windows vista serial - oem/retail difference

[bluxa]

Quick question.

I picked up a second hand computer and in the stuff that came with it was a copy of windows vista home. The computer has no hard drive at the mo so cant get any info about it. I'm trying to find out if its a retail copy or oem copy. I know in the past OEM copies have had the letters OEM in the serial number - is that still the case? This one does not have OEM in the serial so I'm hoping its a retail copy so I can install it on another computer instead of this one (I know you cant install the same copy one 2 computers at the same time).

Can anyone clarify?

 

[Aberforth]

I don't think Vista OEM serials have 'OEM' tag in the key, as for the difference OEM licenses are locked to a single computer so you cannot do major upgrade or install it on a new computer. And also you won't get 90 day free support.

 

[Seppe]

Its not the serial key that has OEM in it, but the product id after activition. I know i have an OEM copy of my vista. After you activate windows you'll get a product id which is something like this xxxxx-OEM-xxxxxxx-xxxxx.

 

[bluxa]

Thanks guys - is there any way I can find out before installing it? If it is an OEM version what happens if I try to install it to a different machine?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: bluxa
Thanks guys - is there any way I can find out before installing it? If it is an OEM version what happens if I try to install it to a different machine?

When it tries to activate and finds a different motherboard it won't let you activate it. At which point you'll have to call up MS, but it's a fairly painless process and they'll probably give you the code to activate it anyhow, even though they technically don't have to.