New
#1
Windows 10 oem vs retail
What is the difference between oem and retail version of windows 10. Is ti true that oem version can only install once and retail version can install as many times as needed ?
What is the difference between oem and retail version of windows 10. Is ti true that oem version can only install once and retail version can install as many times as needed ?
An OEM licence is tied to the first computer it is installed on & the OEM [not MS] is responsible for providing software support.
A Retail licence allows the software to be installed on whichever system you choose [but only on one installation on one computer at a time]. MS provides some limited software support for which the terms are set out in the purchase documentation.
Both can be installed as many times as necessary but the OEM can only be installed on the same computer each time.
Both are limited to one installation at a time.
You can read the terms in C:\Windows\System32\en-GB\Licenses\OEM\Core\license.rtf {change the en-GB bit to match your own language} and at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/useterms
Denis
Both can be installed over and over again on that same device with no activation issues.
OEM is meant to be tied to a specific device, the first one its activated on.
Retail can be transfered from device to device, but only ever activated on one device at any one time.
It's a bit more complicated than that but thats the short answer.
And as far as I know, the install media created via the Media Creation Tool will acept Retail and OEM product codes.
I am going to Windows 10 pro. This is going to be a clean install on a new SDD. In the future there may be upgrades in boot drives does this matter if OEM, or retail. My biggest worry is ordering an OEM copy an getting a bootleg copy.
Just curious why you are worried about getting a bootleg copy? It violates Microsoft's license agreement to use OEM System Builder's Windows 10 for personal use on a computer that you are going to keep anyway:
https://devicepartner.microsoft.com/...r-personal-use
So it doesn't really matter if it is bootlegged or not.
You miss the point. The OEM copies I am looking at are for sale on Amazon. In the reviews people report getting OEM copies that do not register with MS as legal copies. It is a worry I am going to get a bogus copy. In order to avoid this I will probably pay for a full retail copy direct from MS.