Can I buy the OEM 1pc version of XP, Home or Pro, and how many mobo changes?

[gamefan]

With Vista I went with Home Premium, just for the money, but I got the retail full for piece of mind. Its been a while since XP was new and I forget why the pro version became the std, if it even did. If I need the full retail XP Pro it will cost many times the price of the second pooter, or any of the many it could/should pooters be used in the future.

Q1) OEM or retail full
I bit the (big) bullet for an os on my newly built main pooter soon to oc(see sig) - Vista Home premium Retail Full. It was more than twice the price of the same os from a pooter store that sells a "OEM 1 pc version (when you buy hardware)". I now also need an os for a second pooter. I no longer have any older os to upgrade from, and I have never done this before (have to make a choice of which version of an os to buy), and have had the os come with my hardware. I may have many pooter parts (incl. mobos) coming and going, via garbage picking etc., so I need (at least) one of my os to go anywhere no questions asked. I don't know if an "OEM" XP can do this. I just don't want to buy an os that cannot be taken off one mobo and not installed on another mobo - this may only happen with 1, 2, or 3 mobos, but could be more. But lets face it there could be a dozen hardware changes on each of these mobos while in use, one at a time. Also, I didn't investigate Vista fully. Maybe I should have even not bought my Vista HP 32 at the expensive Future Shop price for the full retail version. I may even end up using the XP I buy for the 2nd pooter instead of the Vista myself - that depends on my experience with how the hardware performs. I hear Vista is NOT a performer, for gaming anyways. But I may overpower it - for some length of time anyway.

Q2) Which edition, Home or Pro (ONLY may depend on OEM or retail 'cuz of price)
Which edition?: one site says "unless you need corporate administation tools". It will be a P4C800E-D w/ P42.4C, using a wi-fi to connect to my main pooter C2D P5K-E/WiFi-AP for internet.

$400 (sale $360) for XP Pro retail; XP Home ($270/ sale $243) - from bestbuy or futureshop. For the OEM versions at a pooter store it is $140 for the XP Pro OEM 1pc or $99 ($85 sale) for the XP Home. None of these are upgrade versions.

from
http://windows.about.com/od/updatingupgrading/a/xp_home_prof.htm
"Once Microsoft releases Windows Vista, Microsoft will only provide support for Windows XP Home for two years. Because it is a business product, Windows XP Professional will receive seven years of support..."

 

[CGR]

OEM versions can only be installed on one PC. You cannot move the installation from machine to machine.

I prefer Pro myself. Im a network admin though so that is the reason why.

You should be able to find XP pro retail for less than $400 on ebay.

XP pro extended support will go to 2014.

 

[gamefan]

This is as important too - With oem do ! even get (multiple or unlimited) cpu, HDD, DVD, cpu, mem, etc. changes? In my case I do have a late, great cpu for the mobo, a p42.6C, so for the cpu I'm just asking (its a guaranteed pair) but the other components esp. HDD; then DVD, floppy... (unlikely, but poss. RAM)


Well I wanted a real persons experience. btw I am at home, not a business. When I mean move it from mobo to mobo the mobo1 dies; the mobo2 is born; never two at same time. So if my mobo gets burried, so does the XP OS disk? If I read somewhere that I can not trnasfer from mobo1 to mobo2 then to mobo3, what I wanted to hear here was: ya, you just have to make a phone call. I was hoping I'd have a grace to go mobo1 to mobo2 hopefully mobo3, and allow diffferent HDD, DVD, cpu, mem changes in between.

But I am relying on you guys - so, you're saying "I'm stuck with mobo1 only!" What about changes to the other components on the same mobo?

Man what a bummer. Maybe this mobo (currently destined as pooter#2) is worth its own oem 1pc XP OS. But I could buy three seperates for the price of one retail full.

OH OH OH This may be a dumb question. If I get the retail full XP, can I install it on more than one personal home pooter at the same time (2, tops 3 pooter licenses). IOW, if I had 2 pooters and I wanted to switch OSs from a to b and b to a I'd need both OSs to be full retail! b/c I also may want XP at some date, but even so its only 1 pooter or the other - not both (licenses): possible option at store?

 

[OnDborder]

"I no longer have any older os to upgrade from"
So you did have a previous os before? What happened to it? Do you have the product key code from it?
I've never bought a full retail version of xp, always the upgrade.. Full retail way too expensive.

 

[Daewood]

just buy oem, and change the hardware as much as you want, sure microsoft doesn't like it but if you call in and tell them that your harddrive had crashed and you needed to reinstall (during the activation process) they will give you the activation code no problem, we do it all the time at work and never have problems with it.

Also microshaft dumps its activation servers about once ever 1-3 months.

