KVR Audio

abstractcats · Post by **abstractcats** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:17 pm

Hi guys,

here is the question:

Is the OEM version of Windows OS tied to the lic. Key or the hardware?
Example: if I buy an OEM copy of W7 and load and activate/register it on my laptop, and the laptop dies, can I use the same OEM copy of W7 on another computer(desktop or laptop)with the Lic. key?

ZenPunkHippy · Post by **ZenPunkHippy** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:19 pm

OEM versions are tied to the hardware. The license cannot (legally) be transferred to another machine.

Peace,
Andy.

strayboom · Post by **strayboom** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:22 pm

http://goo.gl/HSyat -- points to a much longer microsoft link. you might find the answer there.

abstractcats · Post by **abstractcats** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:26 pm

ZenPunkHippy wrote:OEM versions are tied to the hardware. The license cannot (legally) be transferred to another machine.

Peace,
Andy.

Ahh!As much a matter of legality as it is hardware. I'll consider the age of my laptop, since the OS would be as metaphorically, dead as the computer.

Thanks Andy

abstractcats · Post by **abstractcats** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:28 pm

strayboom wrote:http://goo.gl/HSyat -- points to a much longer microsoft link. you might find the answer there.

Hmm! Thanks! Now, I'm REALLY confused

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:45 pm

abstractcats wrote:Hi guys,

here is the question:

Is the OEM version of Windows OS tied to the lic. Key or the hardware?
Example: if I buy an OEM copy of W7 and load and activate/register it on my laptop, and the laptop dies, can I use the same OEM copy of W7 on another computer(desktop or laptop)with the Lic. key?

Scott, you can only buy an OEM license with a piece of hardware; it must stay with that hardware. Fry's Electronics used to be able to sell an OEM license with a hard drive or a motherboard. You are legal if you keep them together. You would need to reactivate if any major component changes in that system. Microsoft is fairly reasonable about granting reactivations.

If you're not too far from the spirit of the license, you will be fine. If you're tying to move, say, an old Dell OEM license to a new custom-built PC, you may find reactivation challenging.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Wes

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:50 pm

What about the non-OEM version? It's tied to the hardware too (but you can re-activate it on another PC), right?

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:54 pm

T-CM11 wrote:What about the non-OEM version? It's tied to the hardware too (but you can re-activate it on another PC), right?

I believe the boxed version can be moved twice before re activation gets harder. You paid more for that flexibility, so probably just need to call and go through the automated system once online activation fails.

t3toooo · Post by **t3toooo** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:54 pm

ZenPunkHippy wrote:OEM versions are tied to the hardware. The license cannot (legally) be transferred to another machine.

Peace,
Andy.

not true,in europe at least.

you need to call microsoft (to activate anyway) and maybe a electronic voice is asking you if you use this license of windows on another computer too.

you can install it on any machine you want,only one license on one hard drive on one computer at the same time though.

Kaine · Post by **Kaine** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:48 am

Zenpunk is right, an OEM "legally" can only be used on the machine it was activated on and is tied to the motherboard. The exception to this is Germany (rather than all of Europe) where the legal system seems to laugh in the face of the average American retail goods contract.

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:24 am

Kaine wrote:The exception to this is Germany (rather than all of Europe) where the legal system seems to laugh in the face of the average American retail goods contract.

If you want to do business in Germany, you have to abide to Germany's laws. That's true for any country, right?

Windows registration/Activation-Tied to the Key or hardware?