX said:
That information is incorrect! You can do a clean install from an
upgrade disk. All you have to do is boot from the upgrade CD and
proceed to install XP. At some point in the installation, you will be
prompted to insert a qualifying Windows OS disk.

JAX

For the
Click to expand...

To be an "upgrade" version means it is NOT and OEM version. The "full"
install using the upgrade version requires that you provide the media
for the old version (for which the upgrade will upgrade). Could be a
prior install of the prior version. Could be just the install media for
the prior version (whether there are any files on your hard drive or
not). Since you cannot do a full install without something of the prior
version when using the upgrade version then it isn't a full install but
is still an upgrade. I never said anything about "clean" installs
(which are different than a "full" and "upgrade" install since you can
do clean installs for BOTH of those) for the *retail* versions.

A full install can be performed on a clean drive. A full install can
still also be performed atop an existing installation so it is NOT a
clean install. An upgrade install can be performed atop an existing
install. An upgrade install can also be performed on an unformatted
hard drive (i.e., clean) but requires files for the prior version, like
its install media. Don't confuse full or upgrade installs with clean
installs.
 
"To be an "upgrade" version means it is NOT and OEM
version."

Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong. Many of the major manufacturers do, indeed,
provide OEM upgrades for computers sold near (just before and just after)
the release date of a new operating system.

Example: I bought a laptop end of September 2001 which came pre-installed
with Windows 2000 and a coupon for an upgrade to Windows XP Pro. In
mid-December 2001 I was notified that the laptop drivers had been written,
tested, and integrated into OEM Windows XP Pro, and that my disks had
shipped.
 
The major manufacturers make a special branded OEM upgrade CD. You do/can
not normally buy a OEM upgrade CD.
 
Back
Top