• Upgrading hardware, worried about OEM Windows 7
    39 replies, posted
The Windows 7 on my computer is OEM version, and because of that I've read that Windows may believe you have changed system is you change quite a bit of hardware at once. I'd send an email to Microsoft Technical Support, but would rather an immediate response, seeing as some people may give me ideas for what to do. Anyways I'm upgrading my CPU from an Intel Core 2 Duo on the 775 socket to an i5 on the 1155 socket. As such I also have to upgrade my Motherboard to support the CPU and my RAM from DDR2 to DDR3. Now of course the problem is I don't want Windows to recognise the computer as a different one and have to buy Windows again, but will this still make Windows think the computer is the same? Is there anything that can be done to avoid the problem? Was thinking of imaging the hard drive but I'm not sure about that. Anyways if anyone has an idea, it'd be great to hear. Thanks.
If the motherboard is going to be replaced, then you should might as well forget about activating with that key again. OEM keys also authenticates by the BIOS vendor upon activation attempt too see if the key is being activated on a correct OEM system.
My current MoBo is a Gigabyte, and I'm upgrading to a different Gigabyte, so doesn't that mean it will still work (same BIOS vendor and all)? Sorry should of added that to the OP.
Wait, what did you mean by OEM key then?
[QUOTE=B!N4RY;27685953]If the motherboard is going to be replaced, then you should might as well forget about activating with that key again. OEM keys also authenticates by the BIOS vendor upon activation attempt too see if the key is being activated on a correct OEM system.[/QUOTE] Wow, that sucks
If you bought the system builder pack, it comes with a retail key. OEM keys are only included with prebuilds that are locked to their own systems.
[QUOTE=B!N4RY;27686053]If you bought the system builder pack, it comes with a retail key. OEM keys are only included with prebuilds that are locked to their own systems.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754&cm_re=Windows_7_Home_Premium_System_Builder-_-32-116-754-_-Product[/url] it says one pack, is that a retail key? i have one of these too, and would also like to know if i can upgrade or not without rebuying windows.
I must of brought the system builder pack, it's the retail package with the installer disc and includes a key. My computer is a custom build itself.
[QUOTE=B!N4RY;27685953]If the motherboard is going to be replaced, then you should might as well forget about activating with that key again. OEM keys also authenticates by the BIOS vendor upon activation attempt too see if the key is being activated on a correct OEM system.[/QUOTE] This is incorrect. This only applies if you use the recovery media supplied by the manufacturer of the PC. So a Dell recovery CD will only work on a specific model of Dell. The reason they do that check is because they make a Windows installation CD with the specific drivers for that specific machine and don't want to receive complaints about people installing their custom Windows installation on other PCs and it not working right. Windows Vista and 7 each have two versions of the installation media that will work to install all versions of either version of Windows. Each Windows version has an x86 and x86_64 installation disc, and you can use the same CD key for either the x86 or x86_64 version. An example would be if you had a Windows 7 Business edition key, it would work with either the x86 or x86_64 installation CDs. TL;DR, OEM keys aren't locked to a specific machine. You just can't use the same key on two machines at the same time.
Don't you just have to reenter the key?
Even if it was OEM. Call up Microsoft and tell them that you just installed a new part. And they'll reactive the OEM key. And be polite.
Just call them, I had to do that loads of times in the XP days.
Does anyone else find this arrangement really annoying? [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] With one Snow Leopard disc I can upgrade my entire house in all of 45 minutes. With a Win7 disc I can update one computer over the course of nearly an hour. Then I have to buy another. I just don't get why Microsoft doesn't do a more elegant way of antipiracy. Not trying to sound like a Mac supremacist, but it's just so much more elegant about this than Windows. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] oh and with a Win7 disc I cannot upgrade a computer with XP, in order to do that I need to fucking gather up all my product keys, copy ALL my data to an external hard drive, then wipe my hard drive and install 7, [i]then[/i] I reinstall everything that needed a key and then copy important files from the external hard drive. I can upgrade from 10.0.1 to 10.5.4 without any goddamn questions asked. That's about the same timespan as Windows XP to Windows 7. What. The. Fuck?
[QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27689365]Does anyone else find this arrangement really annoying? [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] With one Snow Leopard disc I can upgrade my entire house in all of 45 minutes. With a Win7 disc I can update one computer over the course of nearly an hour. Then I have to buy another. I just don't get why Microsoft doesn't do a more elegant way of antipiracy. Not trying to sound like a Mac supremacist, but it's just so much more elegant about this than Windows. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] oh and with a Win7 disc I cannot upgrade a computer with XP, in order to do that I need to fucking gather up all my product keys, copy ALL my data to an external hard drive, then wipe my hard drive and install 7, [i]then[/i] I reinstall everything that needed a key and then copy important files from the external hard drive. I can upgrade from 10.0.1 to 10.5.4 without any goddamn questions asked. That's about the same timespan as Windows XP to Windows 7. What. The. Fuck?[/QUOTE] We get it already, you don't like Windows.
