Windows 7 oem vs retail

[willbill]

Windows 7 oem vs retail

Can the less expensive oem version be
installed by a DIY person like me?

I'm interested in the 64 bit Pro version of Win 7
due to it's lower cost; recently $140 from Newegg

Is a separately purchased key or something else
like that needed?

I mean in addition to the Win 7 disc itself.

Bill

 

[Robert Myers]

Windows 7 oem vs retail

Can the less expensive oem version be
installed by a DIY person like me?

I'm interested in the 64 bit Pro version of Win 7
due to it's lower cost; recently $140 from Newegg

Is a separately purchased key or something else
like that needed?

I mean in addition to the Win 7 disc itself.

In theory, at least, an OEM version can be installed on only one
machine--ever. The retail version can be installed on only one
machine--at a time.

That's the only difference.

Robert.

 

[Nate Edel]

If it is a fresh installation (not upgrade from Windows Vista, and it is
one time thing (you won't install on another machine using this copy),
you should buy OEM. And you should buy from EBay because you are buying
from end users who have copies they don't want, instead of retail stores
like Newegg which will charge you full OEM price.

This will often result in a license violation (even in the "spirit of the
thing" sense) as plenty of these are OEM disk copies coming from machines
with preinstalled "royalty OEM" versions that did not need activation with
the serial number you're "buying" from them.

Which is not to say it won't work.

 

[Mike S.]

This will often result in a license violation (even in the "spirit of the
thing" sense) as plenty of these are OEM disk copies coming from machines
with preinstalled "royalty OEM" versions that did not need activation with
the serial number you're "buying" from them.

Which is not to say it won't work.

....at least at first.

With the new WAT "call home every 90 days" feature, it may only be a
period of time before that eBay license key is blacklisted, or WAT detects
that your installed cert does not match the brand of your BIOS and you go
into the "not authentic" black hole.

 

[willbill]

This will often result in a license violation (even in the "spirit of the
thing" sense) as plenty of these are OEM disk copies coming from machines
with preinstalled "royalty OEM" versions that did not need activation with
the serial number you're "buying" from them.

Which is not to say it won't work.

Sorry that I didn't respond earlier to this; as I had my boot
HDD fail on my main machine, and then discovered I'd been
lax in doing full back ups.

It also prompted me to finally move away from Seamonkey
to Firefox/Thunderbird and I've still some issues with both,
but that's not on topic to this thread.

Anyhow, both I and the most computer saavy of my 3 friends
recently bought oem DVD discs of Win7 64 bit; and he couldn't
get it (oem) to install and gave the vendor hell and actually got
them to give him a full refund even though he'd opened the
package (he bought using PayPal).

He then bought oem from TigerDirect, but only after getting
a *verbal* promise that their oem disc was different. <grin>

He then (!) called me up that night for my input!

I told him it was likely the same thing.

Which is exactly what happened.

He then called up TigerDirect (he does a fair amount
of business with them (over Newegg)), and gave them
absolute hell over it, and did another full refund
(disc unopened this time).

I suspected, and still suspect, that he simply did
something wrong on his install process.

If I'm wrong then I may be screwed because my
own purchase from Newegg was more than
30 days ago.

Bill

...and still earlier RM was 2st to respond to OP with:

 

[Nate Edel]

get it (oem) to install and gave the vendor hell and actually got
them to give him a full refund even though he'd opened the
package (he bought using PayPal).

I suspected, and still suspect, that he simply did
something wrong on his install process.

That sounds likely; I can't speak to the first purchase (eBay, right?)
although if it was an authentic new-from-MS OEM disk kit it should have been
fine, but Tigerdirect is a /relatively/ reputable vendor and I'd think the
odds of getting a fake or a recycled one would be quite low from them.

If I'm wrong then I may be screwed because my
own purchase from Newegg was more than
30 days ago.

Should be fine, modulo the usual driver problems. Just make sure you don't
activate the copy once it's installed until your hardware configuration is
final.

 

[Nate Edel]

Can the less expensive oem version be
installed by a DIY person like me?

Yes. Just be sure your computer is in the final configuration you're going
to run with before activating it (/allowing it to activate online.)

No. The disk comes with the key - indeed, what you're purchasing is really
the key, the disk could be used to install a retail copy if you had a
second, retail key.

I don't fully understand how Windows 7 Retail vs OEM. What I
understand is OEM is locked to one computer.

Yup.

 

[krw]

;1032688']Windows 7 oem vs retail

Can the less expensive oem version be
installed by a DIY person like me?

I'm interested in the 64 bit Pro version of Win 7
due to it's lower cost; recently $140 from Newegg

Is a separately purchased key or something else
like that needed?

I mean in addition to the Win 7 disc itself.

Bill

Hi everyone
I was curious what the difference was between oem and retail version
software. Here is what I came up with. The oem version can only be used
once on that system and no tech support from M.S. The retail version can
be installed in multiple computers, one at a time.

....and no tech support from MS.

 

[Nate Edel]

On 10/04/2010 12:02 AM, Robert Myers wrote:
There is actually at least one more difference and it's a pretty big
deal -- or at least, I expect it to become a big deal within a year.
With the OEM version, you have to choose whether to buy the 32 bit
version or 64 bit version. With the retail version, you get discs for
both 32-bit and 64 bit versions in the box, and the key works for both.

At least some OEM keys works for both on the OEM edition as well; on Vista I
could say for certain that all OEM keys work for both. And you can always
install an OEM version of the same edition (for Home Premium, Professional,
Ultimate) from a retail CD with a different number of bits what you bought.

The reason this is a big deal is that the 32 bit version has a 4GB
memory limit,

Under 4gb, actually; it'll report "4GB" and then give you something like
3.25gb actually usable - although the higher memory overhead of 64-bit makes
it something of a wash on a 4gb system, depending on what apps you run.

and doesn't support partitions above 2TB even with an EFI equipped
motherboard.

I believe that's only doesn't support /booting from/ partitions over 2TB;
I'm pretty sure that it can still access them.

That makes buying OEM win7-32 less of a deal right now. It costs about
$100 retail for either version of OEM windows7 Home Premium. The
retail version costs $200 for the Home Premium.

You can, however, buy Win7-64 bit as an OEM copy right now, although not as
many vendors stock it. For that matter, moving from 32 to 64 bit on the
same machine should be within license even for an OEM copy, although it will
likely involve talking to a live person when you reactivate.

 

[Lee Waun]

Windows 7 oem vs retail

Can the less expensive oem version be
installed by a DIY person like me?

I'm interested in the 64 bit Pro version of Win 7
due to it's lower cost; recently $140 from Newegg

Is a separately purchased key or something else
like that needed?

I mean in addition to the Win 7 disc itself.

Bill

I have the oem win7 64 bit os installed on this duo core machine and it runs
perfectly as long as I was able to get the drivers. It comes with a product
key which you use and are supposed to stick on the case of the computer. I
keep it locked away as things are always being spilled around here.