understanding OEM software

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work. This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer. If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem? Does the OEM mean that the software can
only be installed on a certain brand computer?

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:44:01 -0700, tuuf
wrote:

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work.




Then something other than what you think is the problem is the case
here. If an XP Home CD works, then an XP Professional CD will also
work.


This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM


Please get the terminology correct. The word "Full" means a retail
Full version, and not a OEM version.


and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer.


That's correct. One of the reasons an OEM version is less expensive
than a retail one is that Microsoft doesn't support OEM versions (see
below).


If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem?


Then you're out of luck regarding getting support from them. But
explain your problem here, and it's likely that one of us can help
you.



Does the OEM mean that the software can only be installed
on a certain brand computer?


There are two kinds of OEM versions of Windows:

1. Those that come with an OEM computer

2. Those that you buy by themselves.

If it's the first kind, there's a very good chance that it's
BIOS-locked to the particular computer and will not work on another.
If it's the second type (you said "I purchased winxp pro from online
retailer" above, so it apparently is), it should work on any computer.

By the way, an OEM version has the following disadvantages:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You have to
get any needed support from your OEM, and that may range anywhere
between good and non-existent.

Because of point number 1, I think OEM copies of Windows XP are very
poor value, and I always recommend the retail Upgrade, which usually
costs only slightly more, instead. And despite what some people think,
an upgrade copy *can* do a clean installation as long as you own a CD
of a previous qualifying version to show it as proof of ownership when
prompted. Most people have a Windows 98 CD around, but worst case, if
you don't, you can buy one inexpensively someplace like eBay.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

nope, oem is used to install on new computers, or sold with qualifing hardware.
the type of cd doesn't matter, it's the install key, it has to match the
version you are installing, ie OEM version software has to have OEM install
key.

Some computers have their OS tied to their BIOS and will only allow certain
types to be installed, not sure if HP is one of these. if it's OEM then you
have to contact the original supplier to get support.

"tuuf" wrote:

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work. This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer. If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem? Does the OEM mean that the software can
only be installed on a certain brand computer?

tuuf wrote:
I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work. This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer. If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem? Does the OEM mean that the software can
only be installed on a certain brand computer?

http://www.infocellar.com/winxp/oem-recover-retail.htm

"setupp.ini

ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05

Pid=55034000

The Pid number is made from two parts:

* The first five digits determines how the CD will behave... "

So you may get some information from that. Look in your setupp.ini
and then start Googling using the results.

You could also take a look through the folders on the CD, and
get some hint from the contents, whether it is a regular CD
or not.

Another issue, is the country the product was sold in. I'm in
Canada, and the SKU and other product info (PID) may be different
than it would be in the US. That made it difficult for me
to find out what I was buying here, when I bought my copy.

In terms of OEM, I think there is "royalty OEM", as in Dell/HP/Acer.
And there is "system builder OEM". I bought a "system builder OEM"
for the system I'm typing this on. That means, if I have any tech
support questions, I have to answer them myself :-) Since
I'm the system builder. When I bought my copy, I had to buy
it with some hardware, and I ordered this CD when I got my
motherboard, RAM, and new processor.

(What I bought...)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116515

Paul

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:44:01 -0700, tuuf wrote:

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work. This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer. If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem? Does the OEM mean that the software can
only be installed on a certain brand computer?

I have four HP Pavilions vitage late 1990s to 2000, or so. Only two have
recovery disc sets. I placed one of those discs in my late model HP Pavilion
(2006), and got a popup warning that the OS "could only be installed on an
HP Pavilion". Presumably there is a combination of data flashed on the
motherboard of one computer, and burned on the CD for the other such that
lack of a match leads to an error.

The machines a

HP Pavilion 4550C (about 1998), which has a "SW BOM: 02" on the label.
HP Pavilion 6745C (2000) x2, which have a "SW BOM: 88" on the label.
HP Pavilion 8755C (about 2001), which has a "SW BOM: 89" on the label.

The only recovery discs I have are for the "SW BOM: 88" models, and,
presumably, they won't load an OS on the other two. I haven't actually
tested this, yet.

Suggest you contact HP about proper recovery discs for their product. Or
obtain a retail copy of Windows XP (not "Upgrade" version), if they can
still be had.

Or learn Linux!

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum

"N. Miller" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:44:01 -0700, tuuf wrote:

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my
HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work. This is
not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support
said
its OEM and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer.
If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I
know
who to call to resolve the problem? Does the OEM mean that the software
can
only be installed on a certain brand computer?

I have four HP Pavilions vitage late 1990s to 2000, or so. Only two have
recovery disc sets. I placed one of those discs in my late model HP
Pavilion
(2006), and got a popup warning that the OS "could only be installed on an
HP Pavilion". Presumably there is a combination of data flashed on the
motherboard of one computer, and burned on the CD for the other such that
lack of a match leads to an error.

The machines a

HP Pavilion 4550C (about 1998), which has a "SW BOM: 02" on the label.
HP Pavilion 6745C (2000) x2, which have a "SW BOM: 88" on the label.
HP Pavilion 8755C (about 2001), which has a "SW BOM: 89" on the label.

