OEM products... need to activate?

ming

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as above really...

if i go out and purchase an oem version of windows xp or vista, will it require me to activate the product like that of the retail versions?

thanks
 
And if those three responses didn't answer your question then allow me to try.

Yes.
 
So what's the difference between the oem versions on general sale and that supplied by Dell? Seems like the cd that came with my mate's pc doesnt required activation... or maybe i didnt see the icon in the system tray?
 
Installation discs from the likes of Dell use a special product key coupled with OOBE. The product is pre-activated.
 
As far as I know they have their own kind of 'activation' method whereby they won't install on anything other than the type motherboard they have been set to. I thnk that's how they get round the issue of having to activate on the internet etc.
 
not true.. it's just a deal that dell (and other big vendors) have worked out with Microsoft.

For what it's worth, some of the business HP laptops/desktops we get still require activation.
 
There are multiple liscence versions of VISTA available:
-True OEM that Dell, HP, etc get.
-Corporate versions that the major corporations get.
-Store bought OEM which is more a hobbyist builder version than a true OEM.
-Full retail version.
-Upgrade versions.
-Third world versions.

They each have widely varying liscence conditions that include how many times they can be moved to a new machine (as defined by MS and their activation code). You will have to identify and read the EULA for the particular version you are buying. Warning the "System Builder" OEM versions off the shelf are very restricted compared to the "Retail Version". I got bored one day and read all the EULAs I could find There is a thread around somewhere where I talked about the differences.

Basically, buy Ultimate if you are building a new desktop and you can do anything you want including installing XP Pro, 32/64, etc. under that liscence. If you are doing a laptop OS downgrade to VISTA buy the system builder version to save money.

PS My new laptop came pre-activated and with an upgrade disk that will require a new liscence and a recovery disk that uses the existing liscence.
 
There are multiple liscence versions of VISTA available:
-True OEM that Dell, HP, etc get.
-Corporate versions that the major corporations get.
-Store bought OEM which is more a hobbyist builder version than a true OEM.
-Full retail version.
-Upgrade versions.
-Third world versions.

They each have widely varying liscence conditions that include how many times they can be moved to a new machine (as defined by MS and their activation code). You will have to identify and read the EULA for the particular version you are buying. Warning the "System Builder" OEM versions off the shelf are very restricted compared to the "Retail Version". I got bored one day and read all the EULAs I could find There is a thread around somewhere where I talked about the differences.

Basically, buy Ultimate if you are building a new desktop and you can do anything you want including installing XP Pro, 32/64, etc. under that liscence. If you are doing a laptop OS downgrade to VISTA buy the system builder version to save money.

PS My new laptop came pre-activated and with an upgrade disk that will require a new liscence and a recovery disk that uses the existing liscence.

Think you missed the whole point of this thread. :p
Question was - do OEM products need to be activated.
I 'was' thinking of getting vista for my desktop if the oem version does not require activation because I swap my HDDs around too often which triggers windows to prompt for re-activation.
 
There is only one OEM product. Everyone gets it if they buy OEM, Dell, HP, Me, you.

I recommend actually knowing stuff before you post. As a registered system builder I occasionally get offered the kit that Dell has to set an OEM install to pre-activated state or to have the system ask to be activated on the next boot.

Since I only build machines for me I don't need it.
 
Lee is right to some extent. The version Dell is using is highly customized and includes OOBE activation (pre-activated). The version you buy from a reseller such as Newegg needs to be activated manually.
 
Think you missed the whole point of this thread. :p
Question was - do OEM products need to be activated.
I 'was' thinking of getting vista for my desktop if the oem version does not require activation because I swap my HDDs around too often which triggers windows to prompt for re-activation.

My point was that OEM products have significantlly limited re-activation rights compared to retail versions. I wanted to make sure you understood that since all VISTA product requires activation and you wanted to move drives around. When and if MS decides to start enforcing the portability restrictions in the various EULAs you can find yourself with useless copies of OEM VISTA.

There is only one OEM product. Everyone gets it if they buy OEM, Dell, HP, Me, you.

I recommend actually knowing stuff before you post. As a registered system builder I occasionally get offered the kit that Dell has to set an OEM install to pre-activated state or to have the system ask to be activated on the next boot.

Since I only build machines for me I don't need it.

I have seen two different versions of OEM one is OEM the other is the System Builder OEM version. The EULAs were different when I read thema few months back, along with the multiple other EULAs available in the Euro-American markets. MS has not yet started enforcing the extremely restrictive VISTA EULAs but they have the option to at anytime since activation is required.

Have you actually read the multiple EULAs on the MS site?
 
there is a difference between a OEM version Dell gets vs the one you get from Newegg or in my case Fry's.

Both are OEM but the one I got from Fry's would only take the key it came with, though I'm not sure about the Dell version's though I would wager they are different somehow most likely as stated above but in the end they all require some form of activation, be it by the end user or done before the end user gets it
 
You can set activation done in some versions of Win PE builder, with the OOBE in there too.
 
There is only one OEM version. You get the same OEM version if you are a small time system builder or a large IHV. There is an additional toolkit (that I don't use as I only build my own pc's) that lets you customise windows to the extent that Dell does.

OEM will accept any valid OEM key.
 
My point was that OEM products have significantlly limited re-activation rights compared to retail versions. I wanted to make sure you understood that since all VISTA product requires activation and you wanted to move drives around. When and if MS decides to start enforcing the portability restrictions in the various EULAs you can find yourself with useless copies of OEM VISTA.

Ahhh... my bad... ;)
I thought enterprise versions and oem versions do not require activation... Now I wonder if Dell sell their customised discs as a standalone. :p

Pretty annoyed really coz if say I upgraded a backup drive or added a 3rd drive to my desktop it'd likely prompt for a re-activation.

hmm... how can i get hold of this oobe tool thingy?
 
Microsoft has streamlined the phone activation process. You don't even need to speak to a human anymore.

If the activation forces you to call the system will ask you two primary questions: 1.) How many computers has it been installed on; 2.) Has any hardware changed.

Win PE (as Mark mentioned) and sysprep can be used to customize OEM discs.
 

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