In my experience with Windows Vista over the course of a few years, I was able to activate the OEM license across three different computers (I upgrade rather frequently) without any issues. So the OEM activation isn't as strict as what they lead you to believe. YMMV.

Oh ya it can be done.. but if i have to contact microsoft directly to do it I don't wanna deal with it. Not to mention its ethically wrong. If they wanted to sell me a full version at OEM price that would be one thing. But me purchasing an OEM version with the HOPE that anytime i upgrade MS is gonna let me reregister it isn't something i'm willing to do. Same reason i don't buy steamworks games. you buy them with the HOPE that everytime i wanna play the game steam will let me. In both instances they can legally take my money and tell me to frag off. but ya i think we (I) have derailed this thread enough.

You would have to reinstall 7 anyhow. Not to mention you will even have to reinstall XP with a new mobo. And by the way 7 does not call haome as often as you think. Don't believe eberything you hear or read.

Oh and they are saying 8 will be released this year.

Perhaps you don't understand. An OEM version means its locked to your motherboard and is not transferable to a new MOBO . Changing your motherboard voids your license even if microsoft is willing to let you reactivate it(which they seem more than willing to for many people, but your only entitled to activate it on that FIRST system, and activating it after upgrading your mobo is technically piracy). A full version allows you to upgrade your motherboard and reactivate windows. Of course both ways you would have to reinstall, However after upgrading your mother board, one way (a full version)your legally entitled to continue using your license the other way(OEM version) you are not.

Its not reinstallation I have an issue with. Its the license being tied to my motherboard.

Or the other option being pay 200$ for a copy of it, which i don't find any more desireable.

And as i stated earlier.. either way.. i only have 4gb a ram.. so there is no need for me to upgrade. If i'm gonna upgrade my ram i need new ram cause i'm still running DDR2. And in order to run DDR3 i need a new MOBO. So theres my next 200$ upgrade right there.. then I'll start worrying about if i need to upgrade my OS. I'm not gonna upgrade for the sake of upgrading, and at this point XP is more than sufficient for my hardware And by the time i upgrade my mobo and ram.. windows 8 will prob be out anyway(or maybe windows 9 with the rate they are pumping out new windows versions).

I never had to contact Microsoft. To be honest, I had expected the activation to fail the first time I tried an upgrade, so I had a second OEM license ready--but it worked, so I kept using the origional key. I guess you could say that it was ethically wrong behavior.

Have you thought about an upgrade license?

-mp

OEM versions are not locked, they are simply discounted [without manuals/boxing, etc] and for sale ONLY with the purchase of hardware [the machine you're going to run it on].

I don't think I've ever had a RETAIL ver of any MS OS.....and these days I use TechNet ....for the price of one Retail W7 Ultimate I have 10 licences of 7, the same for Vista...same for XP.... all variations of them....Office vers [all].... and countless other tricky bits.

If you have two or three computers [or more] the benefits [and savings] are huge.....;)

Not true. As far as I know you can rebuild your machine and use the same OEM version of 7. There is very little difference between the OEM version and the full version. Perhaps someone else here can verify my statements.

OEM versions or any other version is not "locked" to any hardware.

oem versions are not locked to a motherboard, cpu, or anythign else. and having to contact microsoft, if needed, is nothing more than telling your product id code to a machine and it telling you what to ype in the boxes in the dialog window. that complete process may take 2 minutes at the most. i use technet these days, like jafo (i'm pretty sure i'm the guy who told paul about technet), but i had used oem builds for years. every machine i build for customers uses an oem build and if the person wants a new mobo or complete upgrade to a new machine down the road, that same oem is used. there's never been an issue getting it activated.

also, it's unlikely you'll need to reinstall win7 for switching mobos. 7 may moan and groan while booting for a few seconds but it will boot. you can then install the needed drivers. it may be preferred to format and respin 7 but it probably won't be neccessary. granted, when my sandy bridge stuff and new ssd get here wedensday, i'll need to reinstalll 7.

this conversation has reminded me my technet subscription expires next month. time to renew!

Not so, I have an OEM version of Win 7 and both my Mobo and CPU were upgraded.... Win 7 booted as normal afterward and there were no issues as there were with XP a few years back... well a few years back for me, at least.

As for calling MS, I've had to do it several times over the years and it is both quick and painless... and no personal information is sought during the process, should you need to be switched through to a consultant for any reason.

Humanity's great advances in technology are all fine and wonderful, just not right after I just bought my brand new computer.

Perhaps you need to read that OEM license and the EULA. As I stated YES you can install it after upgrading. However the terms of your  license state that the license is tied to The Motherboard. Legally speaking, your not allowed to upgrade your motherboard and continue running that license, changing to a new motherboard voids the license. Not to mention the terms of the OEM license state one must sell the machine they install it on.. meaning just by installing an OEM version for personal use your breaking the terms.Being physically able to do somthing and legally able to do something are 2 differant things, Buncha pirates you all are

Jafo, you are allowed to install each Win 7 key on 10 different machines and you are allowed unlimited re-installs on those 10 machines.

If you generated all of the keys when you originally signed up with technet you should have 10 keys of each Win7 products. Microsoft changed this to 5 sometime last year. With 10 keys, you can legally install on 100 machines.

BTW...thats's 10 of each version of Win7...10 Ultimate, 10 Home Premium, ect.

Also, don't forget, you have a Enterprise edition of Win 7 that has unlimited installs on as many machines as you care to put it on.

One last thing, your keys do not expire if you decide not to renew your subscription but you do lose the abitlity to download.

Nope, I enquired about this with a MS rep when I phoned in to reactivate Win 7 a 3rd time one one of my machines...the automated system said that the product code was already in use and transferred me to an operator.   I explained that my previous mobo and CPU were not running Win 7 as required, and thus I was required to update them to take advantage of the new features, and she told me that MS does not penalise users when hardware breaks down or becomes ineffective, etc.

Despite what the EULA states, there are circumstances MS sees fit not to enforce it to the letter... my instance being one of them.

That "light Peak" looks AMAZING. 2 problems.

1. If it's just now in the works in house at Intel, it'll be another 2 years maybe before we start seeing it available (built in not needing an adapter) in our home PC's.

2. I DON'T have the damn money!!! *sigh*

Better start stuffing those piggy banks now boys and girls....

On the up-side, this will make EVERYTHING blazing fast. Especially if I can ever save up enough money to buy an NVidia Tesla Proc. That thing has 480 Cores! Build a custom rig with one of those and the only thing you'll ever need to upgrade again, like for the rest of your LIFE, would be the occasional graphics card...hehe...and maybe new MOBO's for when super new cards come out.

*sigh* wish I had about 10K to blow on the ultimate super computer. Hey Brad, can I have a loan? LoL

I think I'll stick with my little lappy for now. All this new stuff coming out is making me want to rob a bank or some other stupid stuff. I wonder if I walk into a bank iff they'll lend me some money and put it on my account and when they ask me what account I'll say on account I got no money.

At least that'd be better than them asking if you want it put on you bill, and you respond angrily: "What, Do I look like that much of a fucken duck to you?"