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My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
installed on it. There was no media included.
We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
back to Vista.
Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.
Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
installed from that.
To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
of the mismatch of OEM and retail.
If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time? Will they
actually be able to assist with this situation?
Thanks everyone!
--
JWhipple
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JWhipple wrote:
[Quoted Text] > My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
> installed on it. There was no media included.
>
Nevertheless, the computer manufacturer would have included some means
of restoring the computer to its original ex-factory condition. If
there was no media, then there was most likely a hidden hard drive
partition containing a Recovery image. Consult the manual that came
with the computer, or the manufacturer's web site, for specific
instructions.
> We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
> she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
> back to Vista.
>
> Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
> load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.
>
Did you delete the Recovery partition? If so contact the computer's
manufacturer to see if a Recovery DVD can be purchased.
> Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
> of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
> installed from that.
>
> To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
> of the mismatch of OEM and retail.
>
That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
vice versa.
> If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
> Will they
> actually be able to assist with this situation?
>
No. Microsoft cannot provide support for OEM licenses. Contact the
computer's manufacturer to obtain the proper Recovery media.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
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In message <OedCMtnKJHA.456[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> Bruce Chambers
<bchambers[ at ]cable0ne.n3t> was claimed to have wrote:
[Quoted Text] > That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
>DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
>purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
>retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
>vice versa.
This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.
When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
installer will act appropriately.
I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
through an equipment vendor)
I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
included with Toshiba laptop.
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In message <062ead115f933be524bdc7e09fe6807e[ at ]nntp-gateway.com> JWhipple
<guest[ at ]unknown-email.com> was claimed to have wrote:
[Quoted Text] >
>My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
>installed on it. There was no media included.
>
>We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
>she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
>back to Vista.
>
>Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
>load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.
>
>Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
>of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
>installed from that.
>
>To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
>of the mismatch of OEM and retail.
>
>If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time? Will they
>actually be able to assist with this situation?
You're getting the "Key has been activated too many times" prompt? If
so, then you just need to explain that the OS was removed and then
reinstalled on the same hardware, Microsoft will activate.
If the key isn't accepted for some other reason, then Microsoft will not
assist with activation.
I've done this exact same process on two laptops here, Vista Home
Premium and Vista Ultimate, both of which were installed using purchased
media, but the license/serial sold with the machine.
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Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
I put it in during install.
I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
and it activated without a single problem!
DUH! :o
--
JWhipple
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In message <b0082e77e63ba6efda9f354758fbe441[ at ]nntp-gateway.com> JWhipple
<guest[ at ]unknown-email.com> was claimed to have wrote:
[Quoted Text] >Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
>I put it in during install.
>
>I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
>and it activated without a single problem!
>
>DUH! :o
Happens to the best of us, glad you figured it out!
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On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 21:37:28 -0500, JWhipple <guest[ at ]unknown-email.com>
wrote:
[Quoted Text] >Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
>I put it in during install.
>
>I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
>and it activated without a single problem!
>
>DUH! :o
Chambers must be saying something like that (DUH!) now as well.
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DevilsPGD wrote:
[Quoted Text] > In message <OedCMtnKJHA.456[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> Bruce Chambers
> <bchambers[ at ]cable0ne.n3t> was claimed to have wrote:
>
>> That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
>> DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
>> purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
>> retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
>> vice versa.
>
> This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.
>
> When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
> only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
> Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
> installer will act appropriately.
>
> I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
> Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
> Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
> through an equipment vendor)
>
> I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
> byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
> included with Toshiba laptop.
I was aware that the same retail DVD would work to install the various
retail editions, based solely on the Product Key used, but hadn't heard
of this particular "flexibility" - for want of a better word - applying
across license types. Just the opposite, in fact. However, you do
raise a good point: that the flexibility must work for the generic OEM
media, as you say you've observed, but not to branded OEM media.
Thank you for the correction.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
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Paul Montgomery wrote:
[Quoted Text] > On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 21:37:28 -0500, JWhipple <guest[ at ]unknown-email.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
>> I put it in during install.
>>
>> I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
>> and it activated without a single problem!
>>
>> DUH! :o
>
> Chambers must be saying something like that (DUH!) now as well.
Not quite that extreme, I don't think, but I have learned something.
Which is always good.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
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On Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:00:57 -0600, Bruce Chambers
<bchambers[ at ]cable0ne.n3t> wrote:
[Quoted Text] >DevilsPGD wrote:
>> In message <OedCMtnKJHA.456[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> Bruce Chambers
>> <bchambers[ at ]cable0ne.n3t> was claimed to have wrote:
>>
>>> That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
>>> DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
>>> purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
>>> retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
>>> vice versa.
>>
>> This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.
>>
>> When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
>> only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
>> Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
>> installer will act appropriately.
>>
>> I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
>> Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
>> Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
>> through an equipment vendor)
>>
>> I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
>> byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
>> included with Toshiba laptop.
>
>
> I was aware that the same retail DVD would work to install the various
>retail editions, based solely on the Product Key used, but hadn't heard
>of this particular "flexibility" - for want of a better word - applying
>across license types.
I believe that "license types" only differ in the EULA.
>Just the opposite, in fact. However, you do
>raise a good point: that the flexibility must work for the generic OEM
>media, as you say you've observed, but not to branded OEM media.
>
> Thank you for the correction.
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The E-machine I purchased last year came with Vista premium pre-installed as
yours did. E-machines also supplied drivers and other software on a hidden
partition along with a Windows Vista premium DVD for re-installing the
operating system.
The manual contained instructions for creating a recovery CD for drivers etc
but the operating system would have to be re-installed via the Vista DVD
supplied with the machine.
--
--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience
Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com
The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
"JWhipple" <guest[ at ]unknown-email.com> wrote in message
news:062ead115f933be524bdc7e09fe6807e[ at ]nntp-gateway.com...
[Quoted Text] >
> My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
> installed on it. There was no media included.
>
> We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
> she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
> back to Vista.
>
> Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
> load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.
>
> Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
> of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
> installed from that.
>
> To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
> of the mismatch of OEM and retail.
>
> If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time? Will they
> actually be able to assist with this situation?
>
> Thanks everyone!
>
>
> --
> JWhipple
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