Just reading through the OEM EULA on my Vista Ultimate (it is labelled as
EN-US even though I'm in the UK, so I won't go into the legalities or
otherwise of it here!) I built my own PC, and have a generic OEM Vista
disc.

At the start, it says:-


INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. The software license is permanently assigned
to the device with which you acquired the software. That device is the
"licensed device." A hardware partition is considered to be a separate
device.


So, the HDD Windows is installed on is the licensed device, according to
this. (A 'hardware partition' is, by definition, a partition on a HDD).
Also, I acquired the software without any hardware (perfectly legal in the
UK/Europe).





Further down, we have:

TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY. You may transfer the software directly to a
third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies of
the software or any earlier version. Before any permitted transfer, the
other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use
of the software. The transfer must include the Certificate of Authenticity
label.


So, if the licensed device is the HDD Windows is installed on, where in the
EULA does it state that changing the motherboard is considered as changing
the computer? If I read this right, I could change every component except
the original HDD and still be complying with the EULA as it's written.


Thoughts on this please

"Brian W" <brian.wescombeSODOFF@ntlSPAMworld.com> wrote in message
news:fmsyh.1790$mn2.196@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
> Just reading through the OEM EULA on my Vista Ultimate (it is labelled as
> EN-US even though I'm in the UK, so I won't go into the legalities or
> otherwise of it here!) I built my own PC, and have a generic OEM Vista
> disc.
>
> At the start, it says:-
>
>
> INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. The software license is permanently assigned
> to the device with which you acquired the software. That device is the
> "licensed device." A hardware partition is considered to be a separate
> device.
>
>
> So, the HDD Windows is installed on is the licensed device, according to
> this. (A 'hardware partition' is, by definition, a partition on a HDD).
> Also, I acquired the software without any hardware (perfectly legal in the
> UK/Europe).
>
>
>
> Further down, we have:
>
> TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY. You may transfer the software directly to a
> third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies of
> the software or any earlier version. Before any permitted transfer, the
> other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use
> of the software. The transfer must include the Certificate of
> Authenticity label.
>
>
> So, if the licensed device is the HDD Windows is installed on, where in
> the EULA does it state that changing the motherboard is considered as
> changing the computer? If I read this right, I could change every
> component except the original HDD and still be complying with the EULA as
> it's written.
>
>
> Thoughts on this please

It says nothing in my EULA about motherboards.

Brian:
With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
component. As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with
Vista. Have a great day.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Brian W" <brian.wescombeSODOFF@ntlSPAMworld.com> wrote in message
news:fmsyh.1790$mn2.196@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
> Just reading through the OEM EULA on my Vista Ultimate (it is labelled as
> EN-US even though I'm in the UK, so I won't go into the legalities or
> otherwise of it here!) I built my own PC, and have a generic OEM Vista
> disc.
>
> At the start, it says:-
>
>
> INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. The software license is permanently assigned
> to the device with which you acquired the software. That device is the
> "licensed device." A hardware partition is considered to be a separate
> device.
>
>
> So, the HDD Windows is installed on is the licensed device, according to
> this. (A 'hardware partition' is, by definition, a partition on a HDD).
> Also, I acquired the software without any hardware (perfectly legal in the
> UK/Europe).
>
>
>
> Further down, we have:
>
> TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY. You may transfer the software directly to a
> third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies of
> the software or any earlier version. Before any permitted transfer, the
> other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use
> of the software. The transfer must include the Certificate of
> Authenticity label.
>
>
> So, if the licensed device is the HDD Windows is installed on, where in
> the EULA does it state that changing the motherboard is considered as
> changing the computer? If I read this right, I could change every
> component except the original HDD and still be complying with the EULA as
> it's written.
>
>
> Thoughts on this please
>

"Dennis Pack" <dennispack@hotmail.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:0299A503-A22A-427A-954E-EE97EF8CD622@microsoft.com...
> Brian:
> With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
> component. As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with
> Vista. Have a great day.

Its interesting they state partition.

Now say for example I install Vista on C: drive.

Then later down the road I decide I need XP back with Vista, so I dual boot,
put XP on C: and Vista on D:, I am moving the partition which Vista is
originally installed. Would that invalidate Vista?

Sounds to me like the hard drive is the hardware device VISTA is tied to.
So, changing out the mainboard does not violate the EULA.

That makes sense to me since the hard drive is the device on which the
actual software installation resides.

I'm not sure whether that explains why moving my OS drive from one
controller port to another causes VISTA to de-activate... Has anyone else
experienced this issue?


