Solved Product key on the side of computer case

[windude99]

I have noticed that a computer that comes factory installed with Windows 7 doesn't use they product key on the side of the computer. Does that mean I could use that key on another computer? These factory installed copies of windows come with a volume activation key, they do not use the key on the side of the pc.

 

[Joan Archer]

No you can't use it on another machine, you would use that number if you had to re-install the OS for any reason, plus if it's an OEM copy it is tied to the machine it comes on and cannot be moved to another machine even if the machine it came on dies.

 

[windude99]

No you can't use it on another machine, you would use that number if you had to re-install the OS for any reason, plus if it's an OEM copy it is tied to the machine it comes on and cannot be moved to another machine even if the machine it came on dies.

if the key on the side of the computer was never activated, then it is a saparate license, I thought. Could you point me to the part of the EULA that talks about that.

 

[NoelDP]

if the key on the side of the computer was never activated, then it is a saparate license, I thought. Could you point me to the part of the EULA that talks about that.

TOTAL BS, I'm afraid.
The COA Key is ONLY valid on the original PC on which it is stuck - and NEVER on any other machine.

There are numerous points in the vairous license involved - the most relevant of which is....
2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. The software license is permanently assigned to the computer with which the software is distributed. That computer is the “licensed computer.”
b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

For OEM SB licenses thaere are also the provisions of the System Builder License to take into account (should the end-user also be the System Builder - which is technically against the terms of the SB License)

 

[windude99]

if the key on the side of the computer was never activated, then it is a saparate license, I thought. Could you point me to the part of the EULA that talks about that.

TOTAL BS, I'm afraid.
The COA Key is ONLY valid on the original PC on which it is stuck - and NEVER on any other machine.

There are numerous points in the vairous license involved - the most relevant of which is....
2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. The software license is permanently assigned to the computer with which the software is distributed. That computer is the “licensed computer.”
b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

For OEM SB licenses thaere are also the provisions of the System Builder License to take into account (should the end-user also be the System Builder - which is technically against the terms of the SB License)

(Not to sound arguementative) Why does Microsoft let me activate it normally and I can just use it and I can run Genuine validations all day long and it always says it's genuine?

 

[NoelDP]

I have no idea - you haven't given me enough information to off a real opinion.

 

[windude99]

I have no idea - you haven't given me enough information to off a real opinion.

I can simply type in the product key and activate over the internet and it works perfectly. I pass genuine validation and everything. So, my question is, why will Windows let me do this is it is against their EULA?
Also, thanks for helping me on serveral issues I have had with this activation sutff, NoelDP

 

[alphanumeric]

The major OEM's like Dell and HP have deal with Microsoft to use a custom activation on PC's with a pre-installed OS. They don't activate online, they activate against code embedded in the BIOS of the PC. Each OEM has their own Master product code that they use on all their PC's. They still have to apply a COA sticker to comply with the EULA and each sticker has a unique product code. Even if that product code was never used its still tied to the PC that the sticker is on. If you do a clean install with your own media it is perfectly legal to use that code on that PC. From what I have read those codes are blocked from online activation. You have to do a phone activation so Microsoft can activate that product code. It might be automatic after that I don't know.

If the OS was pre-installed with regular (unbranded) OEM install media then activation is online and the Product Code used should match whats on the sticker.

 

[windude99]

The major OEM's like Dell and HP have deal with Microsoft to use a custom activation on PC's with a pre-installed OS. They don't activate online, they activate against code embedded in the BIOS of the PC. Each OEM has their own Master product code that they use on all their PC's. They still have to apply a COA sticker to comply with the EULA and each sticker has a unique product code. Even if that product code was never used its still tied to the PC that the sticker is on. If you do a clean install with your own media it is perfectly legal to use that code on that PC. From what I have read those codes are blocked from online activation. You have to do a phone activation so Microsoft can activate that product code. It might be automatic after that I don't know.

If the OS was pre-installed with regular (unbranded) OEM install media then activation is online and the Product Code used should match whats on the sticker.

Can you show me the part of the EULA that covers this? I have never seen this in any part of their EULA. And if this is illegal and everything, then why does Windows activation let me use it?

 

[jimbo45]

if the key on the side of the computer was never activated, then it is a saparate license, I thought. Could you point me to the part of the EULA that talks about that.