As a business we sell OEM to anyone that walks through the door and wants it, we don't even sell them hardware with it. Go get an oem copy and install it on anymachine (only one at a time of course) then if you need to move it to a new machine with completely different hardware just reinstall it on that machine and it won't have issues (no men in black vans will come to you house to get you, I promise)

 

[reclaimer122]

(no men in black vans will come to you house to get you, I promise)

I wouldn't be too sure about that...

Hah, I've been using an OEM copy of XP for the last year and a half, haven't had any problems yet with Microsoft. Had to call twice though to reactivate, said my key was in use. They simply asked for my key and gave me an authorization code, didn't even ask any questions. I was on the phone and off again in under 10 minutes. Just buy OEM! And I'd go for Home XP, Pro isn't worth it IMHO.

 

[renegade44]

I went from a DFI NF4 ultra-D/AMD 3800 X2 to an IP35-E/e8400 with OEM Vista Home Premium. Had to reactivate and get a verification code but otherwise no problem

 

[nvidiaOCmaster]

I have an oem key i have used about 50 times through hardware changes. I just call the # and get a verification code.

sometimes, they people get frustrated with not understanding me(i use big words on purpose), and just gives me a verification code with no questions asked.

 

[CGR]

You are all pretty much tell him to do something illegal.. Just so you know!

 

[gamefan]

I think it should be illegal to tie a os disk to a single mobo.

btw, is it a toll free call? I'm in Toronto too

I was gonna let it rely on the number of HDDs I could use on a given mobo to help me decide. I got more info than I wanted. I have heard of the phone excuses but weren't sure if they were for os installed on HDDs that came with the pooter. I'm not sure if theres any diff b/t this & oem. I have presonally bought pooters that hda the win os installed o nthe HDd and in order to get a (future) copy you needed to backup to floppies. So I can see the os being tied to a HDD (pooter) but not sure if thats considered the same as "oem". It came with the win manual with the ser # on it, so maybe its by number, and the same thing (or not).

I don't plan on having many mobo changes....but maybe some changes on that mobo (HDD). Biggest concern now then is if I want to switch (Vista HP32) back to XP for myself, then again back to the initial (current) plan at the later later date, and if that could be a problem for me. I just got a good vid card, but I am still only 1/3 way through Farcry. But I think I'm gonna just go get wow. I haven't even tried to oc anything - I may not need to yet, but when I do, XP may be necc (compared to Vista), when it really could use some help, or gets a demanding video game. I hadn't put the performance into scrutiny when I got the Vista.

 

[renegade44]

Someone need to make a sticky on MS backing off the no motherboard changes on Vista OEM

 

[gamefan]

http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx nothing about oem tho, wheres that? Wheres the (official) real source of the ms xp pro oem rules, about changing hw (esp. mobo/cpu 'cuz thats the 1st thing likely to push me to "cross the line")?

I am trying to get to the bottom of the distinctions. Theres who, what, where, and why. I think this is always true with oem (the holographic/no-name at least: the best of the oem kinds; a "DELL OEM" could only be legally sold with a dell. I assume holo oem is legal to sell (w/ anything)): only first mobo. But if that mobo breaks, you can replace it. But (insert w's here) if I WANT, but NOT HAVE to, re&re with another mobo. Maybe a better controller, the more detail here gives rise to the many "w" distinctions and I think could limit any grace they may allow. CAN I ever NOT have a broken mobo? Hobbyist, at home.

I buy red shoes(os) to go with my red pants(mobo) and red shirt(HDD). Red pants rip: give us a call. Red shirts are out of fasion. Ok throw away the shoes!? What about the accesories?



post#7 has some hints on the getting to the bottom of the w's:
http://forums.hardwarelogic.com/f18/oem-actual-xp-totally-confused-4633.html
but I am still unsure if the (mobo) has to be broken: if I HAVE a better one. Can I spill water on the old one - I'll even send it to 'em!? But it's looking good at this point: in this situation, for me. Not necc if i want to try it in o/ pooter tho! Then buying twos better than one (or 3 os disks for the same price). HEY, I'm a guiness. This' hot!

 

[DorianBrytestar]

For OEM, that refers to whoever you bought it from needing to return your existing mobo and sending you a new(er) one. That is the only MOBO change that is allowed.

If you are looking for "shady" was to make that legal, don't bother.

If you want to put in a better, newer mobo, then you will be breaking their rules.

Buying a better mobo, then breaking the old one is not a valid reason nor does it meet the required situation for a mobo change. Keep in mind, I am not saying that you would not be able to call Microsoft and get the code activated, I am saying by the black and white of their words, You cannot change mobos with an OEM copy of the software whenever you feel like it.