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I'm planning on buying Vista Home Premium 64. But there's like all these different OEM options. Is there a retail yet? The OEM ones say that it only can be installed on 1 computer, what if I need to reformat? Thanks.
ChefOfDeath
New Member
There is indeed a retail version, and it comes with both 32 and 64 bit versions, I believe. My guess is that you are just looking in the wrong place. Be aware, though, that the retail version costs nearly twice as much as the OEM version, but it does provides more flexibility in terms of installng more than once/on multiple computers, and you can get customer support with retail, not OEM.
My Computer
Your windows installation identifies with the motherboard in your system, so if you should have to format and start fresh, you should not have an issue with re-installing an OEM version of Vista. You should only run into an issue if you change your motherboard out. You should be able to change out any other system component and still have the OEM version continue to function.
In my experience, if your motherboard dies and you have to change it out, a call to MS will usually get your system re-authorized for your OEM copy of windows. Generally it is only when you migrate the same copy of the OS to a completely new system that they may give you grief.
In my experience, if your motherboard dies and you have to change it out, a call to MS will usually get your system re-authorized for your OEM copy of windows. Generally it is only when you migrate the same copy of the OS to a completely new system that they may give you grief.
My Computer
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Nice, thanks guys, yeah I just went ahead and bought the Home Premium 64 OEM last night off NewEgg. I'll just call and annoy MS Tech Support if I need re-activation hehe.