Can I sell Vista?

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Vorbis

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Master Geek

#20242 17-Mar-2008 19:25

I have an OEM of vista home premium, it's no longer installed on my pc. I want to go back to XP, so can I sell my copy of Vista (including product key). It has been activated.

Cheers.

tonyhughes

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#117209 17-Mar-2008 19:33

No. Read your licence carefully, you may not transfer that licence to another PC. Should you sell it, the new owner will be unable to activate Vista on their new PC via the internet, and if/when they phone MS, they will be told activation on a different machine is unpossible.

Vorbis

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Master Geek

#117210 17-Mar-2008 19:35

So, its an ugly green paperweight then?

Seriously...I just throw it away?

sbiddle

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#117214 17-Mar-2008 19:43

An OEM licence is linked to the PC it is sold with. It can't be used on any other machine.

tonyhughes

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#117225 17-Mar-2008 20:22

Vorbis: So, its an ugly green paperweight then?

Seriously...I just throw it away?

Correct. As serious as termites in your wooden house.

Vorbis

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Master Geek

#117241 17-Mar-2008 21:13

Oh my gawd.
Someone port mediaportal to Linux. Please.

freitasm

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#117245 17-Mar-2008 21:26

That's the whole thing with OEM: you get a cheaper OS, sometimes with no original CD - only a recovery partition - and a limited license. For a full, transferable license you can always get a retail copy.

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eXDee

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#117701 20-Mar-2008 00:02

Question....
If you don't use vista on the PC it comes and did not agree to the terms in the licence agreement, doesn't that mean you can sell the disk and key since you did not accept the licence agreement that said you couldn't? I thought i read a story about this with someone who wanted to use linux instead of windows on their PC.

If its a HP or Dell specific one it wouldnt work on any other PC anyway, but a local shop OEM licence would work on another PC but it would obviously be against the EULA and require lying to Microsoft employees, as well as possibly be illegal.

marmel

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#117703 20-Mar-2008 00:10

I don't think you would have a problem installing it on another PC.

I purchased a NEC desktop which came with a vista upgrade coupon. I used the coupon and received a vista disc clearly marked "for use on NEC" etc etc.

I installed vista and used it for about 3 months.

I then purchased an Acer laptop which was running XP. I used the NEC vista disc to install vista on the laptop, worked fine, including activation.

After about a month I purchased Windows Home Sever whch now runs the NEC desktop. Still using Vista on my laptop with no problems at all.

In saying this OEM versions are supposed to be sold wth hardware. However, the version of Home Server I purchased was OEM and came from Ascent without any hardware so go figure.

dnb4life

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#118264 23-Mar-2008 19:45

eXDee: doesn't that mean you can sell the disk and key since you did not accept the licence agreement

um i'm pretty sure when you purchase software whether it be OEM or not you are agreeing to the licence agreement by purchasing it.

eXDee: a local shop OEM licence would work on another PC but it would obviously be against the EULA and require lying to Microsoft employees, as well as possibly be illegal.

not possibly. it is illegal.

marmel: I don't think you would have a problem installing it on another PC.

it's not that you would have a problem installing it. it would in fact be very simple. it's the fact that it's breaking the law.

tonyhughes

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#118284 23-Mar-2008 22:49

The OPs question has been answered in detail.

Discussion by others on various methods, including social engineering or lying, to circumvent the technical aspects behind licencing conditions is unwelcome here. If you are noticed continually discussing similar things, especially after a warning, do not be surprised to find youself banned from Geekzone.

I am locking this go-nowhere thread.