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

whoosh

Cooler King
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http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/oem.asp

One of the more mysterious ways in which you can legally acquire Windows 7 is through the so-called OEM Packaging. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which you can generally think of this term as meaning "PC maker" or, more precisely in this case, builder ." And given this, you may assume then that Windows 7 OEM packaging is thus off limits to you as an individual.
This is mostly correct, as it turns out.
Previous to Windows 7, Microsoft actually did allow individuals to purchase OEM versions of Windows, but only if they intended to install it on a brand-new PC that they were building. As Ed Bott pointed out in a 2008 blog post, the previous end user license agreement (EULA) for OEM Windows versions specified the following:
OEM system builder software packs are intended for PC and server manufacturers or assemblers ONLY. They are not intended for distribution to end users. Unless the end user is actually assembling his/her own PC, in which case, that end user is considered a system builder as well.
 
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I beg to differ on that. I purchased an OEM of Windows 7 Home Premium from Fry's and installed it on a new build I built for a friend of mine. You don't need any special kits or whatever to install OEM.

It went like a charm. Same like the old days of XP Pro OEM.
 
I beg to differ on that. I purchased an OEM of Windows 7 Home Premium from Fry's and installed it on a new build I built for a friend of mine. You don't need any special kits or whatever to install OEM.

It went like a charm. Same like the old days of XP Pro OEM.

Glad it all went well :D
 
My local computer shop has OEM W7 and Vista in 32 and 64 bit flavors for sale all that is required is you have ot purchase a peice of computer equipment, such as a Hard Drive MB or a 5 cent screw for the Mother Board
 
I had no idea WTF OEM was and wikipedia's explanation was extremely technical, so I just went and bought it off tigerdirect.com. Ran and installed fine, didn't even realize I wasn't meant to be using it like I was. XD
 
I rebuilt my machine when I had Vista OEM new MB and CPu all it took was a call to MS told them what I had done aand they gave me a code to activate the OS aon a re-built machine
 
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