Windows Vista License Transfer?

Well I have been thinking about building a new gaming rig pretty soon and I will be able to spend a bit more than usual because I already have the essentials( Mouse, Keyboard, Printer, Monitor) but I have a questions about Vista.

I have a nice HP dv9000 laptop that I have had for a couple months that came with Windows Vista Home Premium. Now what I want to know is there anyway that I can somehow get that onto a new machine I build as long as I take it off the laptop? I mean I bought the laptop and if it comes with Vista, or any OS for that matter, I am purchasing the license to it correct? Don't confuse me with trying to get it illegally on my other computer.

So, is there any legal way I can get it transfered over to my new rig without having to purchase a CD or something?

No. Most likely the licence on your laptop is an OEM licence. That means the licence is meant to be used by the manufacturer of the PC and cannot be transferred from one PC to another. If, however, when you got the laptop you paid for a full licence, then you can transfer it to another machine. Seeing as I don't use Windows, I'm not exactly sure on the process.

Hm, well is there a way to check to see if it is an OEM version or not?

If I remember correctly, right click the My Computer icon and then select Properties. In the dialogue box that pops up, you should see your licence key. If it has OEM anywhere in it then it is an OEM licence rather than a full licence.

rvalkass is correct, check to see if you have an OEM version. If you do not, you can install it onto another machine. If you get trouble when activating, just call the 1-800 # and do it over the phone. Just say that your hdd crashed and you had to reinstall. I had to do this on mine after my os messed up. You will probably talk to someone in India, and they will not ask many questions. Good luck!

If the Vista license is OEM it cannot be transferred and reactivated. However you could just call them up and activate the OEM license that way by giving a reason like your motherboard failed and you had to get a new one. I wouldn't recommend doing this, instead I would just get the retail version of Vista, since it allows transferring to different PCs. The Upgrade license, however, isn't easily transferable without a phone call.

Did your laptop come with a Windows Vista disk, a recovery disk, or are you going to attempt to copy the OS from your laptop to your new machine? Putting aside legalities for a second, if you don't have an installation disk then you're probably not going to be able to transfer it over. It's a fairly complicated process. So don't bother calling for permission and don't try to transfer it. Bad juju, baby.
A recovery disk is an immediate tipoff that its oem. The disk might not install correctly on a different machine with a different config. If you have an actual Vista CD that doesn't have any prohibitive language on the sleeve, i.e. OEM, and if you received a user's manual, it's probably ok to install on another machine. OEM generally doesn't come with a manual.

This post has been edited by mikeyboy63: May 30 2008, 06:57 AM

#####-OEM-#####-#####

I would just buy a new disc.

If you have your receipt for that laptop and the genuine cert and seriel
number for Windows Vista, the answer is YES. You can get it transferred
to any other pc or notebook. But you'd also have to call Microsoft
Customer Service hotline when you're about to activate it on your new
machine so they do not see your license as a duplicate license.

(Microsoft can detect if a duplicate license is a pirated copy.)

Replying to Damen

Hi There
You can reinstall on another machine, and use the cd key which is on the oem sticker (usually base of laptop) once fully installed click activate, it will say its already activated, and give you a box with several options, click on call rep and select your country, you will then see a freephone, a premium rate and sms number, under that is an instalation ID, simply write this in your phone as shown (with spaces inbetween groups) and send it to microsoft, they'll send you a brand new code to enter into your PC (the 9 boxes underneath) now click finish and your all set

Ive done this and it works

Regards
Allen

-reply by allen jamieson