No, I think Windows 7 is a fantastic operating system, far less infuriating than XP is. It's Microsoft's policies that enrage me. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] Wow I just realized, that post did sound like fanatical fanboy ranting. Well my point still stands regardless of how much backlash you throw at me. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] Also one last final jab: Windows 7 costs $100 for one computer. Snow Leopard costs $30 and can upgrade all your computers with that disk.
snow leopard is a service pack with a fancy name, and you already paid tons for the mac itself so i dont see why they would need to charge more. its different with PCs running windows.
[QUOTE=Mattk50;27689707]its different with PCs running windows.[/QUOTE] That makes no sense. You buy a computer, prebuilt or otherwise, Mac OS X or Windows, and you buy a DVD to upgrade it. You're paying money to get a better user experience and better technologies. You pay a large amount for Windows 7, you pay a small amount for Snow Leopard. In either case you are getting new more powerful technologies. The price difference is proportional to the magnitude of the upgrade. In Snow Leopard you are getting a lot of performance tweaks and increases, and a fair bit of new technologies. In Windows 7 you are paying for a [b]massive[/b] upgrade over XP and a pretty decent one over Vista. Now in and of itself, this seems like reasonable pricing and such, right? Here is where I disagree. You see, say you have, eh, 5 computers in your household. Mom Desktop, Dad Laptop, Dad Desktop, Son Desktop, Son Laptop, Daughter Laptop. That seems fairly reasonable for a middle class family, right? If those computers were Macs, you can spend $30 to upgrade them all to a better experience. If they were running Windows, maybe a mix of XP and Vista, maybe only one or the other, you would pay $500 [i]at the minimum[/i] to upgrade them. If nobody in the family knows about 1-packs, then they would most likely go out to Best Buy and pay a total of [b]$1000[/b](!!!) for all the sets of Windows installs they need. $1000 is enough to buy 2 midrange laptops, or a MacBook, or a rather powerful desktop(prebuilt or custom), or some huge upgrades in hardware for your current computer. What I'm saying is that if you have several computers in a house, or maybe you run a small business, or run an underfunded school computer lab, [i]Mac OS X has a far higher value than Windows 7 does if you plan on upgrading your computers[/i] [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] So yes, it is different with PC's running Windows in that it's far more costly to upgrade the OS then on a Mac.
[QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27689832]That makes no sense. You buy a computer, prebuilt or otherwise, Mac OS X or Windows, and you buy a DVD to upgrade it. You're paying money to get a better user experience and better technologies. You pay a large amount for Windows 7, you pay a small amount for Snow Leopard. In either case you are getting new more powerful technologies. The price difference is proportional to the magnitude of the upgrade. In Snow Leopard you are getting a lot of performance tweaks and increases, and a fair bit of new technologies. In Windows 7 you are paying for a [b]massive[/b] upgrade over XP and a pretty decent one over Vista. Now in and of itself, this seems like reasonable pricing and such, right? Here is where I disagree. You see, say you have, eh, 5 computers in your household. Mom Desktop, Dad Laptop, Dad Desktop, Son Desktop, Son Laptop, Daughter Laptop. That seems fairly reasonable for a middle class family, right? If those computers were Macs, you can spend $30 to upgrade them all to a better experience. If they were running Windows, maybe a mix of XP and Vista, maybe only one or the other, you would pay $500 [i]at the minimum[/i] to upgrade them. If nobody in the family knows about 1-packs, then they would most likely go out to Best Buy and pay a total of [b]$1000[/b](!!!) for all the sets of Windows installs they need. $1000 is enough to buy 2 midrange laptops, or a MacBook, or a rather powerful desktop(prebuilt or custom), or some huge upgrades in hardware for your current computer. What I'm saying is that if you have several computers in a house, or maybe you run a small business, or run an underfunded school computer lab, [i]Mac OS X has a far higher value than Windows 7 does if you plan on upgrading your computers[/i] [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] So yes, it is different with PC's running Windows in that it's far more costly to upgrade the OS then on a Mac.[/QUOTE] You seem to forget that Windows does a lot more than OS X never will be able to. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] And just like you said, all "Snow Leopard" is is a bunch of performance tweaks. Is that worth $30? I think not.
Snow Leopard is only $30... but the mac is..
