Definitive answers re: install using oem disc

So, I've been all over the installation subforum, queries, stickys, and elsewhere. I have an HP oem 8.1 Pro disc (not recovery) and a system it's never been installed on.

1. do oem discs have the key, w/automatically populates or should I have the key somewhere in written form?

2. As I understand it, I should be able to use this dvd to install on non-HP hardware (one time). Activation should be a breeze. No data in my bios, no UEFI, it should work.

Closest I came was http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html?filter[2]=Installation%20and%20Setup and step 4. "oem" and the whole 'enter a generic key' and I'm confused again. Enter a key twice? I've read the oem disc should install - either "it" has the key or you supply the key - and I need go through the install process once. Conflicting info out there about installing using oem discs.

Help me Obi-wan, you're my only hope....

Installing on a different computer than the Install disc was delivered with is illegal. Forum rules do not allow discussing this.

Strange, I read on numerous sites that it's allowed. In fact common. Legit sites, and none of them say anything about it being illegal.

Then go to those sites. All the help forum sites that I work, all state the OEM OS disc is only legally for the PC it was delivered with.

When Dell was supplying an OS disc with a new PC, the Dell OEM OS disc would have to see a Dell BIOS or it would not install, to keep someone from using it on a non-Dell PC.

Sorry for chipping in, but I'm trying to understand the whole windows 8.x installation thing (and windows installation in general) and understanding this might be part of the jig saw.

If he is saying that the product key is not in the bios and if he is going to provide a product key from the new machine (paid for) at the same os version or a retail product key (paid for possibly from a retail disk) then why can't he use the OEM installation disk and the new product key, isn't the OEM disk "just an installation disk" in this context. Your not trying to have the old installation for old hardware on another hardware for free, right? Do you get what I mean?

He wants to use a HP OEM disc with a non-HP PC. The HP OEM disc is only legally for a HP PC. Doesn't matter if he bought it or it was provided with an HP PC. And if he bought it somewhere other than HP it is most likely an illegal disc.

If you have a PC, any brand such as HP, Dell, Acer or whatever, if a OEM Windows disc is provided with or FOR that PC then that disc, legally, is only licensed for use on that specific PC. You may be able to use it on a different PC, but you do that illegally. One exception, if you have two PC's from the same manufacturer and the original OS was the same (e.g. Windows 8.1 Home) then you can use the OEM Windows 8.1 Home on either.

Just to be clear I am not disagreeing, I am just trying to understand. So, (for example) if a user uses a physical OEM disk just as an installation disk but uses a different genuine paid for (retail off the bottom of the "other" machine or "other" machine's bios what ever) product key to activate it and that key is for the same version of windows then that is still illegal, just because he used 'that' disk, even though he is to all intents and purposes getting what he paid for.

What for example does one do if one has a problem and has to reinstall windows and can use a legal product key valid (for what ever reason, eg original retail purchase, bottom of case etc) for the machine to activate windows but does not have the disk. He MUST then get an original physical OEM disk from the original manufacturer, if they are willing and possibly at a new charge, so he is dependent the manufacturer to do ANYTHING.

Is it a bit like buying a CD or DVD, one has only purchased the right to use THAT PHYSICAL media not the right to use the underlying same data in just one place for just your own use? So your product key gives you the right to prove that THAT PHYSICAL DISK installation is active and genuine not that you have the right to run this specific version of windows on this specific machine.

This seems to me very unfair and since many machines are now sold without disks, quite problematic.

I'm having a hard time understanding all this and I am wondering if there is a single source for this kind of information anywhere, it is my impression that the general understanding of installation, upgrade, licenses, product keys etc etc etc for most people is cobbled together in jig saw fashion from a wide collection of third party sources.

Sorry...

The disk is irrelevant, except where the type of disk only contains a re-installation system to reset a system to factory condition, (this system will automatically install and activate the windows licence if, and only if, used with the correct hardware).

The OEM licence is only legal on the single system that it is sold with and a key printed on a laptop sticker or burned into the BIOS, (actually it's normally a TPM Module, and uses a default key), indicates an OEM licence. Retail licences are never printed on / attached to hardware but are sold in special packaging.

