Reinstalling Vista

[Doric]

I have a custom built PC with an OEM vista home premium. After having it run
vista for over a year, it has start to slow down alot. Cleaning out the
registry, defraging and cleanign the hard drive does nothing so im assuming a
fresh vista install will sort it all out. Thing is, will my product key still
work as ive heard numerous stories of people being froced to purchase new
keys due to vista not recognising their hardware. Furthermore, i have a 1
license version of office 2007 ultimate which was being given away at an
extremely low price as a deal with microsoft. Will my office key still work.
I have done clean installs on my old xp computer before no problem but now
microsoft has introduced strict rules on product keys etc, im not sure
weather its worth the risk on my vista PC. Anyone got any advice?

Thanks in advance

 

[Dustin Harper]

It will still work. In the event is says the key is already in use, it will
just require a phone call to Microsoft to activate the product. This is only
because the MS servers see that it was already activated. Now, it is being
activated again, so they question whether or not it's on a different
machine, or the same one just being reinstalled. But, you are able to
reinstall and activate without purchasing another license. With OEM, though,
only as long as it is on the same hardware (or same motherboard, anyway).

As for Office 2007, same thing. Although, I've never had to make the phone
call with that one myself. And I've reinstalled several times.

--

Dustin Harper
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.vistarip.com | Vista Resource & Information Page

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[Colin Barnhorst]

Except that the Office 2007 EULA permits installation and use on one primary
and one mobile computer as long as they are used by the same primary user.
Two activations are supported. Three for Office Home and Student 2007
editions as long as all three are in the same household.

 

[Doric]

Thank you very much guys for such helpful and speedy responses, ill start the
reinstall tomorow.

One last thing i may aswell ask while im here, before i got office 2007
ultimate, i had the home and student edition which i used 1 of the 3 keys.
Amazon refunded me the money for it manually due to delivery problems but i
still have the product. 2 keys left in that and 1 used on this computer. Is
it possible to unassign that key to this computer so that i may use it on my
laptop? it just seems a waste i have 2 editions of office assigned to the
same computer.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

A retail license for Home and Student works the same as the licenses for
other retail copies of MS products.

You are entitled to transfer the license to another computer by installing
the software on the second and uninstalling it from the first. You may do
this any number of times and so long as the software is activated on no more
than the maximum number of computers allowed in the license at any one time,
you are good. One copy of Windows, two copies of Office, three copies of
Home and Student.

If I am reading you right, you have a copy of Home and Student and a copy of
Office Ultimate. The Office Ultimate license allows you to install the
software on your desktop and your laptop. An Office 2007 suite permits two
concurrent activations. So why use Home and Student at all? Unless, of
course, you have a third computer.

 

[Doric]

Basically, i bought home and student for £75, installed it on ym main
computer. Then i went in college and recieved an e-mail saying microsoft are
selling office 2007 ultimate 1 license for £38. I bought the 1 license
ultimate and installed it on my main computer. Amazon returns department
mixed up, refunded the £75 for home and student but failed to collect the
product.

Therefore i have 1 ultimate license and 3 home and student licenses (1 being
used by my main computer).

 

[Doric]

Just finished reinstalling now. No major problems except i have the directory
c:\Windows.old\Program files\Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas\Backup that has
no files in but im unable to delete. Windows says it doesnt exist even though
i can see it.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You have to take ownership of any windows.old folder before you can delete
it. Even if you use the same user name and password as you used before a
new security id is generated by the new installation. Windows.old folders
are owned by the old SID.

 

[Doric]

Ye, i gave myself ownership but it continues to say the directory does no
exist and to make sure its where i think it is.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Try deleting it in Safe Mode (reached F8 while restarting the computer).
Same message? Its obviously hard to take ownership of something that does
not exist so something else is happening.