Re-installing OEM Vista Home Premium

[leeland]

OK...quick question.

My friend who just purchased a laptop and has Vista on it wants to Format/partition and reinstall Vista but doesn't have an actual Vista Disc...just the typical restore partition.

He has Vista Home Premium on it...

With the keys that are given out with OEM type laptops and vista...can you use that key to do a FULL INSTALL of Vista or is it considered a UPGRADE type install?


The reason is I was wondering that if I can borrow my other friends FULL version of Vista Home Premium Disc...I wanted to know if I could re-install Vista for him and use the regular disc and his key that he has for Vista...

I guess if I try it out and it says no I will know that it is because the key only allows for upgrade installs?


I hope this isn't a frowned upon question...if it is just let me know...as I don't think I am trying to do anything devious...just trying to get his computer cleaned up from all the garbage pre-installed on it.

 

[Dahak]

well the first thing to make the recovery set for the laptop
the install disk for vista has all versions on the disk and it determines the version by the product key.
so the disk should allow you to install a fresh full version with the product key from the bottom the the laptop

 

[mechBgon]

It sounds like the goal is to get a clean install with none of the usual extra pre-installed junk. Maybe someone knows the definitive answer, but I'm guessing the OEM key will not work on a retail DVD, if that's what you have on hand. One workaround would be to call the lappie manufacturer and ask them for a normal OEM Windows DVD for the laptop.


Sorry it's counterintuitive, but the Windows/PC Software forum doesn't cover Windows OS topics so I'm moving this over to Operating Systems.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

 

[VirtualLarry]

In this thread, someone used a retail Ultimate DVD with an OEM key to re-install the 64-bit version of Vista: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2074719&enterthread=y

 

[Cutthroat]

Yeah all Vista DVD's are alike, the product key determines the version which is installed so it'll work fine. Probably won't even have to re-activate.

 

[leeland]

well to update this thread it didn't work for me...I had an OEM key from my friend...on his new laptop. We wiped the drive and used a retail disc to install vista.

It came time to activate it and i used his Key...it gave me an invalid key error. I called MS and LUCKLY they were nice enough to activate it (gave me the code over the phone)...

 

[nerp]

That's normal. By wiping the drive, you killed the embedded key dealio that allows for activationless install, such as if you restore to a factory state with the restore discs you burned. THere would be no activation afterwards.

In your case, you had to go through activation and because it's an OEM key, you were kicked into manual activation.

 

[leeland]

Originally posted by: nerp
That's normal. By wiping the drive, you killed the embedded key dealio that allows for activationless install, such as if you restore to a factory state with the restore discs you burned. THere would be no activation afterwards.

In your case, you had to go through activation and because it's an OEM key, you were kicked into manual activation.

So is that to say that in the future it can be repeated that you could re-install vista with a retail disc but use the OEM key and then have to call for activation?

thanks,

Leeland

 

[nerp]

With vista, yes.