All OEM licences are tied to the original hardware and cannot be transferred to any other system should the hardware fail and make the system inoperable

The only licence that can be re-used on another system is a retail licence that has been purchased separately from a system and is clearly marked as such on a Holographic certificate of Authenticity

Another issue, that I previously mentioned, Dell OEM discs must see a Dell BIOS or it won't install.

Barman58
Perfect.

So there appears (to me) to be an implication that

Installing on a different computer than the Install disc was delivered with is illegal

Click to expand...

and

The HP OEM disc is only legally for a HP PC.

Click to expand...

are at best, misleading. I think semantics is important if you are trying to impart "knowledge" and the person doesn't really know yet.

The OP is unclear, but I don't "think" he is trying use OEM license for Machine A on Machine B. He seems to be concerned about the disk entering its own product key and may want to avoid this. Later he seems to say he can supply a key. Maybe I am too generous.

But anyway IF the software process does not prevent it at any point and the disk is OEM just Win installation for Machine A (or any OS install disk really), you can install it on Machine B and you can provide a product key which IS VALID for that OS version on machine B (more than one way this could be TRUE) and that will be legal. Right?

Re:

it is my impression that the general understanding of installation, upgrade, licenses, product keys etc etc etc for most people is cobbled together in jig saw fashion from a wide collection of third party sources.

Click to expand...

can you recommend any well reviewed sources for this kind of background information? Articles, tutorials?

You can use any Microsoft sourced disk to install windows with any valid key

This would include both OEM and Retail disks & keys. in this case OEM disk is the one that is made for use by small system Builders.

You cannot use Dell, HP, Acer Etc disc other than on the hardware they are provided with as these are of a form for use only by Major OEM Manufacturers, they are these days located in a partition hidden on the hard disk. if supplied at all they are usually as Restore or recovery disks that include the required hardware drivers and also contain the bloat-ware that is a part of the out of box experience, Pre Windows 8x they also contained the codes to activate the OS but this is now controlled by the TPM module Trusted Platform Module that needs the install disk to be correct / genuine during install

OK. I "think" I'm getting this. I'm not very intuitive. The para where you say "you can" you mean if it works it's leagal.

The para where you say "you cannot" it sounds more to do with sheer prevention on or relevance to the new machine than legality.

Is this kind of stuff all anecdotal apart from reading every manufacturers t&c and all of Microsoft t&c or has any one written an abridged compilation of this kind of stuff anywhere?

What is possible and what is legal are often very different

I have seen a totally illegal install work - for a while - Microsoft is continuously updating it's detection methods and monitoring the situation - I've seen users stating that their hacked install has suddenly stopped working after a time when it showed activated, nothing had changed, apart from Microsoft's methodology

The restore disks are not windows install disks at all, so yes there is a preventative methodology involved.

The actual OEM and Retail marked "Microsoft Disks" are the same The Key on the Major OEM COA (bottom of laptop), will normally work with a clean install of a Retail Disk

The basic reality is that if Microsoft's records show a retail Key to be genuine, correct for the version of windows installed and "Not Currently In Use" then the key and thus the install is legal.

for an OEM key the "Not Currently In Use" becomes "Never Used"

If there is any ambiguity then the user will be asked to contact Microsoft by phone and often even in the case where the strict ruling would not be met, the key will be approved ( EG a motherboard failure a few moths after install)

By The Way, support for OEM versions of windows is the responsibility of the supplier, not Microsoft who just control licensing

I DO realise works is not the same as is legal.

OK. I think we are at cross purposes re the first paragraphs of the last 3 posts.

Regarding reviewed source, basically it's a black art with no reviewed source guidance and tons of third party anecdotal. And plenty of misunderstanding in every communication.

Time for me to just give up I think.

You didn't define "can" in your earlier post.

What does "use" or "used" mean. I'm not being pedantic I'm just trying to understand. So if the oem win install pkg was on the major manufactures hdd and my HDD is trashed and I have no backups and I download win 8.1 from Microsoft, and iinstall it on new drive and the product key in the Mb is not "never used" then it's not legal. So what do I do?

Also the pk was for a different ver say 8.0 so legal test fails. But I read anecdotally (who knows) that 8.0 keys support 8.1 for activation but not for install.

But if a Microsoft electronic response of activation success cannot be trusted, as you suggest, then how are we to ever know if what we are doing is legal.