Retail vs OEM version

[OscarVogel]

I went to the store to buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for a new computer for
our company. They offered the regular Retail version or the OEM version for
much less money. I bought the OEM version.

Besides the packaging and the Product Key sticker for the computer, what's
the differences between the Retail & OEM versions?

Thanks.

 

[Alias]

I went to the store to buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for a new computer
for our company. They offered the regular Retail version or the OEM
version for much less money. I bought the OEM version.

Besides the packaging and the Product Key sticker for the computer,
what's the differences between the Retail & OEM versions?

Thanks.

OEM is only for one computer and may not be transferred to another and
can't do an upgrade.

Alias

 

[Cal Bear '66]

And no support from Microsoft. You will have to provide your own support.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

One obvious one is no Microsoft support! OEM copies are usually installed on
new computers by the computer manufacturer, therefore, if you need support
for your OEM copy of Windows Vista you contact the manufacturers' technical
support team.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I went to the store to buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for a new
computer for our company. They offered the regular Retail version
or the OEM version for much less money. I bought the OEM version.

Besides the packaging and the Product Key sticker for the computer,
what's the differences between the Retail & OEM versions?

The licensing...
In installing/using the OEM - you have (in your agreement with the EULA by
your use) 'locked' that copy of Windows Vista to whatever machine it was
first installed upon. If that machine is stolen, is destroyed, etc - even
if the DVD and License Key are safely tucked away - in strict accordance
with the agreement you have been agreeing to with your use/installation -
the DVD/license is dead/worthless... You will have to buy a new one. Even
if nothing happens to the machine you first installed it upon and you just
buy a new machine and want Vista on it instead... In accordance with the
EULA - you cannot transfer that OEM license to any other machine under any
circumstances.

The installation options...
With a Retail copy/license - you can perform a clean install or upgrade with
the full version (not an 'upgrade' version - although there are
work-arounds) of the DVD. With the OEM version - clean install only - no
upgrade option.

I always found the non-transferrable thing to be the big one...
The annoyance of 'clean install only' not a deal-breaker.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I went to the store to buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for a new computer for
our company. They offered the regular Retail version or the OEM version
for much less money. I bought the OEM version.

Besides the packaging and the Product Key sticker for the computer, what's
the differences between the Retail & OEM versions?

Thanks.

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 are supposed to 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
Vista) 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 Windows (same version/edition) 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

 

[Brian Wilder]

Licensing terms differ, between the different versions, as others have
noted.

Licensing terms are tied to the installation key. I believe the physical
DVD is identical across (32-bit) versions. "Ultimate" retail packaging, I'm
told, includes both a 32-bit and 64-bit DVD; Microsoft will provide the
64-bit media for the other versions, if you ask for it.

Did you get both 32-bit and 64-bit media?

 

[John Barnes]

Not for OEM versions. One only.

Licensing terms differ, between the different versions, as others have
noted.

Licensing terms are tied to the installation key. I believe the physical
DVD is identical across (32-bit) versions. "Ultimate" retail packaging,
I'm told, includes both a 32-bit and 64-bit DVD; Microsoft will provide
the 64-bit media for the other versions, if you ask for it.

Did you get both 32-bit and 64-bit media?

 

[OscarVogel]

Only one (32-bit) DVD was included in the packaging.

I purchased a motherboard, hard drive, & other components at the same time
that I purchased Vista.

Thanks for the clarifications. I didn't know that there was such big
differences between Retail & OEM.

 

[Shane Nokes]

Actually you can transfer OEM copies to another PC if you bought them
through a retail outlet.

Check the facts on licensing

 

[Michael Chare]

Actually you can transfer OEM copies to another PC if you bought them
through a retail outlet.

Check the facts on licensing

It would be nice if what you say is true.

Can you point to any Microsoft publication that confirms what you say.
There is nothing in the Licence.rft document in my windows\system 32
directory to confirm what you say. I bought the OEM licence from a Web site
along with the various hardware components.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I went to the store to buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for a new
computer for our company. They offered the regular Retail version
or the OEM version for much less money. I bought the OEM version.

Besides the packaging and the Product Key sticker for the computer,
what's the differences between the Retail & OEM versions?

OEM is only for one computer and may not be transferred to another
and can't do an upgrade.

Actually you can transfer OEM copies to another PC if you bought
them through a retail outlet.

Check the facts on licensing

Yes - you please do that. ;-)
It doesn't matter where you bought your OEM license nor - it's an OEM
license.
It does matter if you got a 'anytime upgrade' or 'Express Upgrade' option
from your original purchase...