TOTAL BS, I'm afraid.
The COA Key is ONLY valid on the original PC on which it is stuck - and NEVER on any other machine.

There are numerous points in the vairous license involved - the most relevant of which is....
2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. The software license is permanently assigned to the computer with which the software is distributed. That computer is the “licensed computer.”
b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

For OEM SB licenses thaere are also the provisions of the System Builder License to take into account (should the end-user also be the System Builder - which is technically against the terms of the SB License)

Hi there
normally 100% correct

BUT if you buy a RETAIL version of Windows (whether XP or W7) you can ALWAYS transfer it to another machine -- you might have to "Activate by phone" though.

Ms isn't unreasonable in allowing you to move RETAIL copies to new machines.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[windude99]

if the key on the side of the computer was never activated, then it is a saparate license, I thought. Could you point me to the part of the EULA that talks about that.

TOTAL BS, I'm afraid.
The COA Key is ONLY valid on the original PC on which it is stuck - and NEVER on any other machine.

There are numerous points in the vairous license involved - the most relevant of which is....
2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. The software license is permanently assigned to the computer with which the software is distributed. That computer is the “licensed computer.”
b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

For OEM SB licenses thaere are also the provisions of the System Builder License to take into account (should the end-user also be the System Builder - which is technically against the terms of the SB License)

Hi there
normally 100% correct

BUT if you buy a RETAIL version of Windows (whether XP or W7) you can ALWAYS transfer it to another machine -- you might have to "Activate by phone" though.

Ms isn't unreasonable in allowing you to move RETAIL copies to new machines.

Cheers
jimbo

The thing that I cannot wrap my head around is that Windwos activation lets me do this. I don't get that at all. If Microsoft really cared then they would release an update for Windows that would make it where I couldn't activate that key on another key. Also, the key on the side of the pc has NEVER been activated. They used one of those volume license keys.

 

[alphanumeric]

Technically Its not a volume license key. Volume license keys still have to connect to an activation server. OEM PCs that use SLP with a SLIC table in the BIOS never activate online.
Think of it this way and maybe it will make sense.
If you had 100,000 or even 1,000,000 identical PC's would you rather,
A: Make an image of a custom install one one of them, and then just use that image on all the rest? or
B: Install windows separately on each PC?
A is quick and easy, B is long and expensive.
With regular OEM install media activation is online and each PC has to have its own product code. Making an image of one install and trying to use it on another PC won't work because the product code would be the same on both PCs. Thats why Microsoft lets the Major OEMs use the SLIC BIOS table and custom activation with a master product code. That master product code won't work on a PC that doesn't have the custom BIOS SLIC table and its blocked from the online activation server. If you did a clean install with regular OEM install media and tried to use that code it will fail and Microsoft will not let you activate online with it either. The OEMs buy a license from Microsoft for every PC they install Windows on. For each license they buy they get a COA sticker that matches the version the license is for. The sticker goes on the PC to verify its licensed and authentic. The last thing they want to do is put the master code on the sticker. The code that is there is there so you can, if you have to, reinstall Windows from your own media, on that PC. The only other option is to use the recovery media which will use the master code and SLIC activation. Common sense will tell you you're not supposed to use that code on another PC, you only bought one licensed copy of Windows.

 

[karlsnooks]

windude,

You have received some very good and very accurate answers.

The logic behind MS licensing defies all normal understanding.

Many have read, read, and read again the EULA and still have trouble understanding. Here I'm referring to people who are far more experienced than you or I at trying to read and understand EULAs.

Even MS support has not been able to get their answers straight on this matter. If you google, this topic area you will find conflicting answers all over the place.

Let us hope that Win 8 is better.

In case you ever need your Product Key and your Product ID (and yes they are different and quite often cause confusion), then I recommend SIW. In the tree on the left of SIW display, then check under Licenses. Link to SIW in my signature.

 

[NoelDP]

Hi there
normally 100% correct

BUT if you buy a RETAIL version of Windows (whether XP or W7) you can ALWAYS transfer it to another machine -- you might have to "Activate by phone" though.

Ms isn't unreasonable in allowing you to move RETAIL copies to new machines.

