Retail vs OEM vs COA licenses

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard
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Richard

I'm wondering if anyone can help be shed some light on
MS's options for licenses.

Retail - most expensive, but you can move OS to different PCs as you wish.

OEM - tied to the machine that you install it on. Can upgrade parts (HD,
sound cards etc) but if you change motherboards or buy a new PC then the
license is invalid and you need to buy another one.

COA - ???? Cheaper then all the above but can't seem to figure out what it
does aside from show software is authenicate. If you have a OEM CD for XP
can you install from that and then use the COA as the license?

thanks
 
COA = your Product ID ( PID )is located on the
Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker). If you just
buy a license with no software, all you get is the
sticker.
 
But it's still a vaild license correct? I'd just have to have a OEM or
Retail CD to install from?

thanks
 
Greetings --

Perhaps it's valid, perhaps it's not. It depends upon whom you
buy it from. You do need to ensure that you've got the right type of
installation CD to go with whatever type of Product Key you buy.

Product Keys are bound to the specific type and language of
CD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a WinXP Home OEM Product Key won't work for
any retail version of WinXP Home, or for any version of WinXP Pro, and
vice versa. An upgrade's Product Key cannot be used with a full
version CD, and vice versa. An OEM Product Key will not work to
install a retail product. An Italian Product Key will not work with
an English CD. Product Keys and CDs cannot be mixed & matched.


Bruce Chambers

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having both at once. -- RAH
 
Retail COA will not work with OEM CD. OEM COA (if exists) does not work
with retail CD.

You should not be able to but a COA for OEM software but you can buy them
for retail software.

Y.
 
Richard said:
I'm wondering if anyone can help be shed some light on
MS's options for licenses.

Retail - most expensive, but you can move OS to different PCs as you wish.
Click to expand...

Yes. Operative word being *move* - you may not have it installed on two
at the same time
OEM - tied to the machine that you install it on. Can upgrade parts (HD,
sound cards etc) but if you change motherboards or buy a new PC then the
license is invalid and you need to buy another one.
Click to expand...

A new PC certainly. Just how much you can *change* without it being
seen as different is in this case a bit of a grey area:
If it came installed in a new machine it was probably 'BIOS locked' and
you can freely change all but the motherboard.

If it came with something else, eg a Hard drive, *probably* the rules
for being seen as a different machine in the ordinary way of activation
apply (see www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm). But I would make sure of
keeping the component it came with.
COA - ???? Cheaper then all the above but can't seem to figure out what it
does aside from show software is authenicate. If you have a OEM CD for XP
can you install from that and then use the COA as the license?
Click to expand...

COA stands for Certificate of Authenticity - the sticker with a holo
that comes with either of the above. Perhaps you are thinking of the
so-called 'Corporate version' which is a name for a pirated copy of the
'Volume licensed' version

You cannot use keys intended for one 'series' (including as well
difference like home/Pro or Full/Upgrade with a different one
 
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