However - if you go out and purchase an OEM license on your own (as in this
thread) - that's an OEM license. Period. Non-tranferrable in accordance
with the strict language of the EULA it comes with.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=158

Particularly one link:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/e/3/4e3eace0-4c6d-4123-9d0c-c80436181742/OSLicQA.doc

Which states:

"What is the difference between OEM product and Full-Packaged Product (FPP)?

OEM products are intended to be preinstalled on hardware before the end user
purchases the product. They are "shrink wrapped" and do not come in a box
like the retail products do. Full-Packaged Product (FPP) is boxed with
CD(s), manuals, and the EULA and is sold in retail stores in individual
boxes. The End User License Agreements (commonly referred to as "EULAs")
for OEM and FPP products are slightly different. One main difference is
that an OEM operating system license (such as the license for Windows)
cannot be transferred from its original PC to another PC. However, the FPP
version of Windows may be transferred to another PC as long as the EULA,
manual and media (such as the backup CD) accompany the transfer to the other
PC. Also, when a customer purchases an OEM product, the OEM license
requires the OEM to provide support for the product."

- and -

"Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?

Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store
(i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating
system products are not transferable from one machine to another. The End
User License Agreement (EULA) governs the terms for transfer of licenses.
Some EULAs for copies of certain older OEM operating system products (i.e.,
MS-DOS®, Windows® 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups 3.1) distributed in 1995
or earlier may permit transfer of the OEM operating system software license
under limited circumstances. (See Software Product Transfer section of your
End User License Agreement.)"

- and -

"If I "retire" a PC with an OEM license on it, can I use that software on a
new PC?

No. To put it simply, OEM product is "married" to the original PC on which
it was installed. Current OEM licenses are not transferable from one machine
to another. The software cannot be moved from PC to PC, even if the original
PC it was installed on is no longer in use. This is true for all OEM
software - operating systems and applications."


It must be noted a change was made to the EULA early on:
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/w...nse-modified-for-windows-anytime-upgrade.aspx

"We're making a small but significant modification to the Windows Vista
End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Windows Anytime Upgrade. Customers
who purchase a retail copy of Windows Vista and then upgrade to another
version of Windows Vista using Windows Anytime Upgrade will be affected by
this modification, while all other WAU licensing terms remain unchanged.
Now, those customers will be able to uninstall their upgraded copy of
Windows Vista and re-install it on another device (usually, but not always,
a PC). The number of device-to-device reassignments is no longer limited,
provided that Windows Vista has been uninstalled from the original device."

And then it points you to:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/windowsanytimeupgrade/faq.mspx
(Last question on the page...)

"Am I allowed to transfer my software from one device to another when I
upgrade using Windows Anytime Upgrade?

Microsoft is modifying the end user license agreement for full packaged
product versions of Windows Vista purchased through a retailer or from
Microsoft, and then upgraded using Windows Anytime Upgrade. Under the terms
of the modified license agreement, you are now granted the right to
uninstall Windows Vista and then reinstall the operating system on a
different computer. Provided you uninstall the operating system from your
original computing device and do not share the license among multiple
devices, you are no longer limited in the number of times that you may
reassign the license to different devices. This modification is effective
immediately, and will be included within future versions of the end user
license agreement. All other terms of the end user license agreement apply
to your use of the software."


It's all very confusing for the end-user.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Actually you can transfer OEM copies to another PC if you bought them
through a retail outlet.

It might work, but doing so would most definitely be a violation of the
EULA. In effect, You'd be telling the world that your given word or
signature on a contract is meaningless.




--
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

 

[Joe Guidera]

Hmm, aside from the fact that OEM is supposed to come only pre-installed
with new equipment (thus "Original Equipment Manufacturer") the end user
license is different.

Joe

 

[John Barnes]

The EULA of an OEM is between the end user and the system builder

 

[Alias]

Hmm, aside from the fact that OEM is supposed to come only pre-installed
with new equipment (thus "Original Equipment Manufacturer") the end user
license is different.

Joe

You're confusing branded OEM versions with generic OEM versions. I have
two generic OEM copies of XP Pro and one Home and when I bought them, I
BOUGHT NO HARDWARE, not even a screw, and they are 100% legit, activated
and genuinize up the wing wang.

Alias

 

[Terry]

And the system builder is often the end user ;>)

The EULA of an OEM is between the end user and the system builder

 

[John Barnes]

True. So both licenses are applicable. System Builders and EULA

 

[Joe Guidera]

Correct. The end user who purchases an OEM build is still subject to the
Microsoft EULA as well as any system builder agreement.

J

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Check the facts as you say.
It seem you have not.
The source of purchase is not relevant.
You should read the OEM license for details.