Windows 7 Licensing Question 5

[ts8586]

I want to give a desktop PC that I have sitting around, which is running a corporate licensed version of Windows 7 Professional, to a friend, who in turn wants to give it to a family member as a gift. I think they only really want it because it's already loaded with Windows 7, and they no nothing about computers, meaning, they would be lost if they had to re-load an operating system on it.

My question is, if this person tried to contact Microsoft for support on it, would Microsoft know that is a license that my company paid for, would Microsoft charge them for support (meaning that they only care that's it's a genuine copy of Windows 7), or should I ask this person to buy their own copy of Windows 7 and pay me to re-install it?

 

[goombawaho]

should I ask this person to buy their own copy of Windows 7 and pay me to re-install it?

From a software licensing perspective, this is the only correct answer.

You getting fired is another option you didn't mention, if you're in the IT department. No company wants their VLK out in the world.

if this person tried to contact Microsoft for support on it, would Microsoft know that is a license that my company paid for,

IF they bothered to look it up, they would know. Can't say if they would bother or if it's part of a normal service call.

 

[DrB0b]

Why do you , on your own personal PC, have a company licensed version of 7 installed? Did the company buy the PC for you to use at your home?

Im with Goomba on that you are basically giving away something that isnt yours to begin with, regardless of intent.

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[ts8586]

No, it was in the pile of computers and other equipment to be recycled. I have no idea why. Just a few big scratches on it, besides that, it's still completely operational. I've already wiped it clean. Thanks for the obvious answers!

 

[DrB0b]

Ubuntu! Free and similar enough to Windows.

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[ts8586]

Great idea, Dr. Bob.

 

[goombawaho]

Thanks for the obvious answers!

I'm the king of obvious answers. Wait, was that a compliment or a dig? Yeah, Ubuntu - not a bad idea given the circumstances.

 

[rclarke250]

I know that when we get a technology refresh. sometimes they allow us to purchase the old machine. (not since Lenovo bought the thinkpad business) And we were never told to wipe the drive and start over, but it had a COA for whatever windows originally shipped on it. Just no restore partition, or media. Of course as a tech, we would just look up the fru and order it to the office, as it was a green part anyways. So there should be a valid OEM COA on it, that has most likely never been used. I refurbish lease laptops all the time that still have usable COA stickers on the machine.

 

[ts8586]

Not a dig towards you at all, goombawaho. More of a dig at myself than anything!

 

[goombawaho]

No worries - I laugh at myself all the time. Excellent point by rclarke250. If the machine has a regular OEM COA on it (which would be unrelated to the company volume licensing) you could download a Windows 7 DVD and use that key code to activate Windows.

Download location:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/downl...cial-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

 

[ChrisHirst]

you could download a Windows 7 DVD and use that key code to activate Windows.

But don't try and validate it "online". Validate by "telephone" instead, so you have the opportunity to specify it is a reinstallation.



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[flyboytim]

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/windows_8_3999_upgrade_offer_will_support_release_preview

Install the free Windows 8 release preview over the installed Windows 7 then upgrade to full Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 in October.

 

[goombawaho]

But don't try and validate it "online". Validate by "telephone" instead, so you have the opportunity to specify it is a reinstallation.

I don't know that that would be required because the original COA has likely never been activated. I would try an online activation first. Let us know which is required.

Most OEM computers come with a factory key code which is used on thousands similar models and the actual COA on the bottom is NOT in the registry of the computer if you look at it with a key sniffing program.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

OEW licences live and die with the PC.

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[goombawaho]

OEW licences live and die with the PC.

First, do you mean OEM??
Second, what does this have to do with the current discussion? We're talking about using a NEVER USED key code to register windows as if for the first time after installation. It has never lived, so it can't be dead. Yes, it is tied to that computer for life though. It's life is just ready to begin.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Yus OEM - think I misread part of this thread somewhere.

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[ChrisHirst]

OEW licences live and die with the PC.

Only in theory or in the M$ ideal world.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

Only in theory or in the M$ ideal world.

This site only supports answers that comply with software manufacturer's EULAs because to give advice otherwise is on the black side of things. Just sayin', but you can do what you want.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Man I've been buying and using OEM licences for a long while now all perfectly legitimately and well within the terms of the M$ EULA. You can buy OEM licences at at a wholesalers along with purchasing a new hardware component for the computer, such as a video card, sound card, memory, HDD, etc. fitting this hardware actually means you have become an OEM even if you have only built or upgraded that one machine in your entire life.

On the other hand, if you have bought a mass market PC with an OEM license and change ANY component, you are then supposed to buy another OEM/Retail license to go with that machine because it is no longer the same machine that was licensed.

Anti-competitive? Draconian, License to print money? Now if you are a home or or small business user are you really going to buy ANOTHER license for the machine you already bought with a license?

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

and change ANY component, you are then supposed to buy another OEM/Retail license

This is NOT correct. You can change any component except the motherboard brand/model and not violate the EULA. Or I should say, not change the motherboard out because you want an upgrade. If it dies and you replace it with similar, no problem. Windows might not even notice (and require reactivation) if the new mobo is close enough. Hard drives, video cards, memory, optical drives, sound cards - they're all okay to change/update/replace.

Now, if you change enough things in a short period of time, windows may ask you to reactivate, but you certainly don't need to buy a new OEM license.

There's a weighting scale for changes that get Microsoft Windows Activation Technology excited.

http://searchsystemschannel.techtarget.com/feature/How-Windows-7-hardware-upgrades-affect-licensing