Dyre Straits

Well, let's see: I got this one due to a Microsoft Update that completely corrupted something on my computer. Off the top of my head, I can't even recall exactly what it was now. It was about a year and a half ago, I believe.

Anyway, I contacted MS Tech Support via Phone about it and, after spending about a week trying to remedy the situation using XP Home Upgrade, they decided to just send me a new CD. The one I received -- at no charge to me -- was XP Pro Full Version SP2.

I've had absolutely no trouble installing this one and I do a LOT of upgrading the system. (As many of the members here well know. )

In all of that time, I've had to (re)activate my copy maybe twice. They've never once given me any hesitation or ounce of a problem activating it for me. All I've ever had to tell them is that I've done some upgrading and that this copy is only installed on one computer. That's it!

If any of you go back into the archives of these forums you will find that I had to be dragged handbound and footbound to XP...all due to the activation scheme. However, I've found it not to be the big hassle I imagined it would be.

I've discovered in my more than half a century being on this planet, that being civil and polite can bring some nice rewards from time to time.

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BWX

That almost sounds like a retail version.. the one that costs about $170 or so..

Example-
[COLOR="Red"]OEM[/COLOR] XP Pro SP2 full-
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...tomline/qlty=o


[COLOR="red"]Retail [/COLOR]XP Pro SP2 full-
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...ype=bottomline

In link above, the first one for 99.95 is BS, the next real one is 158 bucks for a retail version.

Tipstaff

In truth there is really no difference between the full and OEM OS wise, or CDKey wise. The discs are still produced off of the same master, and the keys are still generated using the same algarithyms. However, there are 2 slight difference between them: OEM is massively produced over the retail, and the CDKey stickers themselves are changed physically more often than the retail keys as a way to combat piracy (actually, you will see the changed stickers first in OEM releases, but sooner or later the retail ones get changed too).

Where the real fun begins is with the bulk manufacturer OEM discs. This is where things get stupid as manufacturers buy bulk licenses from MS, and install the systems using that key, which, btw, in 99% of the cases, is different than the one on the stickers sold with the system. What's funny is that if you reinstall using the key on the stick you will have to call MS to verify as it won't auto verify. I've never understood why, either. If this is a brand new key, never been used, why doesn't it work? Only answer I have is that it's being used by someone else, somewhere (ie. stolen).

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BWX

Hmm interesting.. I guess I will just by the cheapest one I can find, as long as it says full XP pro SP2.. OEM, not student or upgrade or whatever.

Then maybe it will be a little cheaper to get the upgrade version of Vista when that horrible time comes.

Tipstaff

I was talking to one of my suppliers about this "upgrade" thing this last week, and he was saying that the keys that will be accepted for this upgrade will start shipping in November sometime. Anything before that may or may not be accepted. He also mentioned that the Microsoft rep gave them a skew for the upgradeable versions, and that I could buy them specifically when they are released. And just like with other "upgrade" deals they've had, it's only going to be for a short time before and after Vistas release.

From that alone it sounds like Microsoft will only accept upgrades from people that have those new keys, or keys that were based on the algorithm that was used to generate them. Anything before those keys, and you may be paying more money for the upgrade, or not getting it at all.

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BWX

Damn they're getting greedy.

All good info though.