XP OEM Licenses

[powlaz]

My network inventory software found 40+ PCs with the same XP Pro product key.
The product key is the Dell OEM key. Every one of these PCs has an XP Pro
or Vista COA on the side.

Am I supposed to be changing the OEM key to the COA key in Windows?
When tracking licensing keys is it poignant to have a record of all of the
COAs or do most people track the licenses using the OEM key just to know that
a particular PC was factory configured rather then set up using a VLK.

One other thought. Our company image was built using XP Pro VLK media. As
I mentioned above the PCs come to us with a Vista COA and XP Pro installed
(downgrade rights). Do the OEM COAs work as proof of an authentic Windows
copy when the Windows installation was made from a VLK copy of XP?

Should my image be made with the OEM installation disk rather than the VLK
software?

I recently read this:


While Microsoft Volume Licensing programs do not offer licenses for the full
version of the Windows operating system for desktop PCs, the media for both
the full versions of the operating system are available under those programs.
Reimaging using the full version media requires that customers have licensed
the Windows desktop PC operating system either preinstalled through the OEM
or as an FPP retail product. A volume licensing customer can use their volume
licensing media to reimage their Windows desktop PC operating system from an
OEM provided that it is the same version and product as that on the
Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label that came with the PC.

If this is the case then I can continue to reimage PCs that had an OEM copy
of XP installed using the VLK copy of XP, right? But then how do I track the
licenses\product keys?

Thanks for the help

MJ

 

[smlunatick]

My network inventory software found 40+ PCs with the same XP Pro product key.
 The product key is the Dell OEM key.  Every one of these PCs has an XP Pro
or Vista COA on the side.  

Am I supposed to be changing the OEM key to the COA key in Windows?  
When tracking licensing keys is it poignant to have a record of all of the
COAs or do most people track the licenses using the OEM key just to know that
a particular PC was factory configured rather then set up using a VLK.

One other thought.  Our company image was built using XP Pro VLK media. As
I mentioned above the PCs come to us with a Vista COA and XP Pro installed
(downgrade rights).  Do the OEM COAs work as proof of an authentic Windows
copy when the Windows installation was made from a VLK copy of XP?

Should my image be made with the OEM installation disk rather than the VLK
software?

I recently read this:

While Microsoft Volume Licensing programs do not offer licenses for the full
version of the Windows operating system for desktop PCs, the media for both
the full versions of the operating system are available under those programs.
Reimaging using the full version media requires that customers have licensed
the Windows desktop PC operating system either preinstalled through the OEM
or as an FPP retail product. A volume licensing customer can use their volume
licensing media to reimage their Windows desktop PC operating system froman
OEM provided that it is the same version and product as that on the
Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label that came with the PC.

If this is the case then I can continue to reimage PCs that had an OEM copy
of XP installed using the VLK copy of XP, right?  But then how do I track the
licenses\product keys?

Thanks for the help

MJ

PC makers, like Dell, have special license version which permits them
to "mass" install a XP image onto a huge number of "hard drives."
This is permitted with their agreement with Microsoft.

Volume License keys do not appear to qualify for the OEM downgrade to
XP. You will need to get an OEM version of XP to reinstall for Vista
downgrades.