No OEM For You: Windows 7 OEM Packaging is Not For Individuals

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Extraordinary Robot
Robot
Microsoft has dramatically changed its OEM licensing in the past year, and it's not really possible for individuals to legally use this type of Windows 7 Setup disc.

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Not me, not yet, anyway.

Drew

"A scan a day keeps the nasties away!"
Drew, do you mean no issues or that you haven't tried installing a OEM win 7 on an existing end user machine?
If you did install did you have to use the OEM prep kit mentioned in the article?

This is important to me because my plan is to buy the OEM Win 7 Home Premium to install on my laptop.
The price difference at Newegg is significant and I'm on a tight budget.
My hope is the article is somewhat misinformative.
 
I mean done w/ no issues. Put it in, hit Install Now & Bob's your uncle. Done, no complications & fancy stuff @ all.

I'll be doing more if you want to wait til I do another 1 before you proceed (??).

Drew
Keep me posted Drew (PM) it will be a couple of months before I can afford a OEM DVD anyway.
No issues with activation, eh?
I guess the article is mistaken.

Are you building PC's or installing on customers PC's?

Thanks Drew.
 
I do both, Frank. I will keep you posted.

Take a 2nd look @ what I wrote... I'd added some to it (previous entry)


Drew
Thanks Drew, looks like Newegg sells OEM software with no restrictions.
When the time comes that is who will get my business.
I bought an OEM version of XP-SP2 Pro from them a few years ago and if memory serves they ship with an ata ribbon cable.
This is installed on a HP notebook I gave to my sister so in a sense I guess I'm a OEM since the notebook had XP Home
preinstalled by HP. I still have the XP home install CD provided by HP (it is a full retail copy of XP-SP1 home) with no HP branding etc.
Branding and preinstall software is provided by the driver CD provided by HP.
 
Thanks Drew, looks like Newegg sells OEM software with no restrictions.
When the time comes that is who will get my business.
I bought an OEM version of XP-SP2 Pro from them a few years ago and if memory serves they ship with an ata ribbon cable.
This is installed on a HP notebook I gave to my sister so in a sense I guess I'm a OEM since the notebook had XP Home
preinstalled by HP. I still have the XP home install CD provided by HP (it is a full retail copy of XP-SP1 home) with no HP branding etc.
Branding and preinstall software is provided by the driver CD provided by HP.

You can only use UN-branded OEM keys

Branded OEM keys won't work unless they match the hardware/bios id. That's how hackers can get windows to activate with a branded oem key ...they simply emulate an OEM bios so that the activation *thinks* the numbers it retrieves match the OEM hardware. However the numbers they retrieve arn't actually coming from the bios.. they are being spoofed by software.

You can find a dozen or more valid branded oem numbers all over the Internet but good luck getting one to work.

This is also why branded oem validation hacks/tricks can't be disabled by Microsoft. If they find that thousands of people are using - for example a Dell OEM key - and you were one of them... they can't deactivate your system without killing the activation on EVERY Dell system sold with that version of Windows. If they deactivated a mfg oem key thousands and thousands of computers would be shut down. Banks and businesses would be closed. Government computers including the military would be shut down. No one would ever trust Microsoft again. It would be chaos as described in the Ghost Busters movie.

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...

The dead rising from the grave!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!


This also shows you the potential vulnerability of the entire computing world. A hack of Microsoft's activation system could shut down all computers that do automatic updates. No soup for you.

It would be even more devastating Microsoft's activation systems was hacked and the activations were simply set to "expire" at or after a specific date. How many people actually go to the command prompt and run slmgr -xpr and verify their system is permanently activated? ..or set to expire like RC in May 2010???

Microsoft can flip that switch anytime they want and it will be reset when you update.... Unless you have automatic updating turned off. :D I guess we'll see who is left around should such a hack ever happen. I wonder what it would be like if only 5% used the internet? I guess porn would load a lot faster. haha
 
Well you might not have an issue now but maybe in 6 months MS might drop a bomb on installs not installed using their "Kit" to install OEM system. Who knows what's really already in place if MS wants to push the legal tech of there end users agreement.
Joe
 
Well you might not have an issue now but maybe in 6 months MS might drop a bomb on installs not installed using their "Kit" to install OEM system. Who knows what's really already in place if MS wants to push the legal tech of there end users agreement.
Joe

Whatever they do... they can't deactivate the millions of oem installs. It would be the end of the world.
 
