OEM version of windows XP.

[Knipex]

On my current rig I have a lisenced OEM copy of windows XP.

Whats the story when I "upgade" and reinstall it ??? My existing harddrive will be raw formatted and sold.

[fillip]

Sometimes you can have no problems in reinstalling a registered copy on new hardware, but more often than not you will be notified that the hardware config. for your machine which has XP registered, has changed. A quick call/email to microsoft can sort this out.

I'm not sure how excactly though so i'll be back soon with more info.


[EDIT] From what i just read on various support groups there is only ever a mantion of phoning M$, i have no idea what number it is though. There is also a support list for OEM versions of XP over on the M$ site, i havent looked at it so dont know if it helps you in anyway.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/support/default.asp

You didnt say whether it was home or pro, so that link takes you to the Pro page.

[Knipex]

From what I can figure tis a try it and see kind of system.

90 % of people get away with it (jusr reactivate it) 10% have to buy a new copy.

I knew there was a reason the OEM copy was so much cheaper than retail.

[furious trout]

It also depends which vendor you got it from

for example a lot of the big guys (Dell HP/Compaq) have configured their copies so it will only install on their machines.

[Knipex]

No not from a vendor it was bought off the shelf from Komplett (before they stopped stocking them.)

OEM version retailed for about half the price of retail version.

[Starbuck3733T]

Isn't that technically illegal? Selling OEMs, unless you bought it from them as if you were an OEM.

Edit: not that I really care. Frankly, if you paid good money for it, you should just go and get one of the anti-activation cracks available for XP, run it, and be done with it.

[Knipex]

Technically I believe that the difference between the an OEM version and a retail version is that the OEM version is tied to the pc on which it is origiobally installed (with some allowances for upgrades) while a retial version is tied to a user and can be old on and installed in any PC.

This is partly guesswork and reading various threads over the years.

For those who are interested.

Windows XP pro OEM available here for £99.99 (http://www.overclock.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=16556&cat=417)

windows XP retail version available here for £258.50 (http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/ki.asp?sku=109312&cks=PRL)

Less than half the price.

Also

Office XP OEM available here for £213.13 (http://www.overclock.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=17257&cat=417)

[furious trout]

i saw one site saying if you bought a case fan you were entitled to purchase an OEM copy ??

AFAIK there is little (or no) difference to the OS, just the price
Try it & let us know what happens :p

[Pug]

A shop I worked in for a while was reported to microsoft for selling OEM copies (by a rival shop), we had to look into it after that and as I recall, technically we could sell them to PC system builders (who had to make an associated hardware purchase of a PC component - a mouse would suffice, apparently so I guess a case fan is ok too).

That was our obligation to MSoft anyway. As the end-user, you're down to the EULA that you agree to on the install. (or Star's 'edit' approach...).