"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:e4cFCtwSHHA.4956@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> "Dennis Pack" <dennispack@hotmail.nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:0299A503-A22A-427A-954E-EE97EF8CD622@microsoft.com...
>> Brian:
>> With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
>> component. As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with
>> Vista. Have a great day.
>
> Its interesting they state partition.
>
> Now say for example I install Vista on C: drive.
>
> Then later down the road I decide I need XP back with Vista, so I dual
> boot, put XP on C: and Vista on D:, I am moving the partition which Vista
> is originally installed. Would that invalidate Vista?

Beck:
I don't have that answer. It may be tied to the hard drive serial
number. There was a problem with Vista requesting activation after rebooting
because the raid driver was changing the volume serial number every reboot.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:e4cFCtwSHHA.4956@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> "Dennis Pack" <dennispack@hotmail.nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:0299A503-A22A-427A-954E-EE97EF8CD622@microsoft.com...
>> Brian:
>> With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
>> component. As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with
>> Vista. Have a great day.
>
> Its interesting they state partition.
>
> Now say for example I install Vista on C: drive.
>
> Then later down the road I decide I need XP back with Vista, so I dual
> boot, put XP on C: and Vista on D:, I am moving the partition which Vista
> is originally installed. Would that invalidate Vista?

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:26:19 GMT, "Brian W"
<brian.wescombeSODOFF@ntlSPAMworld.com> wrote:


>INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. The software license is permanently assigned
>to the device with which you acquired the software. That device is the
>"licensed device." A hardware partition is considered to be a separate
>device.

I got my OEM copy with a set of harddrive screws. I guess this means I
must transfer those screws to the new computer when I upgrade. Darn!
--
Michael Cecil
http://home.comcast.net/~macecil/
http://home.comcast.net/~safehex/
http://home.comcast.net/~macecil/hackingvista/

Brian W wrote:
> Just reading through the OEM EULA on my Vista Ultimate (it is labelled
> as EN-US even though I'm in the UK, so I won't go into the legalities or
> otherwise of it here!) I built my own PC, and have a generic OEM Vista
> disc.
>
> At the start, it says:-
>
>
> INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. The software license is permanently
> assigned to the device with which you acquired the software. That
> device is the "licensed device." A hardware partition is considered to
> be a separate device.
>
>
> So, the HDD Windows is installed on is the licensed device, according to
> this. (A 'hardware partition' is, by definition, a partition on a HDD).
> Also, I acquired the software without any hardware (perfectly legal in
> the UK/Europe).
>
>
>
> Further down, we have:
>
> TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY. You may transfer the software directly to a
> third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies
> of the software or any earlier version. Before any permitted transfer,
> the other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer
> and use of the software. The transfer must include the Certificate of
> Authenticity label.
>
>
> So, if the licensed device is the HDD Windows is installed on, where in
> the EULA does it state that changing the motherboard is considered as
> changing the computer? If I read this right, I could change every
> component except the original HDD and still be complying with the EULA
> as it's written.
>
>
> Thoughts on this please
>

So, if the hard drive goes south, you have to buy another license? How
cute. Another reason to wait for Vista because this will cause a lot of
flack and, hopefully, they will come to their senses and change this
ridiculous requirement.

Alias

Dennis Pack wrote:
> Brian:
> With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
> component.

False. Show me a generic XP OEM EULA that mentions the motherboard once
or specifies *any* hardware as the "main component". I have changed
motherboards on one machine running XP Home three times and it has
activated every time over the net, no problems. In fact, the only thing
that machine has that hasn't been updated is the case.

> As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with
> Vista. Have a great day.

That won't last. Hard drives go south all the time.

Alias

Alias:
With Windows 98, 2000, XP and XP x64 changing the mother board or
ram triggered activation, usually by telephone. Whether it was specifically
listed in the EULA or not, that's the way it worked. Have a great day.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.es> wrote in message
news:O7tuQqxSHHA.3948@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Dennis Pack wrote:
>> Brian:
>> With XP and earlier the motherboard was classified as the main
>> component.
>
> False. Show me a generic XP OEM EULA that mentions the motherboard once or
> specifies *any* hardware as the "main component". I have changed
> motherboards on one machine running XP Home three times and it has
> activated every time over the net, no problems. In fact, the only thing
> that machine has that hasn't been updated is the case.
>
>> As you pointed out the hard drive is the main component with Vista. Have
>> a great day.
>
> That won't last. Hard drives go south all the time.
>
> Alias