Re: OEM Windows XP purchased at shows

WIRED wrote:

> Many vendors sell OEM versions of Windows XP Pro at these shows at
> discount rates. Is this something to stay away from, or is it
> completely legit?


Over and above the other answers you've gotten regarding the legitimacy of
what they are selling, be aware of the disadvantages of any OEM version:

1. Its license ties it permanently to the first computer it's installed on.
It can never legally be moved to another computer, sold, or given away.

2. It can only do a clean installation, not an upgrade.

3. Microsoft provides no support for OEM versions. You can't call them with
a problem, but instead have to get any needed support from your OEM; that
support may range anywhere between good and non-existent. Or you can get
support elsewhere, such as in these newsgroups.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


.

Relevant Pages

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