Cheers
jimbo

The thing that I cannot wrap my head around is that Windwos activation lets me do this. I don't get that at all. If Microsoft really cared then they would release an update for Windows that would make it where I couldn't activate that key on another key. Also, the key on the side of the pc has NEVER been activated. They used one of those volume license keys.[/QUOTE]

@Jimbo
Seeing as I specified that I as talking about COA Keys, it's ALWAYS correct
Retail packs don't have COA stickers.

@windude99
To put not too fine a point on it, you would appear to be in breach of a number of items in the License - I suggest that you read it some time.
What type of License do you have? - what's the second group of characters in your ProductID, and what verson of Windows are you talking about?

 

[windude99]

Hi there
normally 100% correct

BUT if you buy a RETAIL version of Windows (whether XP or W7) you can ALWAYS transfer it to another machine -- you might have to "Activate by phone" though.

Ms isn't unreasonable in allowing you to move RETAIL copies to new machines.

Cheers
jimbo

The thing that I cannot wrap my head around is that Windwos activation lets me do this. I don't get that at all. If Microsoft really cared then they would release an update for Windows that would make it where I couldn't activate that key on another key. Also, the key on the side of the pc has NEVER been activated. They used one of those volume license keys.

@Jimbo
Seeing as I specified that I as talking about COA Keys, it's ALWAYS correct
Retail packs don't have COA stickers.

@windude99
To put not too fine a point on it, you would appear to be in breach of a number of items in the License - I suggest that you read it some time.
What type of License do you have? - what's the second group of characters in your ProductID, and what verson of Windows are you talking about?[/QUOTE]
I'm talking about Vista and XP. This is an OEM license that came with a computer, not a system builder license. The same applies to Windows 7 because I did the same thing one time. I have done this to XP and Windows 7 and both have worked perfectly when I did that, passed Genuine Advantage stuff. I do not currently use Windows 7 or XP like that, but we have a spare llicense for Vista that I want to use on a different pc.

 

[NoelDP]

@windude99
To put not too fine a point on it, you would appear to be in breach of a number of items in the License - I suggest that you read it some time.
What type of License do you have? - what's the second group of characters in your ProductID, and what verson of Windows are you talking about?

I'm talking about Vista and XP. This is an OEM license that came with a computer, not a system builder license. The same applies to Windows 7 because I did the same thing one time. I have done this to XP and Windows 7 and both have worked perfectly when I did that, passed Genuine Advantage stuff. I do not currently use Windows 7 or XP like that, but we have a spare llicense for Vista that I want to use on a different pc.

If the license is Retail, then no problem - if it's OEM, and has been activated on a different PC, then it should be refused activation.

 

[windude99]

@windude99
To put not too fine a point on it, you would appear to be in breach of a number of items in the License - I suggest that you read it some time.
What type of License do you have? - what's the second group of characters in your ProductID, and what verson of Windows are you talking about?

I'm talking about Vista and XP. This is an OEM license that came with a computer, not a system builder license. The same applies to Windows 7 because I did the same thing one time. I have done this to XP and Windows 7 and both have worked perfectly when I did that, passed Genuine Advantage stuff. I do not currently use Windows 7 or XP like that, but we have a spare llicense for Vista that I want to use on a different pc.

If the license is Retail, then no problem - if it's OEM, and has been activated on a different PC, then it should be refused activation.

The volume license key was activated, not the key on the side of the case. Also, Vista isn't even installed on the pc that has the key on the case. It was clean installed with Windows 7.

 

[NoelDP]

That's ONLY possible if there's a valid SLIC table on the machine - or you use a Loader.

 

[windude99]

That's ONLY possible if there's a valid SLIC table on the machine - or you use a Loader.

I don't use loaders and I don't have the slic table. I am not a software pirate, never have been and never will be.

 

[alphanumeric]

Retail can be transfered from PC to PC but only activated on one PC at a time.
Regular unbranded OEM media that you buy from TigerDirect or NewEgg etc, is tied to the first PC/motherboard its activated on. Microsoft has been know to make exceptions but it's not meant to be transferable. Thats why its cheaper than retail media, it has restrictions.
Branded OEM installs are also tied to the PC they are installed on. In the old days of XP you would sometimes actually get the branded install media. Real install media and a drivers disk, not recovery disks. If you tried to use it on another manufacturers PC or even a different model by the same manufacturer it would fail.
What you are missing is that the COA sticker is your license to use Windows on that PC. One sticker one license. The product code is not the license, its merely a way to verify the license.