Difference between Retail and OEM software?

[Hateshinai]

So what's the difference? I suppose I won't get manuals etc, right? Anything else?
I am going to buy Windows 7 and I was considering buying the OEM version (MUCH cheaper) but I don't really understand the difference in what I will be getting. Help!

[Hateshinai]

I am going to answer my own question.
OEM Windows has no fancy box/manuals, no Microsoft free help, and most importantly it is tied to the motherboard you install it on initially. That means that if you change PCs you can not reinstall it.
Am I missing anything?

[Niode]

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. An OEM version of a piece of software is a discounted licence for system builders to install on customer's systems. It is up to the OEM to provide any technical support regarding the software and to replace it if anything goes wrong with the system.

It's risky using OEM licenses because if your motherboard dies, or a certain number of other parts are changed then the licence is not valid any more. There's nothing you can do about it either, I had an OEM XP licence on a PC I bought many many years ago, the motherboard died so I replaced it, low and behold my XP was deactivated. The annoying thing was, I loaded up windows, it said I had 30 days to activate my windows licence. Noticed the clock was wrong changed it and then turned my system off. I came to use it the next day, and because I had just advanced the clock 3 years from the BIOS' defualt. It said I had run out of my 30 days activation period and locked me out of my PC.

Gee, thanks Microsoft, all my data and everything is now held ransom to your stupid licensing rules. I called them saying WTF, (well not that but you know what I mean) they told me I have changed PC's, I hadn't, I explained that it's still the exact same system, the same install of windows on the harddrive, same cpu, gpu, ram, everything, the motherboard was changed by myself because the system is out of warranty. Explained that I was quoted £300 to have the system fixed by HP, and that I wasn't going to pay it since a replacement motherboard would only cost £50. I asked if I could have the licence transferred to the new system but microsoft refused, I complained and complained and got absolutely nowhere. They simply will not transfer a licence because you have had to replace your motherboard.

May I ask why you are looking at buying an OEM version of 7? When I was looking at buying my copy (I got mine for £30, I love me my education discounts ) the cheapest non-education version I could find was an upgrade version for £60 @ amazon. The OEM versions (that I found) were around £70/80. Bearing in mind there is nothing stopping you installing the RC of windows 7, not putting a key in and then 'upgrading' with the upgrade windows 7 licence. The upgrade version will get you everything the retail versions get, with the limitation that it can only be used to 'upgrade' but if you follow that little loophole you will be fine.

[Hateshinai]

May I ask why you are looking at buying an OEM version of 7?

Basically I have about 200 euros left to spend on software that my employer will refund me. That covers the OEM version of W7 but not the retail.

Bearing in mind there is nothing stopping you installing the RC of windows 7, not putting a key in and then 'upgrading' with the upgrade windows 7 licence. The upgrade version will get you everything the retail versions get, with the limitation that it can only be used to 'upgrade' but if you follow that little loophole you will be fine.

I don't quite understand what you're saying. Are you referring to installing a pirate version and then buying an upgrade license?

[Niode]

No, using the Release Candidate for Windows 7, which is a 100% legal version of windows 7 you can download for free. Well you could anyway. I'm pretty sure you can get it on torrents. There is nothing illegal about doing this.

The other way of doing it is installing the upgrade version, then reinstalling the upgrade version on the same install, then using the licence. Same results, slightly different method.

[Breetai]

Gee, thanks Microsoft, all my data and everything is now held ransom to your stupid licensing rules. I called them saying WTF, (well not that but you know what I mean) they told me I have changed PC's, I hadn't, I explained that it's still the exact same system, the same install of windows on the harddrive, same cpu, gpu, ram, everything, the motherboard was changed by myself because the system is out of warranty. Explained that I was quoted £300 to have the system fixed by HP, and that I wasn't going to pay it since a replacement motherboard would only cost £50. I asked if I could have the licence transferred to the new system but microsoft refused, I complained and complained and got absolutely nowhere. They simply will not transfer a licence because you have had to replace your motherboard.

This is the exact reason that I do not give M$ any of my money for Windows. I had a store bought computer die on me, so I salvaged some parts and built a hybrid of a custom PC and my old one (similar to what you did). I called tech support and explained the situation, and got the same story as you.

I feel no guilt at all in finding my own copies of Windows; cowboy style. I know that might offend a few people, but I cannot support a product from a company that acts like this.

[Hateshinai]

Thanks Niode. I think I got it now. Seems like quite a bit of a hassle though. After all it's my employer who will be paying anyway. I think I'll go or the OEM version since I have no plans to upgrade my PC any time soon. And if something goes wrong I simply pirate W7 will a clear conscience.

[JordanPlayer]

Interesting... I have had quite a different experience with Windows and OEM licenses. The first machine I built for myself I used Windows XP OEM on. One day my computer started blue screening and I knew it was my hard drive. I reformatted and everything was golden, except that Windows XP license was now messed up. I called the hotline, waited a bit and talked to people... like usual lol. Eventually I got to someone and told them that this was the original computer I had installed the OEM XP on; that the hard drive had somehow gotten corrupted and that it was reformatted but still in the same machine. Not too long after that I got a new activation key with no problems (I had to provide the serial number on the OEM sleeve). I also used Vista OEM and haven't had any issues. I have upgraded a graphics card and sound card with no problems.

[Hobie-wan]

My desktop is an IBM Thinkpad running XP Pro. *cough*

A friend's sister's old laptop died. I helped them copy stuff off the HD when I couldn't do anything to revive it then scavenged for parts and recycled the motherboard and such. I needed a key after making a new PC, so I gave the one I peeled off the machine a shot. Funny thing is it activated fine. I didn't even have to call MS and tell them I upgraded the PC like I did when I got a different free laptop that needed a HD.

[Niode]

Interesting... I have had quite a different experience with Windows and OEM licenses. The first machine I built for myself I used Windows XP OEM on. One day my computer started blue screening and I knew it was my hard drive. I reformatted and everything was golden, except that Windows XP license was now messed up. I called the hotline, waited a bit and talked to people... like usual lol. Eventually I got to someone and told them that this was the original computer I had installed the OEM XP on; that the hard drive had somehow gotten corrupted and that it was reformatted but still in the same machine. Not too long after that I got a new activation key with no problems (I had to provide the serial number on the OEM sleeve). I also used Vista OEM and haven't had any issues. I have upgraded a graphics card and sound card with no problems.

That's a different issue, your hardware ID hasn't changed because you formatted the HD. Nothing has physically changed in that system so the hardware ID should just work anyway, I'm not sure why it didn't just work straight away in your case, still frustrating but it's a completely different issue to the one I described. I had formatted and reinstalled XP many times on that system, you are able to do this for as many times as you want as long as that system does not physically change in some way. My point is, the system broke down through no fault of my own, apart from perhaps old age. I repaired it and then got shafted by MS. No matter how many times I told them that I replaced an A7N8x-E motherboard with another identical A7N8x-E motherboard they just would not activate that XP licence. 'new' motherboard 'new' computer.

@Hate Shinai
That's fair enough, I didn't read your post properly. Go ahead and get an OEM licence. Don't forget that if you do pirate W7, you can still use your key. After the events described above I was still able to use my XP key on my original XP OEM install disc (provided by HP of course) the only thing I had to do was the WPA hack. Their WGA system still saw it as a genuine key and everything. So aside from the activation hack, it was still a vanilla install.