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Thread: Activating Windows with an OEM key

  1. #1
    Senior Member AD-15's Avatar
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    Activating Windows with an OEM key

    hello,

    A friend of mine has a Toshiba laptop with Vista home premium pre-installed. Naturally, as with all pre-built machines, the thing is absolutely full of rubbish. What I've done with my ASUS laptop is simply purchase a retail Vista key, format the drive, then install Vista. Now, I have a faster laptop without any of the rubbish software manufacturers insist on installing on laptops.

    Rather than purchasing another key for my friends laptop, is it possible to simply format the drive, install a fresh copy of Vista home premium retail, and activate it using the OEM key that came with the laptop?
    Industrial espionage is simply the sincerest form of flattery......

  2. #2
    You're god damn right Barry's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Should work fine, I've done it in the past
    Someone left a note on a piece of cake in the fridge that said, "Do not eat!". I ate the cake and left a note saying, "Yuck, who the hell eats paper ?

  3. #3
    Senior Member AD-15's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    hello,

    Thanks mate. Any ideas on how I can access the key? I don't want to wipe everything off then have no idea what the code is.
    Industrial espionage is simply the sincerest form of flattery......

  4. #4
    isn't trying to wind U up Shooty*'s Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Is it not on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop? It is on all the ones I've tried. Use that key, then you'll have to activate by telephone, is my experience.

  5. #5
    King of the Juice Platinum's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Yep, there will be a sticker on the bottom of the laptop with it
    Salazaar : <Touching wood as I write this...>


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    isn't trying to wind U up Shooty*'s Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    *nods*

    Thought so. Big shiny thing. Hologram. Can't miss it.

    Unless heat and friction have worn it off. When you're stuffed. Unless you go into Comet with a camera and photograph the bottom of some other laptops, but the staff may have something to say to you about that.

    ...

    Has anyone done that?

  7. #7
    King of the Juice Platinum's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Nope and I hope no one would be so low as to do that, not only is it illegal but think of the greif it will give whoever buys it.
    Salazaar : <Touching wood as I write this...>


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    Comfortably Numb directhex's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Ring the OEM, they should issue a new key if the old one's worn away

  9. #9
    isn't trying to wind U up Shooty*'s Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Quote Originally Posted by Platinum View Post
    Nope and I hope no one would be so low as to do that, not only is it illegal but think of the greif it will give whoever buys it.
    I'd hope so too, certainly people on here, but I'd be amazed if some of the less savoury people out there hadn't tried it.

    Does seem to be a fairly glaring security problem, non?

  10. #10
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Quote Originally Posted by Shooty* View Post
    Does seem to be a fairly glaring security problem, non?
    No - all the laptops you'll see in shops will already have activated their OEM keys and will therefore have tied them to the motherboard ID of those laptops.

  11. #11
    Splash
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    No idea about Vista, but with XP the OEM media would only activate with an OEM key, and Retail with a retail key.

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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Have a read through this thread here might give ya some ideas.

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

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    Senior Member AD-15's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    hello,

    Thanks!

    The main problem I had with this idea is the issue Splash raised. But it seems most people don't have this problem with Vista?
    Industrial espionage is simply the sincerest form of flattery......

  14. #14
    Senior[ish] Member Singh400's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    I would check your Product Key with something like Magic Jelly Beankeyfinder first. The Product Keys used and the one on the COA label doesn't always match. Infact the ones on the COA labels don't work, they are purely their for licences purposes. Dell and etc use one set of PKs for an entire edition of an OS.

  15. #15
    Splash
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    Quote Originally Posted by AD-15 View Post
    hello,

    Thanks!

    The main problem I had with this idea is the issue Splash raised. But it seems most people don't have this problem with Vista?
    I can probably test it for you over the next couple of days if you like? I've a chunk of unused space on my VMWare ESXi box, and the missus' laptop has a vista HP OEM license key attached.

    EDIT - 32 or 64 bit? Might as well get as close to your situation as possible.

    EDIT 2 - well the initial install has accepted the key from the retail media I got from Technet, will confirm if it activates fine once the install is done (probably in the morning, tbh)

    EDIT 3 - ok, to confirm - installing from retail media and supplying the OEM key will activate fine. Obviously this is still an OEM license, and as such is only valid on the machine that the sticker is attached to.

    And I've now deleted the VM so there's no naughty piracy involved
    Last edited by Splash; 07-07-2009 at 09:38 PM.

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    AD-15 (08-07-2009),watercooled (08-07-2009)

  17. #16
    Senior Member AD-15's Avatar
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    Re: Activating Windows with an OEM key

    hello,

    That's great man, thanks a lot for your help!!!
    Industrial espionage is simply the sincerest form of flattery......

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