Vista - Interesting product key question

Hi, this is rather a strange situation for you so please bare with me.

My flatmate is upgrading his PC and will have to reinstall his OS in the
process (new HDD, M/B, processor etc) so was hoping to install Vista at the
same time. Problem is, he was going to buy an OEM version of vista while in
America over the summer to save money (MS confirmed this was technically
legit), hes now wondering if his friend in america could buy it for him and
tell him the product key over the phone. Questions are thus:

1. Can he use the disks that I have here and use the american OEM product
key? (my disks are a 32-bit version I won after attending the UK launch, and
I also have both 32 and 64 bit RC1 disks)
2. Does it matter because he has an OEM product key whether he installs the
64-bit or 32-bit versions? (As the OEM's only appear to come as a single disk
with one or t'other on)

Any advice is appreciated, I do realise that NORMAL RETAIL product keys work
the same for both 64-bit and 32-bit, but this is obviously a slightly
different situation.

Cheers

Ryan

(1) No

(2) Yes it matters

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"RyanH-106" <RyanH106@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:4F40A6B1-845F-4C58-BB74-146C915899E0@microsoft.com...
> Hi, this is rather a strange situation for you so please bare with me.
>
> My flatmate is upgrading his PC and will have to reinstall his OS in the
> process (new HDD, M/B, processor etc) so was hoping to install Vista at the
> same time. Problem is, he was going to buy an OEM version of vista while in
> America over the summer to save money (MS confirmed this was technically
> legit), hes now wondering if his friend in america could buy it for him and
> tell him the product key over the phone. Questions are thus:
>
> 1. Can he use the disks that I have here and use the american OEM product
> key? (my disks are a 32-bit version I won after attending the UK launch, and
> I also have both 32 and 64 bit RC1 disks)
> 2. Does it matter because he has an OEM product key whether he installs the
> 64-bit or 32-bit versions? (As the OEM's only appear to come as a single disk
> with one or t'other on)
>
> Any advice is appreciated, I do realise that NORMAL RETAIL product keys work
> the same for both 64-bit and 32-bit, but this is obviously a slightly
> different situation.
>
> Cheers

Hi,

Generally, OEM keys must be used with OEM media, they're not interchangeable
with retail ones.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"RyanH-106" <RyanH106@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4F40A6B1-845F-4C58-BB74-146C915899E0@microsoft.com...
> Hi, this is rather a strange situation for you so please bare with me.
>
> My flatmate is upgrading his PC and will have to reinstall his OS in the
> process (new HDD, M/B, processor etc) so was hoping to install Vista at
> the
> same time. Problem is, he was going to buy an OEM version of vista while
> in
> America over the summer to save money (MS confirmed this was technically
> legit), hes now wondering if his friend in america could buy it for him
> and
> tell him the product key over the phone. Questions are thus:
>
> 1. Can he use the disks that I have here and use the american OEM product
> key? (my disks are a 32-bit version I won after attending the UK launch,
> and
> I also have both 32 and 64 bit RC1 disks)
> 2. Does it matter because he has an OEM product key whether he installs
> the
> 64-bit or 32-bit versions? (As the OEM's only appear to come as a single
> disk
> with one or t'other on)
>
> Any advice is appreciated, I do realise that NORMAL RETAIL product keys
> work
> the same for both 64-bit and 32-bit, but this is obviously a slightly
> different situation.
>
> Cheers

Have the American friend mail the OEM cd and the qualifying OEM purchase to
your flat mate in the UK. Depending on the value there may be duty to pay
but that's life and then you know the key will work with the disk.

--
Cheryl D Wise
MS MVP FrontPage
http://by-expression.com
Author: Foundations of Microsoft Expression Web: The Basics and Beyond


"RyanH-106" <RyanH106@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4F40A6B1-845F-4C58-BB74-146C915899E0@microsoft.com...
> Hi, this is rather a strange situation for you so please bare with me.
>
> My flatmate is upgrading his PC and will have to reinstall his OS in the
> process (new HDD, M/B, processor etc) so was hoping to install Vista at
> the
> same time. Problem is, he was going to buy an OEM version of vista while
> in
> America over the summer to save money (MS confirmed this was technically
> legit), hes now wondering if his friend in america could buy it for him
> and
> tell him the product key over the phone. Questions are thus:
>
> 1. Can he use the disks that I have here and use the american OEM product
> key? (my disks are a 32-bit version I won after attending the UK launch,
> and
> I also have both 32 and 64 bit RC1 disks)
> 2. Does it matter because he has an OEM product key whether he installs
> the
> 64-bit or 32-bit versions? (As the OEM's only appear to come as a single
> disk
> with one or t'other on)
>
> Any advice is appreciated, I do realise that NORMAL RETAIL product keys
> work
> the same for both 64-bit and 32-bit, but this is obviously a slightly
> different situation.
>
> Cheers

Peter Foldes wrote:

> Ryan
>
> (1) No
>
> (2) Yes it matters
>
For anyone in the future who is searching Google for a solution, please take
note that Ryan has the correct answer. Unfortunately, Ryan chooses to top
post and REAL newsreaders drop out everything below a sig. So you'll not
see what question 1 or 2 were by reading this reply. But that's ok, Ryan is
definitely correct.

Love and Kisses,
Doris

--
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