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OEM Windows 7

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Sneakze

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Sep 25, 2011
Hi, I'm currently building a PC meant for gaming and was wondering this bundle saves me allot of bucks is there any difference with a OEM OS?

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Bundle (OEM) with a Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6GB/s 16MB Cache HDD

Thanks :)
 
Sneakze said:
Hi, I'm currently building a PC meant for gaming and was wondering this bundle saves me allot of bucks is there any difference with a OEM OS?

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Bundle (OEM) with a Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6GB/s 16MB Cache HDD

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Can't help you without some prices... Off the top of my head the OEM Windows 7 home Prem 64bit is $99 at NewEgg.

Edit: your drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769 is $44.99. So if the total is less than $150 then its a good deal....
 
Why can't you just look at what the two items on their own will cost vs the bundel from where ever you are buying it from?
 
Yeah i've done that and obviously the bundle is cheaper. Just why is it so much cheaper lol?
 
Are you asking the difference between the OEM and the full version of windows 7?
If so the reason the OEM is so much cheaper is that it's a one use kind of thing. Once it is activated the OEM version stays locked with that motherboard even if it breaks. While the license on the full version is transferable; meaning if your moterboard would ever decide to die, you wouldn't need to purchase windows 7 again.
 
Krazor said:
Are you asking the difference between the OEM and the full version of windows 7?
If so the reason the OEM is so much cheaper is that it's a one use kind of thing. Once it is activated the OEM version stays locked with that motherboard even if it breaks. While the license on the full version is transferable; meaning if your moterboard would ever decide to die, you wouldn't need to purchase windows 7 again.
Click to expand...

This is not true, I have upgraded mainboards before on an OEM lic without issues....
 
King107s said:
This is not true, I have upgraded mainboards before on an OEM lic without issues....
Click to expand...

I can confirm this....though it flies in the face of what seems reasonable. The OEM can be transferred and can be used to do a repair install.
 
Krazor said:
Are you asking the difference between the OEM and the full version of windows 7?
If so the reason the OEM is so much cheaper is that it's a one use kind of thing. Once it is activated the OEM version stays locked with that motherboard even if it breaks. While the license on the full version is transferable; meaning if your moterboard would ever decide to die, you wouldn't need to purchase windows 7 again.
Click to expand...

King107s said:
This is not true, I have upgraded mainboards before on an OEM lic without issues....
Click to expand...

It's true and not true. I've successfully installed an OEM (Dell) Windows XP Media Center OS on a custom build after he Dell was junked. I say true because MS will not allow you to activate it on-line because its bene activated on the 1 motherboard already. I say not true because MS has (or had, assuming they still do) the option to activate by phone --- do this & they'll give you the code needed to activate again just be telling them your motherboard was replaced due to failure or whatever.
 
Teko said:
It's true and not true. I've successfully installed an OEM (Dell) Windows XP Media Center OS on a custom build after he Dell was junked. I say true because MS will not allow you to activate it on-line because its bene activated on the 1 motherboard already. I say not true because MS has (or had, assuming they still do) the option to activate by phone --- do this & they'll give you the code needed to activate again just be telling them your motherboard was replaced due to failure or whatever.
Click to expand...


Phone works sometimes...

I think it has more to do with only have one active system online using the OEM lic. I say this because before I went to windows 7 I was running Vista 64 bit home prem OEM and I upgraded mainboards... no issues but when I let someone else use my copy of vista on his system, it flagged him as not being valid but my system still worked just fine....
 
Somewhat related question: If you switch your hdd with oem Win7 into a new machine (new mobo, new processor, ram, everything) and you also purchase another Win7 license, can Win7 update drivers and whatnot over the old install leaving all of your files/settings exactly the same?
 
You could take a hard drive out of one system and put it in another and update all the drivers such as the chipset, NIC, SATA controllers etc... but I don't think thats a good idea. If it were me I would reformat and do a fresh install on the new system. Chances are that you will not need to buy a new lic for win7 either as long as its not being used on another system.
 
King107s said:
Phone works sometimes...

I think it has more to do with only have one active system online using the OEM lic. I say this because before I went to windows 7 I was running Vista 64 bit home prem OEM and I upgraded mainboards... no issues but when I let someone else use my copy of vista on his system, it flagged him as not being valid but my system still worked just fine....
Click to expand...

That's because it was activated on your system first already. The same would happen with a retail version of Windows. You can't activate the same key on multiple machines with a 1-computer license (which is what the retail is). Only difference with retail is you can deactivate on one machine and install on another without being denied the ability to activate on another system using the on-line option.

MRip said:
Somewhat related question: If you switch your hdd with oem Win7 into a new machine (new mobo, new processor, ram, everything) and you also purchase another Win7 license, can Win7 update drivers and whatnot over the old install leaving all of your files/settings exactly the same?
Click to expand...

As mentioned above, you can do so and just uninstall the old drivers & install the appropriate drivers for the new system -- but I wouldn't recommend this. A fresh install is best. I've done so before and you'll run into to performance issues and other things.
 
big thing is, microsoft doesn't have to let you reactivate your OEM copy. They normally do so just cause they know you are using a legit copy and it's quick and easy to sweep under the rug.

I have run into issues before with someone using a copy (customer of mine years back) that they reactivated many times in a short period of time, ended up getting the key blacklisted as it looked suspicious.
 
Way that i understand an OEM licence is (or any Windows Licence) that when you activate it takes a small amount of System data such as BIOS info and stores that along with your licence so this is why when you change main board even if its same brand and chipset then you ahve to re-activate windows which would send new BIOS info and overwrite the old key lock, in turn allowing only one hardware kit-out to get the Updates that come with being activated.

This is from doing System Build repairs for quite some time now and changing a Truckload of motherboards all on OEM licences.

To answer the OP's question i would definately go for OEM if you get the option as it is always the cheaper option
 
There are 2 main reasons the OEM is cheaper than the Retail Version.

1) No fancy packaging and instructions. These things can actually cost quite a bit, and the reduction in overhead means the price to you is lower.

2) And this is the big one.... YOU are your own technical support... They will not provide you any tech support without paying to speak to someone if you buy the OEM copy.
 
Convicted1 said:
There are 2 main reasons the OEM is cheaper than the Retail Version.

1) No fancy packaging and instructions. These things can actually cost quite a bit, and the reduction in overhead means the price to you is lower.

2) And this is the big one.... YOU are your own technical support... They will not provide you any tech support without paying to speak to someone if you buy the OEM copy.
Click to expand...

Touche, I always forget that one but with google these days who needs microsoft troubleshooting its no better than the Installed Help/Troubleshooter with the software lol
 
Oh, BTW, the online activation being denied after it being activated with the same product key before, is also true with the normal OEM copies, too.
(Except that it should let you activate at least 6 or 3 times before the online activation gets disabled.)
 
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