The Official OcUK Vista Licencing Questions FAQ Thread

Soldato
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Just wanted to find out: Can I buy a copy here (OcUK shop) & install/run/activate/etc it anywhere else in the world, i.e. outside of UK?

Thanks
 
Associate
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Syphon said:
My copy of Vista arrived today. :D

It's really for a new system build I'm hoping to do in the next month or so.

Anyone know if I'll be able to install it on a spare hard drive and run it on my current system (but without activating). Then remove it before the activation deadline and install it on my new rig without getting into OEM licensing problems?

Cheers.
to extend its grace period before activation

type in the slmgr /? in the command prompt

disable UAC and use the last one

this info is from MS site


they say you can do it three times


should give the OEM users more time to make sure the hardware is ok before activation
 
Associate
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whoah. what a thread. lots of interesting stuff though.

what i would like to know is this.

say you bought vista oem and then upgrade the mobo, can ms tell with the online activation that it is is a new mobo??

similarly, the normal home user will buy one copy of an os and install it on a desktop and a laptop or two. does ms vista activation work like adobe, where they know straight away how many machines it is activated on.

just wondering how much stricter they are now with vista than they used to be. i know people who could potentially get themselves into trouble with this and i'd like to be able to warn them before they get burned.
 
Man of Honour
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buachille said:
whoah. what a thread. lots of interesting stuff though.

what i would like to know is this.

say you bought vista oem and then upgrade the mobo, can ms tell with the online activation that it is is a new mobo??

similarly, the normal home user will buy one copy of an os and install it on a desktop and a laptop or two. does ms vista activation work like adobe, where they know straight away how many machines it is activated on.

just wondering how much stricter they are now with vista than they used to be. i know people who could potentially get themselves into trouble with this and i'd like to be able to warn them before they get burned.

Yes to both questions, however, what they do with this information and how stirct they'll be remains to be seen.

Burnsy
 
Soldato
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Quick question.
If i buy XP MCE now, can i get the upgrade coupon, send it off, but not actually install Vista until i want to?

The reason is that i need an OS for my lappy, and i'd like XP on it until Vista has matured a bit.
 
Associate
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As far as I can tell the upgrade coupons can only be redeemed if the qualifying version of XP shipped with a new computer.

They require that you send of the receipt for your new system in order to be able to claim your upgrade.

If you buy a copy of MCE with a voucher to install on your existing old laptop, I don't think that you would be able to redeem the Vista upgrade.
 
Associate
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I guess it's just a consequence of end users being able to buy OEM software.

I would imagine that most of the vouchers in circulation will be sent out with new sytems from the major system builders\retailers, and customers will be able to redeem them.

Doesn't help us out though :(
 
Associate
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I called Microsoft and to say the stupid indian woman was not helpful is an uunderstatement.

I said I had an OEM version of Vista that I wanted to install it but my motherboard may be faulty and that I wanted to know it would ok if I activated it then changed my motherboard.

She told me it was not out yet and it was a "mislicenced" and that I could not install it and they would not help me, and then she asked for my name and number and information about where I got it from.

She said it was only available with a new PC and I said I bought it with my motherboard and that the license says thats ok, and I am a lawyer and know better than her - which she denied - which always ****** me off to another level when some woman who has done no legal training thinks she knows better than me!

Naturally when she asked for my information I hung up as all I would have done is made sure they would not let me activate it ever.

This leads me to think it is best to not install it until I have sorted out my mobo problem but its very concerning that they would be that unhelpful.

A word of warning - and to say Im feeling really irritated is an understatement now.

- and I can't actually fit my own mobo I would have no idea where everything fits or believe me I would get one ordered and fit it myself-
 
Soldato
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Behind you... Naked!
spinstorm said:
which always ****** me off to another level when some woman who has done no legal training thinks she knows better than me!

While I cannot vouch for that particular woman, I can safely say, while she may not be any kind of lawyer, she may not know everythign about licencing and activating, you can bet that she has access to every possibility of the licencing options, so in this case, as in any other case... They know more than us, no matter how much we think we know.... We dont.
 
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