The only recovery discs I have are for the "SW BOM: 88" models, and,
presumably, they won't load an OS on the other two. I haven't actually
tested this, yet.

Suggest you contact HP about proper recovery discs for their product. Or
obtain a retail copy of Windows XP (not "Upgrade" version), if they can
still be had.

Recovery disk sets typically reformat your hard drive and write a bunch of
files on the drive so that on reboot, it looks very much like the first
bootup after taking the computer out of the box. These disk sets typically
do not include a separate OEM WXP installation disk.

Some manufacturers, like Dell, sometimes do include a somewhat customized
OEM WXP installation disk. About 5 years ago I played with a Dell laptop
OEM WXP Home Edition installation disk. It would install on that laptop and
on an older Dell desktop, without requiring the entering of the product key
and without requiring activation. When I attempted to install WXP on a Sony
laptop with this disk, it did require the product key and activation. I
assume that Microsoft/Dell has tightened the checking so that the OEM WXP
disks on current systems won't install so easily on other computers of the
same brand.

-Paul Randall

In ,
Ken Blake, MVP typed on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:39:51 -0700:
[...]
1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.
[...]
Because of point number 1, I think OEM copies of Windows XP are very
poor value, and I always recommend the retail Upgrade, which usually
costs only slightly more, instead. And despite what some people think,
an upgrade copy *can* do a clean installation as long as you own a CD
of a previous qualifying version to show it as proof of ownership when
prompted. Most people have a Windows 98 CD around, but worst case, if
you don't, you can buy one inexpensively someplace like eBay.

Well I have a different twist on this. As OEM versions (the ones that
come on new branded computers) only cost about 40 bucks per license. So
you can buy two OEM versions for every one upgrade version.

I have like seven XP machines right in this very room. Most of them are
OEM branded versions. I also have two XP upgrade versions sitting unused
on the shelf. They were for me, totally a waste of money and not useful
at all. Those branded OEM versions includes all of the drivers for the
machine(s). So no hunting around for all of the drivers which can be a
hassle in itself.

And if you have a SATA drive, the retail Windows XP versions doesn't
include them at all. Not true of the branded OEM versions though. As the
manufactures does include them.

Unless you buy a machine with one version of Windows on it and plan on
upgrading it to another version of Windows, then buying the retail
versions makes sense to me. But this can be very problematic. As drivers
for one version of Windows, doesn't necessary work on another version.
So you might not be able to do this anyway. So what's the point?

Back in July, I preordered two Windows 7 Upgrade versions. I just got
them and there they sit on the shelf unused. As after my order, I was
running the evaluation versions of Windows 7 and then decided all of
that new stuff just slows down advanced users and it isn't for me. So
now I have four unused upgrade versions up on the shelf. And this is
getting costly. :-(

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Windows XP SP2

Thank you for your detailed reply. You were right ---- the xp pro did
install fine but when I went to activate it I got a window saying that I have
an "unauthorized product key". If the product key worked to install the
software then why would it not work to activate it? Does this suggest that
someone has already activated it? I have a winxp home version that I've
installed on a few different computers over the years as I've upgraded
machines and I've never had any problems.

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:44:01 -0700, tuuf
wrote:

I purchased winxp pro from online retailer. It would not install on my HP
desktop computer. I had to install winxp home for it to work.




Then something other than what you think is the problem is the case
here. If an XP Home CD works, then an XP Professional CD will also
work.


This is not a
restore CD but actually a winxp pro full version CD. Msft tech support said
its OEM


Please get the terminology correct. The word "Full" means a retail
Full version, and not a OEM version.


and therefore I need to inquire from the original manufacturer.


That's correct. One of the reasons an OEM version is less expensive
than a retail one is that Microsoft doesn't support OEM versions (see
below).


If
this was purchased 1+ yr ago and I don't remember from whom.... how do I know
who to call to resolve the problem?


Then you're out of luck regarding getting support from them. But
explain your problem here, and it's likely that one of us can help
you.



Does the OEM mean that the software can only be installed
on a certain brand computer?


There are two kinds of OEM versions of Windows:

1. Those that come with an OEM computer

2. Those that you buy by themselves.

If it's the first kind, there's a very good chance that it's
BIOS-locked to the particular computer and will not work on another.
If it's the second type (you said "I purchased winxp pro from online
retailer" above, so it apparently is), it should work on any computer.

By the way, an OEM version has the following disadvantages:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's
installed on. It can never legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You have to
get any needed support from your OEM, and that may range anywhere
between good and non-existent.

Because of point number 1, I think OEM copies of Windows XP are very
poor value, and I always recommend the retail Upgrade, which usually
costs only slightly more, instead. And despite what some people think,
an upgrade copy *can* do a clean installation as long as you own a CD
of a previous qualifying version to show it as proof of ownership when
prompted. Most people have a Windows 98 CD around, but worst case, if
you don't, you can buy one inexpensively someplace like eBay.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
.