Snow Leopard is $30 for one person, $50 for 5 people in the same house. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] Also, [url]http://www.amazon.com/Mac-OS-Version-10-5-6-Leopard/dp/B000FK88JK[/url] Huh.
lol, 1000, your numbers are way off. try again, and this time dont make shit up. anyway, its DIFFERENT with macs because the manufacturer and the OS are from the same people. they charge you tons more for the hardware, they get the money from you either way, and its more money, much more. this is well known. also, windows doesnt charge you for fucking service packs. anyway, the answer is linux in an "underfunded environment" because macs are overpriced to retard levels, and its not worth any savings you will make from cheaper os "upgrades". besides, why would an underfunded enviorment need to upgrade? oh, thats right, apple refuses to update anything you dont shit out MORE money for. herpdaderp.
[QUOTE=Odellus;27689941]You seem to forget that Windows does a lot more than OS X never will be able to.[/quote] Um no. Both operating systems are capable of doing practically anything, except game competently. That belongs to Windows. [quote]And just like you said, all "Snow Leopard" is is a bunch of performance tweaks. Is that worth $30? I think not.[/QUOTE] I believe it is, due to including such lovely technology as GCD, which lets the OPERATING SYSTEM control multithreaded applications, so developers have to add a small amount of code to their project and then it can work on 12 hyperthreaded cores, even if it's just a facebook checker.
[QUOTE=bohb;27686277]So a Dell recovery CD will only work on a specific model of Dell. The reason they do that check is because they make a Windows installation CD with the specific drivers for that specific machine and don't want to receive complaints about people installing their custom Windows installation on other PCs and it not working right.[/QUOTE] Actually, I used a Dell install CD with a Gateway comp and it worked :v: Except now it says the Gateway is a Dell in System info.
[QUOTE=Mattk50;27689999]lol, 1000, your numbers are way off. try again, and this time dont make shit up.[/quote] I had to go to bestbuy to buy my copy of Windows 7 since I needed my computer running ASAP. It was $200. $200 times five equals $1000. This is pretty basic stuff. [quote]anyway, its DIFFERENT with macs because the manufacturer and the OS are from the same people. they charge you tons more for the hardware, they get the money from you either way, and its more money, much more. this is well known. also, windows doesnt charge you for fucking service packs. [/quote] This is true. [quote]anyway, the answer is linux in an "underfunded environment" because macs are overpriced to retard levels, and its not worth any savings you will make from cheaper os "upgrades".[/quote] Apple discounts enormously for schools. It's a fairly well known fact. [/quote] besides, why would an underfunded enviorment need to upgrade? oh, thats right, apple refuses to update anything you dont shit out MORE money for. herpdaderp.[/QUOTE] An underfunded enviroment simply cannot upgrade at any desirable rate of speed at all. Mac or Windows PC, they simply cannot upgrade. I know, I am basically doing most of the work for my school in slowly upgrading their computers. It's massively hard work. They are using mostly Pentium 3 computers for the individual classrooms. There is ONE core 2 duo machine in the back office. The computer lab has to render animations and videos on 2.8ghz non hyperthreading celeron D's. They cannot use the 3D element of Photoshop apparently because Geforce 2 MX's aren't powerful enough for that. The motherboards only have AGP slots so it is really hard to find a better part for a good price. Our best rendering machine is a 2.8ghz hyperthreading Pentium 4 machine with a Geforce 210 and 2gb of RAM. It was only in the past couple months thanks to my donations that we were able to get all the rendering machines at or above 1gb of RAM. It is a pain to upgrade in an underfunded environment, we are constantly sending out letters basically begging for $20 donations. Half of the rendering machines will crash on a 2000 poly model. I have a Mac Mini that will render faster than these things and not crash doing it. If we find a Pentium 4 machine in a dump it's considered a huge score. Macs are supremely discounted for schools. They have less crap to deal with, and yes, they don't get viruses. Because there are only about 10 known ones. (Don't give me that nobody cares enough about OS X to make a virus bullshit. All it benefits is me.) You don't have to clean out registries, you don't have to reinstall the operating system every half a year because it gets clogged up with bullshit anywhere near as easily as Windows does. So yes, OS X is easier to maintain than Windows by a lot.
[QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27690207]Um no. Both operating systems are capable of doing practically anything, except game competently. That belongs to Windows. I believe it is, due to including such lovely technology as GCD, which lets the OPERATING SYSTEM control multithreaded applications, so developers have to add a small amount of code to their project and then it can work on 12 hyperthreaded cores, even if it's just a facebook checker.[/QUOTE] And the average person would give a shit about that why? You can't play games and the average person isn't going to be editing two hour long raw video. [QUOTE=Odellus;27689980]Snow Leopard is $30 for one person, $50 for 5 people in the same house. Also, [url]http://www.amazon.com/Mac-OS-Version-10-5-6-Leopard/dp/B000FK88JK[/url] Huh.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27690381]I had to go to bestbuy to buy my copy of Windows 7 since I needed my computer running ASAP. It was $200. $200 times five equals $1000. This is pretty basic stuff.[/QUOTE] You bought Windows 7 from Best Buy. Guess what, Windows based PCs get hugely discounted too and they don't get clogged up in half a year, what? My laptop has been running Vista for almost three years with hardly any maintenance and it still works perfectly. Why do you keep bringing up hyperthreading? Only a handful of CPUs utilize it.
