Questions about OEM disk

[Guest]

I have found Windows XP Home OEM for $ 87 in Fry's electronics, my question
is, if I had a corrupted windows 2000, can I install Windows xp home OEM? I
dont care about the information on the HD, I do not mind if I loose them,. I
just want that computer working normal.

 

[--Alias--]

I have found Windows XP Home OEM for $ 87 in Fry's electronics, my question
is, if I had a corrupted windows 2000, can I install Windows xp home OEM? I
dont care about the information on the HD, I do not mind if I loose them,. I
just want that computer working normal.

Yes, have XP, during the installation, format and partition the drive to
wipe off Windows 2000.

Alias

 

[arachnid]

Yes, have XP, during the installation, format and partition the drive to
wipe off Windows 2000.

Just remember that Windows XP OEM is locked to the first machine you
install it on.

 

[Guest]

What do you mean "locked in the first machine installed on?"

Installing Windows XP OEM is the same way as installing an retail version,
right?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

What do you mean "locked in the first machine installed on?"

Installing Windows XP OEM is the same way as installing an retail version,
right?

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of non-peripheral
hardware (normally a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP)
and are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed.
An OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people
avoid OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is
to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or the vendor of the OEM
license. This would include such issues as lost a Product Key or
replacing damaged installation media. (Microsoft does make allowances
for those instances when you can prove that the OEM has gone out of
business.) This doesn't mean that you can't download patches and
service packs from Microsoft -- just no free telephone or email support
for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an
in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install
on the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed. To
be honest, such CDs should _not_ be available on the open market; but,
if you're shopping someplace on-line like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too late.
The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are manufactured by Microsoft and sold
to small systems builders, don't have this particular problem, though,
and are pretty much the same as their retail counterparts, apart from
the licensing, support, and upgrading restrictions.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Plato]

I have found Windows XP Home OEM for $ 87 in Fry's electronics, my question
is, if I had a corrupted windows 2000, can I install Windows xp home OEM? I

Yes.

 

[Jonny]

Just remember that Windows XP OEM is locked to the first machine you
install it on.

Define "machine". Generic XP OEM, nope. 3rd motherboard, same XP CD clean
install from generic OEM XP CD. Yes, I use latest version of windows
update.

How is it "locked"?

 

[Jonny]

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of non-peripheral hardware
(normally a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC, although
Microsoft has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP) and are
_permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed. An OEM
license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another computer
under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people avoid OEM
versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even stolen), you
cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC. The only legitimate way to
transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to transfer ownership of the
entire PC.

Define "computer" and "PC" in reference to reinstalling from an G E N E R I
C OEM XP CD. Define "computer" and "PC" when swapping motherboards and
clean installing from same.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you have
any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is to
contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or the vendor of the OEM
license. This would include such issues as lost a Product Key or
replacing damaged installation media. (Microsoft does make allowances for
those instances when you can prove that the OEM has gone out of business.)
This doesn't mean that you can't download patches and service packs from
Microsoft -- just no free telephone or email support for problems with the
OS.

With one exception, which was ruse, didn't fix anything; I've never used MS
support for any of my builds. Msdos 6.1, 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT 4.0 SP4, and
XP HE. The last was Generic OEM as was tired of paying for something that
did nothing for me.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier OS,
as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive. It can
still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an in-place
upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

So-called upgrades are a mix of the former and current OS. They're
booger-bears in disguise. Don't do it dummy.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install on
the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further, such
CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device drivers,
and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels necessary for the
specific model of PC for which the CD was designed. To be honest, such CDs
should _not_ be available on the open market; but, if you're shopping
someplace on-line like eBay, swap meets, or computer fairs, there's often
no telling what you're buying until it's too late. The "generic" OEM CDs,
such as are manufactured by Microsoft and sold to small systems builders,
don't have this particular problem, though, and are pretty much the same
as their retail counterparts, apart from the licensing, support, and
upgrading restrictions.

Generic OEM XP installation CDs are available to the general public. Go to
a supplying internet store, or Wal-Mart. They are less expensive. The
very, very short term MS support insurance is expensive, the major
difference on the retail version. Upgrading? See prior comment.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Define "machine". Generic XP OEM, nope. 3rd motherboard, same XP CD clean
install from generic OEM XP CD. Yes, I use latest version of windows
update.

How is it "locked"?

By the terms of the EULA, a contract by whose terms to the user agrees
to abide during the installation. Of course, if the user's dishonest....


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Andrew Murray]

Define "machine". Generic XP OEM, nope. 3rd motherboard, same XP CD
clean install from generic OEM XP CD. Yes, I use latest version of
windows update.

How is it "locked"?

It won't install on a subsequent machine

 

[Andrew Murray]

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier OS,

So-called upgrades are a mix of the former and current OS. They're
booger-bears in disguise. Don't do it dummy.

But you still required the previous version CD because the newer OS
instatllation will check that you actually have the previous version CD and
OEM versions cannot be used for upgrades - regardless if over the top or
clean install.

 

[--Alias--]

By the terms of the EULA, a contract by whose terms to the user
agrees to abide during the installation. Of course, if the user's
dishonest....

Upgrading is not only not dishonest, but perfectly kosher according to
MS. I have upgraded or replaced the following components on one of my
computers:

1. Motherboard

2. RAM

3. Processor

4. CD/RW ROM

5. Power Supply

6. NIC

7. Hard drive

8. Video card

9. Sound card

10. Processor fan and heat sink

11. Floppy drive

12. Monitor

13. Keyboard

14. Mouse

It still has the same speakers, case, case fans and power cord.

On another computer I updated the following:

1. Motherboard

2. RAM

3. Replaced a defective CD/RW ROM with a DVD ROM

4. Video card

5. Sound card

6. NIC

7. Floppy drive

8. Power supply

9. Keyboard

Both activated fine on line and passed all the WGA tests. One has a
generic OEM Home in Spanish and the other has a generic OEM Pro in English.

Alias

 

[--Alias--]

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier OS,
But you still required the previous version CD because the newer OS
instatllation will check that you actually have the previous version CD and
OEM versions cannot be used for upgrades - regardless if over the top or
clean install.

A clean install isn't an "upgrade" as you are using the word.

Alias

 

[--Alias--]

It won't install on a subsequent machine

Actually, it will. The EULA prohibits doing so, not technology.

Alias

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Upgrading is not only not dishonest, but perfectly kosher according to
MS. I have upgraded or replaced the following components on one of my
computers:

Why are you trying to change the subject? No said upgrading wasn't
permitted. Pay attention.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell