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Reinstall Windows Vista OEM

DasFox

DasFox

Diamond Member
I was thinking about buying a OEM version of Vista Home Basic.

I wanted to know if anyone has purchased an OEM version, and had to reinstall/reformat since buying it?

Also has anyone had the misfortune of needing to reinstall over a few times, and if Microsoft gave you a hard time activating it over the phone?

How has it been for people buying the OEM versions, and getting it activated over the phone when doing reinstalls?

THANKS
 
As long as you install on the same hardware, you should be able to reactivate with no problem. Vista even lets you change the video card, motherboard, and cpu, I believe.
 
i have found the internet activation to work maybe half the time. but a phone call always gets my oem copies activated, even if i put them on entirely new pc. just dont use the key on more the one machine at a time and thats all they care about- its not so much if you have oem or retail. you pay the extra for retail because you get the MS support with it.
 
Ok I just wasn't sure with all the new changes M$ was making to Vista and all the talks last year about all the new hardware activation horrors, if getting your OEM activated a few times here and there might become difficult.

THANKS
 
well even though MS says the vista activation allows more leniency, i have found it more intrusive. again, not much of a bother as long as the phone system works and i guess im glad that most people out there that have vista have actually paid for it. i do hear about activation cracks still but i cant imagine they work as good as people say. imo, its worth the discounted $115 that microsoft asks for the oem copies. had they not allowed oem sales direct to end-users then i would have had much more of a problem with vista. right now all three of my machines have vista installed for $350 and i figure i wont be buying another os for at least 4 years. at worst its like $7 a month to run vista on 3 pc's if you look at it that way...
 
I bought a retail copy when Vista first came out and activated it. Went back to XP (thanks to the Vista clean install from an upgrade workaround). I had to call Microsoft to activate it the second time.
 
I've re-installed my OEM copy of Vista Ultimate at least three times. Activation via Internet went off without a hitch.
 
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