How can I tell if a Vista key is retail or OEM?

[Special K]

I have a copy of Vista Business that I legally downloaded and burned to a DVD. I obtained it through my university and MS's academic alliance program. Anyway, all I have now is the burned disc and I do not have access to the site anymore since I graduated.

I am trying to determine if this version of Vista Business is considered retail or OEM. Is there a way to figure this out based on the product key or some other piece of information on the disc? I remember XP had different codes in some setup file that told you what type of disc it was (OEM, retail, volume license, etc.)

I was successfully able to order a 64-bit Vista Business disc from MS's Windows Vista Alternate Media site, but after doing some searching here, it seems that both retail and OEM keys can qualify for the alternate media program. Originally I had read that only retail versions qualified for this upgrade.

 

[ViRGE]

MSDNAA copies are OEM.

 

[RebateMonger]

What are you trying to accomplish? I'm assuming you want to go from Vista Business x32 to Vista Business x64?

I have zero hands-on experience with MSDNAA, but as I understand the program the licenses are a form of volume licensing.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
What are you trying to accomplish? I'm assuming you want to go from Vista Business x32 to Vista Business x64?

I have zero hands-on experience with MSDNAA, but as I understand the program the licenses are a form of volume licensing.

I'm just curious because I read that Retail licenses could be retained across a motherboard upgrade or transferred to another PC entirely, but the OEM licenses may or may not be, at MS's discretion. I believe you have to call MS if you try to install an OEM license with a new motherboard or on a new PC, and it is the CSR's discretion whether or not to allow you to transfer the license to the new motherboard or new PC.

This particular copy has not yet been installed on any computer, but I was just wondering what my options were for future reference.

 

[RebateMonger]

Again, I'm far from an expert on MSDNAA software. The real experts would be those who administer the MSDNAA program at the University.

As near as I can tell from the license agreements (which appear to be nearly identical at every single school's site I've seen, you can keep using previously-installed MSDNAA software after leaving the school as long as you don't violate the terms-of-use agreement you signed when given access to the software. However, it appears that the license Key you were given is a one-time-use Key, meaning you'd have a problem if you tried to Activate your software a second time.

 

[bruceb]

What he is looking for is a way to id Vista by the product number. Like in xp it was: 12345-OEM-etc or some other codes that would id it as a VLK or Retail copy. I tried to find the list with google but was not able to. I know there was / maybe still is a list like that for XP .. The list only tells WHICH Version he has. He would still need a valid license key or activation key to use with it.

Just found a link with some good info on it (09:40AM)

http://stevejobs.blogs.keznews...se-terminology-part-1/

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: bruceb
What he is looking for is a way to id Vista by the product number. Like in xp it was: 12345-OEM-etc or some other codes that would id it as a VLK or Retail copy. I tried to find the list with google but was not able to. I know there was / maybe still is a list like that for XP .. The list only tells WHICH Version he has. He would still need a valid license key or activation key to use with it.

Just found a link with some good info on it (09:40AM)

http://stevejobs.blogs.keznews...se-terminology-part-1/

Thanks, those tools look like they will accomplish what I am trying to figure out. Although it looks like you need to run the tools while in Vista to get the information - you can't just put the disc in.