Activating OEM

[Joe K]

I see a lot of OEM XP software for sale on ebay. Are these legal copies? How big of a hassle is to get it activated by phone? Does it have to be activated by phone each time you reinstall on the same machine? I understand that it can only be used on one machine.

I've got an online friend who's only income is social security disability. One of his "friends" fixed up a cracked copy for him and it has a lot of problems. Getting $200 for a retail version is quite difficult for him. I was thinking about getting a copy for him and let him pay me of a little at a time.

Joe

[Ctrl-X]

AFAIK, OEM versions are not for resale, so that would make it illegal.

[Bezalel]

I've got an online friend who's only income is social security disability. One of his "friends" fixed up a cracked copy for him and it has a lot of problems. Getting $200 for a retail version is quite difficult for him. I was thinking about getting a copy for him and let him pay me of a little at a time.

Joe

This wouldn't comply with the licence terms. You can only sell the software to your friend if 1 of the following conditions are met:

You preinstall it on a new (or refurbished) PC that you are selling to him.

For OEM copies with the New (Yellow) COA, you sell him a sealed Single Pack. Note that the outer package (padded mailer) must be sealed and still contain the System Builder Licence Agreement (SBLA) sticker.

For OEM copies with the Old (Purple, Green or Blue) COA, you sell the software along with non-peripheral hardware and maintain a record that he agreed to be bound by the SBLA.

You may make any payment arrangement that works for you.

[LLXX]

If M$ doesn't know about it...

[Plamdi]

Or you could buy the upgrade version, so long as you - or someone you know - has an oem or retail copy of an older windows version (borrow it, use the media to convince XP installation you own older version, then bob's your uncle!)

Edited September 29, 2006 by Plamdi