OEM Blues - do I need to buy a new copy of Windows 7?

Hi all,

I've come to this forum after reading some of the loveliest support posts I've ever seen on the internet. Hopefully you'll be as nice to me!

I bought a copy of Windows 7 the other day, mailorder. When it turned up it was OEM, which I wasn't quite expecting, but I thought 'hey ho' and installed it anyway.

A couple of days later my machine developed some unrelated hardware problems sufficiently serious that I now need to get a new PC (details too boring to include).

Having read about OEM it seems that I'm really not allowed to put it on an entirely new PC. This raises the prospect of paying quite a lot for about two days use of Windows 7, and the prospect of paying for it all over again next week. This is making me sad

Does anyone know how I can beg my case to Microsoft? Or whether I'm likely to succeed if I try?

Any insight very much appreciated.

thanks,

Steiny

Begging should do the trick, tell them what you just told us.

Just use this method Activate Windows 7 by Phone and explain to them that it was only on there two days.

I've just tried this with the UK support number, but the person I was speaking to clearly had no training whatsoever except that required to type in an activation number. Have you any idea how to escalate it to someone who might be able to help more?

thanks,

Steiny

When you buy your new pc its probably going to have windows 7 pre-installed,but still a shame you just spent money on a copy of windows 7.

steiny said:

Hi all,

I've come to this forum after reading some of the loveliest support posts I've ever seen on the internet. Hopefully you'll be as nice to me!

I bought a copy of Windows 7 the other day, mailorder. When it turned up it was OEM, which I wasn't quite expecting, but I thought 'hey ho' and installed it anyway.

A couple of days later my machine developed some unrelated hardware problems sufficiently serious that I now need to get a new PC (details too boring to include).

Having read about OEM it seems that I'm really not allowed to put it on an entirely new PC. This raises the prospect of paying quite a lot for about two days use of Windows 7, and the prospect of paying for it all over again next week. This is making me sad

Does anyone know how I can beg my case to Microsoft? Or whether I'm likely to succeed if I try?

Any insight very much appreciated.

thanks,

Steiny

Steiny,


If your problems were severe enough to warrant a new purchase you wont be running it on the other one. If that is the case then you can install the OEM on this one.


Ken J

Hypothetical: If I were in this dilemma, would it not resolve the OEM problem if I were to buy identical HW? Of course, being a technophile, certainly I'd want to improve my system with better HW, but for the sake of argument...


James