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  • #1

    OEM vs RETAIL

    Okay, I have a quick question.

    I head this somewhere a while ago but have no way to find out if it's true or not. Rather I haven't been able to find out that is to say.

    I heard with OEM copies of Windows you can only install them "X" amount of time before you get some "serial not valid" or when you try to activate MS won't let you or something.

    Is that true? If so, what is the value of "X" what does it represent?

    I heard this doesn't exist in Retail versions, is this also true?

    I never heard that before. I know OEM whomever is the builder is whom the buyer gets support from; they can't just call MS, they won't support you. Not that that is a bad thing necessarily, in my exp their "experts" are anything but lol.

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  • #2
    Re: OEM vs RETAIL

    OEM versions of Windows are supposedly tied to the computer that they are initially installed on. As I understand it - so long as the motherboard is not changed then you should be able to reactivate either automatically or with a call to MS. Some have even been able to to change motherboards after claiming that the original one died. A retail version can be moved from system to system so long as it is installed on only one system at a time.
    Antec 900 case (4 120mm and 1 200mm lighted fans + UFO flashing light set + 2 12" and 1 6" Mutant Mods meteor lights) - Aerogate ll thermal controller - Asus M2N-e SLI - AMD 64 X2 AM2 6400+ - Corsair TX650 PSU - MSI 450GTS Cyclone OC - 2 X 2GB Patriot Extreme Performance PC2 6400 RAM - SATA 320 GB Seagate HD, SATA 300GB Maxtor HD and IDE 80 GB Samsung HD - Floppy Drive/Card Reader Combo - LG SuperMulti Lightscribe 18x DVD RW - Plextor PX-716A DVD r/rw - Windows 7 Home Premium 64

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    • #3
      Re: OEM vs RETAIL

      Hmm.....

      Thanks for the reply but I knew that about OEM, it's married to the motherboard, forgot to mention I also knew that.

      My question was if you have an OEM copy you if you have to re-install after a bad virus infestation etc... I heard an OEM copy of Windows can only be "re-installed" or re-activated so many times and w/ a Retail License there is no such limit so in theory you could re-install every week for 2 years. But I'm wondering if what I heard is right, is an OEM version only allowed to be activated say 10 times and after that you'd have to buy another license or is that false?

      That's what I was wondering, sorry if it didn't sound too clear. Also, if what I heard is true, what is the value of X? Meaning how many times can an OEM license be activated before MS will give you an activation error/fail saying that key is invalid?

      Coolermaster HAF 932
      PC Power & Cooling 1200 watter
      30inch H-IPS for work and 27inch HP for games
      Core i7 975 @ 4.6GhZ
      ASUS P6T v2
      12GB DDR3 Corsair RAM @ 1866 now
      Plextor BD/DVD-RW
      LG DVD-RW second drive
      128GB SSD x2 RAID<-- OS and apps
      2x300GB Raptor, scratch/work drive
      2x 2TB for storage
      Denon and Boston Acoustics sound system
      HT Omega Claro Halo
      1x 5970
      Win 7 Ultimate x64; dual boot with Ubuntu 10.04 x64

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      • #4
        Re: OEM vs RETAIL

        Retail or OEM after a certain number of installs you have to always call in. I change hardware a lot on my retail and always have to call in now.

        After a certain number of calls on OEM they may make you buy a new one or license, but I don't know when that would apply or if it is clearly stated anywhere. Microsoft would tell you the answers to this if you call them and ask nicely and professionally.

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