My point was installing without using their kit is technically a violation. Is their something in that kit that they could use to separate installs using the kit and those installed without it?
Joe
 
My point was installing without using their kit is technically a violation. Is their something in that kit that they could use to separate installs using the kit and those installed without it?
Joe

You know the really sick thing about this whole issue is MS gets their "pound of flesh" regardless of what version is purchased. To me the limitations inherent to using the OEM justifies the price point difference.
Greedy bastages!!!

I don't know if it's worth it to take a chance on the OEM if MS can pull the rug 6 months down the line.
If they do I might as well have taken my $104.00 to the local casino and bet against the worst odds.

I'm forced to live on a budget of $1500.00 US a month, this is the only reason I'm contemplating the OEM.
An $80.00 difference in cost is important to me.

Yeah, I know nobody's forcing me to switch to Win 7 but I've been with Win 7 since the beta, sending data back to MS
to help develop this latest version of Windows, as have millions of other, cut me some slack MS.
Again greedy bastages!!!

Sorry for the rant.
 
I don't know if it's worth it to take a chance on the OEM if MS can pull the rug 6 months down the line.

The can't. It would knock out too many computers, bring down banks and business and law enforcement. And destroy trust. Just one time and everyone in busines and, government would have to dump windows and find a secure way to protect their businesses.
 
The can't. It would knock out too many computers, bring down banks and business and law enforcement. And destroy trust. Just one time and everyone in busines and, government would have to dump windows and find a secure way to protect their businesses.
Well thankfully I've got some time to make a decision (at least until March 2010).
Thanks for your input Terry and everybody else.

Oh yeah thanks for the tips and tricks etc. you've posted on your blogs.
I've used many of them to create a rather lean, mean Win 7 machine.

Can't wait to try them out on whatever final I happen to purchase.
Looking forward to SP1 as well.
 
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Well thankfully I've got some time to make a decision (at least until March 2010).
Thanks for your input Terry and everybody else.

Oh yeah thanks for the tips and tricks etc. you've posted on your blogs.
I've used many of them to create a rather lean, mean Win 7 machine.

Can't wait to try them out on whatever final I happen to purchase.
Looking forward to SP1 as well.

Welcome... you can install the Ultimate version and run it till march. You get 30 days with 3 30 more day extensions with rearm.
 
"The can't. It would knock out too many computers, bring down banks and business and law enforcement"

This is based on the assumption that the big box makers are using the same OEM as you buy on Newegg etc. Who know what MS might have them add as part of their agreement. Most box makers really fight to keep from supplying you with a real clean OEM disk instead of the crappy image they use. I doubt MS would actually do it but it is a definite possibility. Has anybody tried one of these kits to see if it adds anything extra? I'm just suspicious because MS specifies using their kit with OEM to be in compliance. They also seem pretty reserved about these activation hacks. Doesn't that make you wonder what they have built in hidden away in something like WMP that could be activated with an ordinary looking update? They've already trashed a bunch of these activations thru updates, especially leaked updates!
Joe
 
Frank, let's pass on melodrama & editorials. Go w/ the OEM, you & it will be fine. "Big Brother" is not going to come banging down your door or shutting off your computer.

Refer back to the note I gave you regarding the OPK & SAK & servers. You are a stand-alone End User, not a building full of machines.

I built lots of PCs for people using OEMs. I am their support, not Microsoft, as would be if a 'Retail' copy. Ergo, as I said before, you'll be on your own for support but, your a big boy, you can cope, lol ;)

& yes, indeed, the OEM limitations (such as, can only go in 1 PC, no additional licenses) do explain the price differential.

Thanks

Drew

"A scan a day keeps the nasties away!"
Thanks Drew for the reality check.
 
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