Windows Vista OEM License Question

[Fox5]

I'm curious, but how strict in the OEM license of Vista? Does it allow for the installation of new cpus? Like say upgrading an X2 to an Phenom? Is that something Vista can even detect?

 

[QuixoticOne]

It'll detect it, and it may start to accumulate "points" against making the activation invalid, but changing a CPU
alone should be no problem.

IIRC you might be able to change the CPU, the RAM, the network card, the hard disc, and everything else except the
motherboard model and BIOS and you'd be OK with OEM.

With retail Vista, it'd probably force you to reactivate if you change the NIC, CPU, and RAM or some such set... but it would do it.

 

[Elstupido]

I have Vista retail upgrade and changed my CPU from a 3800x2 to a 5000x2 with no activation required. Don't know if you would have problems switching from AMD to Intel, or vice versa. AMD to AMD, should be no problem, as you are not changing the MB, which the OEM OS is tied to. If activation is required for some reason,, a phone call to MS should activate it no problem.

 

[Aberforth]

It checks for the following changes, each change is given 1 point, if it reaches 7 you have to re-activate. Just remember, NIC and SCSI is worth 3 points.

1 Display Adapter
2 SCSI Adapter
3 IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
4 Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
5 RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
6 Processor Type
7 Processor Serial Number
8 Hard Drive Device
9 Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
10 CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM

 

[Cutthroat]

Since installing OEM Vista every single part in my PC has been changed with the exception of the motherboard. It has reactivated itself over the internet many times, and over the phone a couple of times too.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
It checks for the following changes, each change is given 1 point, if it reaches 7 you have to re-activate. Just remember, NIC and SCSI is worth 3 points.

1 Display Adapter
2 SCSI Adapter
3 IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
4 Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
5 RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
6 Processor Type
7 Processor Serial Number
8 Hard Drive Device
9 Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
10 CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM

The activation tolerance, for XP, is described here (2/3 down the page) under "How does product activation determine tolerance? In other words, how many components of the PC must change before I am required to reactivate?".
http://www.microsoft.com/norge...cy/activation_faq.mspx

And this is a copy from the second topic after that:

What are the 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware hash?

The 10 hardware characteristics used to determine the hardware hash are:
Display Adapter,
SCSI Adapter,
IDE Adapter,
Network Adapter MAC Address,
RAM Amount Range (i.e. 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc),
Processor Type,
Processor Serial Number,
Hard Drive Device,
Hard Drive Volume Serial Number,
CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM.

The NIC is the only component that counts 3. Everything else, including SCSI, counts as 1.
This is of course all for XP.


I did not know there was an official description for the Vista tolerance scheme.
Is there? Can you provide a link?
Am very interested to see it.