My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
installed on it. There was no media included.

We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
back to Vista.

Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.

Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
installed from that.

To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
of the mismatch of OEM and retail.

If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time? Will they
actually be able to assist with this situation?

Thanks everyone!


--
JWhipple

JWhipple wrote:
My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
installed on it. There was no media included.



Nevertheless, the computer manufacturer would have included some means
of restoring the computer to its original ex-factory condition. If
there was no media, then there was most likely a hidden hard drive
partition containing a Recovery image. Consult the manual that came
with the computer, or the manufacturer's web site, for specific
instructions.


We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
back to Vista.

Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.



Did you delete the Recovery partition? If so contact the computer's
manufacturer to see if a Recovery DVD can be purchased.


Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
installed from that.

To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
of the mismatch of OEM and retail.


That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
vice versa.


If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time?


Yes, I'm afraid so.


Will they
actually be able to assist with this situation?



No. Microsoft cannot provide support for OEM licenses. Contact the
computer's manufacturer to obtain the proper Recovery media.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

In message Bruce Chambers
was claimed to have wrote:

That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
vice versa.

This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.

When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
installer will act appropriately.

I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
through an equipment vendor)

I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
included with Toshiba laptop.

In message JWhipple
was claimed to have wrote:


My wife's EMachine PC came with an OEM load of Vista Home Premium
installed on it. There was no media included.

We had to install XP Pro on the machine because of some classes that
she was taking. Now that said classes are over with, she wanted to go
back to Vista.

Unfortunately now we couldn't do a restore back to the original factory
load - something got hosed up when we went to XP.

Since I had the Vista serial number that was on the label on the back
of the machine, I borrowed my friend's Vista Home Premium retail DVD and
installed from that.

To my dismay, now we can't activate with Microsoft - I assume because
of the mismatch of OEM and retail.

If I call Microsoft to activate, am I wasting my time? Will they
actually be able to assist with this situation?

You're getting the "Key has been activated too many times" prompt? If
so, then you just need to explain that the OS was removed and then
reinstalled on the same hardware, Microsoft will activate.

If the key isn't accepted for some other reason, then Microsoft will not
assist with activation.

I've done this exact same process on two laptops here, Vista Home
Premium and Vista Ultimate, both of which were installed using purchased
media, but the license/serial sold with the machine.

Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
I put it in during install.

I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
and it activated without a single problem!

DUH!


--
JWhipple

In message JWhipple
was claimed to have wrote:

Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
I put it in during install.

I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
and it activated without a single problem!

DUH!

Happens to the best of us, glad you figured it out!

On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 21:37:28 -0500, JWhipple
wrote:

Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
I put it in during install.

I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
and it activated without a single problem!

DUH!

Chambers must be saying something like that (DUH!) now as well.

DevilsPGD wrote:
In message Bruce Chambers
was claimed to have wrote:

That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
vice versa.

This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.

When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
installer will act appropriately.

I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
through an equipment vendor)

I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
included with Toshiba laptop.


I was aware that the same retail DVD would work to install the various
retail editions, based solely on the Product Key used, but hadn't heard
of this particular "flexibility" - for want of a better word - applying
across license types. Just the opposite, in fact. However, you do
raise a good point: that the flexibility must work for the generic OEM
media, as you say you've observed, but not to branded OEM media.

Thank you for the correction.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

Paul Montgomery wrote:
On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 21:37:28 -0500, JWhipple
wrote:

Man oh man do I feel stupid! I must have just fat-fingered the key when
I put it in during install.

I just selected the option to enter another key and typed it in again
and it activated without a single problem!

DUH!

Chambers must be saying something like that (DUH!) now as well.


Not quite that extreme, I don't think, but I have learned something.
Which is always good.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

On Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:00:57 -0600, Bruce Chambers
wrote:

DevilsPGD wrote:
In message Bruce Chambers
was claimed to have wrote:

That's correct. Product Keys are bound to the specific type of
DVD/license (OEM, Volume, retail, full, or Upgrade) with which they are
purchased. For example, a Vista Home OEM Product Key won't work for any
retail version of Vista Home, or for other any version of Vista, and
vice versa.

This was true in XP, but is *not* true in Vista.

When you're dealing with recovery type media, it may still be true that
only a valid OEM key will work, but when you're talking about retail
Vista DVDs, you can use any full, upgrade or OEM license, the Vista
installer will act appropriately.

I've personally tested this, I have OEM keys for Vista Ultimate and Home
Premium here, both install just fine with my retail media as well as
Microsoft-branded OEM media (purchased as OEM rather then acquired
through an equipment vendor)

I've also checked that the retail DVDs and OEM DVDs are also byte for
byte identical, and happen to match the non-recovery format OEM DVD
included with Toshiba laptop.


I was aware that the same retail DVD would work to install the various
retail editions, based solely on the Product Key used, but hadn't heard
of this particular "flexibility" - for want of a better word - applying
across license types.

I believe that "license types" only differ in the EULA.

Just the opposite, in fact. However, you do
raise a good point: that the flexibility must work for the generic OEM
media, as you say you've observed, but not to branded OEM media.

Thank you for the correction.