Let's talk about "Upgrading hardware, worried about OEM Windows 7" instead of having [I]another[/I] Mac vs. PC war.
Mac OSX costs 30$ if you buy from Apple and already own an earlier version. Otherwise it's more than Windows. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Justice;27691317]I find it unbelievable that people would actually bother arguing with MacTrekkie after what he's said previously. It's pretty obvious that he has extremely biased opinions and just likes to throw them everywhere, nothing out of the ordinary here.[/QUOTE] MacTrekkie likes Mac OSX more than Windows, I've never seen him being incredibly biased. Okay, I didn't read the whole page before I made that reply.
[QUOTE=bohb;27686277]This is incorrect. This only applies if you use the recovery media supplied by the manufacturer of the PC. So a Dell recovery CD will only work on a specific model of Dell. The reason they do that check is because they make a Windows installation CD with the specific drivers for that specific machine and don't want to receive complaints about people installing their custom Windows installation on other PCs and it not working right. Windows Vista and 7 each have two versions of the installation media that will work to install all versions of either version of Windows. Each Windows version has an x86 and x86_64 installation disc, and you can use the same CD key for either the x86 or x86_64 version. An example would be if you had a Windows 7 Business edition key, it would work with either the x86 or x86_64 installation CDs. TL;DR, OEM keys aren't locked to a specific machine. You just can't use the same key on two machines at the same time.[/QUOTE] [img]http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~nrudzi1/images/TheMoreYouKnow.gif[/img]
[QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27689365]Does anyone else find this arrangement really annoying? [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] With one Snow Leopard disc I can upgrade my entire house in all of 45 minutes. With a Win7 disc I can update one computer over the course of nearly an hour. Then I have to buy another. I just don't get why Microsoft doesn't do a more elegant way of antipiracy. Not trying to sound like a Mac supremacist, but it's just so much more elegant about this than Windows. [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] oh and with a Win7 disc I cannot upgrade a computer with XP, in order to do that I need to fucking gather up all my product keys, copy ALL my data to an external hard drive, then wipe my hard drive and install 7, [i]then[/i] I reinstall everything that needed a key and then copy important files from the external hard drive. I can upgrade from 10.0.1 to 10.5.4 without any goddamn questions asked. That's about the same timespan as Windows XP to Windows 7. What. The. Fuck?[/QUOTE] stop taking up my screen space by preaching about macs, you fucking attention whore [editline]27th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27690381] An underfunded enviroment simply cannot upgrade at any desirable rate of speed at all. Mac or Windows PC, they simply cannot upgrade. I know, I am basically doing most of the work for my school in slowly upgrading their computers. It's massively hard work. They are using mostly Pentium 3 computers for the individual classrooms. There is ONE core 2 duo machine in the back office. The computer lab has to render animations and videos on 2.8ghz non hyperthreading celeron D's. They cannot use the 3D element of Photoshop apparently because Geforce 2 MX's aren't powerful enough for that. The motherboards only have AGP slots so it is really hard to find a better part for a good price. Our best rendering machine is a 2.8ghz hyperthreading Pentium 4 machine with a Geforce 210 and 2gb of RAM. It was only in the past couple months thanks to my donations that we were able to get all the rendering machines at or above 1gb of RAM. It is a pain to upgrade in an underfunded environment, we are constantly sending out letters basically begging for $20 donations. Half of the rendering machines will crash on a 2000 poly model. I have a Mac Mini that will render faster than these things and not crash doing it. If we find a Pentium 4 machine in a dump it's considered a huge score. Macs are supremely discounted for schools. They have less crap to deal with, and yes, they don't get viruses. Because there are only about 10 known ones. (Don't give me that nobody cares enough about OS X to make a virus bullshit. All it benefits is me.) You don't have to clean out registries, you don't have to reinstall the operating system every half a year because it gets clogged up with bullshit anywhere near as easily as Windows does. So yes, OS X is easier to maintain than Windows by a lot.[/QUOTE] WOW REALLY, a decade old pc runs worse than a year old mac? Stop the fucking presses, this changes everything.
[QUOTE=MacTrekkie;27689619] Also one last final jab: Windows 7 costs $100 for one computer. Snow Leopard costs $30 and can upgrade all your computers with that disk.[/QUOTE] you know whats funny no one insulted apple or even mentioned them here so you just brought this whole thing up to troll great judgment there bud the fact you have that title pretty much marks all of your posts as invalid now, at least to me. especially the "Deal with it"
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