If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Windows OEM product keys
Indrid Cold
Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
in General Chat
The answer is probably "No", but it can't hurt to ask.
My computer came with Vista preinstalled and I have the OEM product key. If I were to -ahem- acquire a copy of a Vista OEM disc, would the product key work with it, so that I could install the system myself instead of using the preinstalled one?
By the way, I don't mean if it would just be accepted to install, I mean if it would also activate and let me use updates with no problems and no hacks.
My computer came with Vista preinstalled and I have the OEM product key. If I were to -ahem- acquire a copy of a Vista OEM disc, would the product key work with it, so that I could install the system myself instead of using the preinstalled one?
By the way, I don't mean if it would just be accepted to install, I mean if it would also activate and let me use updates with no problems and no hacks.
0
Comments
Also if it says the hardware has changed you can just phone up and get it re-set up to the new hardware in about 5 minutes, they're supposed to query it but I guess they get bored of that so just give you the activation number.
That's what I was going to do if I had to install my copy of Vista OEM onto anything else (the machine it got installed on has since been donated to a friend, and he preferred XP) but new machines (with licenses) + a new TechNet subscription means I shouldn't have to
And it's the same machine, I just want to install it myself.
Some discs are tied to a particular BIOS from the manufacturer. You may find that using a Vista disc from a different manufacturer means your copy won't be activated.