Re: FN-FORUM: help

date posted 6th February 2008 11:37


On 6 Feb 2008, at 12:29, Dominic Raywood wrote:

>
> I bought an OEM copy due to my brand new sparkling Dell having Vista =20=

> installed. This was around June last year and there were so many =20
> things which simply didn't work in Vista - wireless networking for =20
> example. Dell would do nothing, as it was a software issue lol =20
> Forget the fact that it was software they distributed with the =A31600 =
=20
> laptop I'd just bought!!!
>
> Anyway, rant over. I had to go out and buy my own copy of XP and =20
> install it so that things worked. I managed to find one shop who =20
> would sell it. It was OEM and all I had to do to legally purchase =20
> it, was to buy the cheapest non-peripheral piece of hardware they =20
> had - in this case a =A36.99 USB card.

That's how it *used * to be the licence changed to close that loophole.

>
>
> It has installed fine. It works perfectly. WGA is happy and I can =20=

> download all the usual updates.
> Bearing in mind I now have a legal licence for Visat AND XP, I =20
> wouldn't expect MS to complain! In fact, if I had a PC and wanted =20
> to install Vista on it, would I be okay licence wise?

Vista was pre-installed. it is licenced only for the machine it was =20
installed on, so no.

I have to say that the best way round all of this is to register as a =20=

Microsoft partner and buy the action pack every year (199+VAT):

https://partner.microsoft.com/UK/40016455

"Registered Members are organisations with any level of expertise in =20
Microsoft technologies who are interested in aligning themselves more =20=

closely with Microsoft.

At this level, you have easy access to the resources you need to help =20=

your business succeed, stay current with the latest Microsoft =20
technology, serve customers more effectively and grow in market impact."=