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can I use this Win 7 Pro OEM System Builder Pack?


jbclem

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I just came across an OEM System Builder's Pack that someone gave me long ago, it has Win 7 Professional SP1 64bit inside.  On the outside it states that for a desktop system it must be preinstalled on the hard drive using the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK).  Which I don't have.  It also says that this preinstallation requirement does not apply to server software.

I'm thinking of using this as a dual boot on my WinXP sp3 computer.

Does anyone know what this OEM Preinstallation kit is and if it's really necessary for installation?

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

The one time I tried to use Windows 7 (it came install on a used Dell Optiplex I bought), I had such a difficult time with it...eventually had to reformat the hard drive, that I'm loath to try again without knowing exactly what I'm dealing with.

Your answer is a bit cryptic, have you actually used one of these system builder packs?

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The license requirements are for System Builders, integrators or OEMs. It related directly to fulfillment scenarios, aka selling the OS and a computer. That edition is designed not for retail sale, but for sale along with a full computer system. The OS has to be installed onto the hard drive, the COA put onto the case and the Pack itself included as an accessory. It is basically a restriction from selling the kit on its own in the Retail Channel.

For an end user, you can use it to install to a computer without a problem. You do not need to use the OPK. For Windows 7, only OEMs were able to use the OPK and for System Builders and end users they could use the WAIK. All of that was replaced by the ADK. For those wondering, there is no mistique about the OPK, the only difference between it and the WAIK for Windows 7 (from what I can tell) is one .chm file that has additional license requirements for OEMs and System Builders. With the ADK, MS had made one kit for everyone and now the OEM specific documentation is paywalled and separate from the kit.

A situation you may find is that storage or USB drivers are missing from the DVD. You would need to use the WAIK or ADK to add USB drivers into the image and then rebuild the install CD. But this process is not different than with other versions of Windows 7. If you do run into this USB issue, if your computer has PS2 ports you can get around it (instead of rebulding the DVD) by using PS2 Keyboard/mouse for the initial setup, install the USB drivers and then switch to your USB devices.

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