Windows Installation, Licensing and OEM questions.

[Mindfulness]

I don't bother ordering them for customers. I just tell them the number to call and what info they need to get the correct disk(s).

I think that works better for you since you are doing more business support. For us doing a high percentage of break/fix residential it would not work as well for us. Since we have their laptop sitting in our shop, we want to do everything to complete the job so we don't lose out on $159 in labor(reload os with data) . Since we offer free estimates, we would get paid nothing for diagnostic and evaluation time we already would have invested.

Besides not wanting to lose the job, it seems like a nice touch to take care of them and process the other for them.

 

[Markverhyden]

I think that works better for you since you are doing more business support. For us doing a high percentage of break/fix residential it would not work as well for us. Since we have their laptop sitting in our shop, we want to do everything to complete the job so we don't lose out on $159 in labor(reload os with data) . Since we offer free estimates, we would get paid nothing for diagnostic and evaluation time we already would have invested.

Besides not wanting to lose the job, it seems like a nice touch to take care of them and process the other for them.

Yes, from a perspective of a carry in shop I can see where that is a value added service.

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

looking to upgrade their version of windows. Would I need to sell them a store bought copy of windows, or just the license key?

You can do it any of several ways:

1. have the client pickup a retail license from walmart and you charge for labor to backup his data, load the new software, restore his data and settings. This is a nice profitable little job.

2. You can have him get the upgrade version but this requires a little smarts as upgrades are limited from pro to pro or home to home and often only go from one level like xp to vista or vista to win7 and such you can not go from xp to win8 for example. But still you can have them get it from walmart which is about the cheapest around and you bill for your time.

3. You can not sell an OEM license on an existing computer unless you sell a peise of hardware with it. I have confirmed with MS reps you can sell OEM with ram, or with HD upgrade to and old system and be legal. Oem doesn't save any money is about the same $100 that walmart is for retail or upgrade versions but you can do it if you happen to have OEm in stock.

Do I just need to buy OEM disks (XP 32/64, Win7 32/64 and win 8-8.1 32/64) for me to install then get a batch of license keys, or do I need to buy a stockpile of retail Windows disks?

Find a good local source but don't buy until you need them as you will not need every version of every product. As far as the media you can download that online free or get copies from other techs. The licenses to reload are already on the systems you will be working on. For upgrades you will have the media supplied with the COA.

I'm not sure of what I need, or if I am over thinking this whole thing. I want to be able to offer Windows upgrades if the customer so chooses, and I also want to be able to do a fresh install if the customers PC needs a nuke because of a virus or HD failure. The license keys are what's tripping me up.

you need copies of the media but not licenses to reload them on already licensed systems. For example a single Dell win7 Home will work on all dells with win7 home. Yes you will possibly need 32 although most everyone should be 64 by now.

I have installed Windows on a ton of computers in the past, but in every situation the person I was installing Windows for had their own copy.

you should have been making copies for your personal library.

Apologies for coming off like a total noob concerning this, but this is my first romp in the PC repair world professionally, and on my own. I just don't want to customer to have to pay for me not being ready for this specific situation.

Thanks in advance!

nice try but your customers will pay for your inexperience but that will be short lived before you have seen it all....

 

[brandonkick]

For what it is worth. This is just my opinion and there are going to be several out there that will disagree with me about it.

It is not legal for you to purchase a system builder copy of Windows and upgrade someone's system with it. Having said that I have done so for years and not had Microsoft, the FBI, the BSA, the CIA, or the KKK come and kick my door in.

Microsoft also turns a blind eye to places like discountmountain who often sell surplus copies of Windows that have been branded by an OEM. Dell stamps right on the disk For use only with a Dell Computer, yet they must have sold the disks to discountmountain in the first place. So long as Microsoft is paid for the copy of windows, which Dell already did, they really don't care what is done with it and are understanding of the slightly under the table liquidation of surplus stock in order to offset the loss of purchasing it and not being able to sell it.

In the past Microsoft has told System Builders that OEM copies could be used to install over illegal warez copies and then they have flipped flopped and said you cannot. In the past you had to sell hardware with single copies of Windows. Got many a bag of old screws tossed in with a copy of Windows. Now you don't need to do that. Again so long as Microsoft gets paid for the copy you are selling your fine. I've never seen anyone get busted for selling OEM as upgrades. Plenty of pirates busted for counterfeiting but not selling something legally purchased from Microsoft and sold.

Microsoft has bigger fish to fry then to bug someone for selling a legal copy(not Chinese counterfeit) copy of Windows.

My opinion and have the board will disagree with me about it so it is your choice on what to do. No one will consider it bad if your are conservative and stick with retail copies.

Microsoft my turn a blind eye for the most part, but I would always assume they can come after people for this should they choose too.

Safe? Yes. It is genuine software produced by Dell for Dell systems(or Hp etc.) It doesn't have backdoors or viruses.

Legit? Yes. See above it is real software that the OEMs have sold in bulk at discount for clearance.

Legal? Maybe. Software is clearly marked for use only with a Dell PC(or hp, lenovo, whatever). Now can anyone legally enforce that? Not really. And does Microsoft WANT to do anything about it. Also no. If they did they would have sued Dell and or Discount Mountain years ago and you can't because it gets back to the can they really legally enforce that statement above.

If you don't mind handing your clients firesale branded software for your own PCs then it is not an issue. But no lawyers or FBI agents are going to harass you for this.

I don't really agree with the fact that they can't do anything about it. I could be wrong, but I feel that they absolutely could do something about it should they choose too. As you've said, they were paid for that copy of windows which is a lot better then someone downloading an ISO and using an activator. They did in fact get paid for the liscense this way. But I think it still stands that it was sold under the terms that it was meant for use with an OEM system builders new machine.

Again not to nit pick with you, just my opinions on the matter.

 

[nlinecomputers]

They can't do anything about it simply because they don't have the resources or desire to do anything about it. And Microsoft has flip flopped several times on many aspects of it.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/is-it-ok-to-use-oem-windows-on-your-own-pc-dont-ask-microsoft/1561


The reality is who ever has the biggest lawyers wins, no matter what the heck the licenses do or don't say. If Microsoft wants to shut you down they will. But they don't. They would prefer that knowledgeable buyers actually purchase genuine copies of Windows rather then use pirated copies or worse go to Linux. The amount of tech savy buyers who will purchase an OEM copy of Windows from NewEgg for use on a personal PC or to upgrade a client PC is small compared to the amount of customers that regularly buy new PCs from Dell and other OEMs. Heck they don't even OFFER a Full Retail version of Windows 8. Only Upgrade and OEM.