OFcGaming

I have Vista on my desktop and my best laptop. My Laptop is a Dell and came with 32bit Vista HP and no DVD, whereas I built my Desktop myself and put 64bit HP on.

Both are Genuine licenses.

If was to reinstall Vista onto my Laptop, will the Dell License Key I have activate the 64bit HP? I have read elsewhere that it would work, as the keys are for either 32 or 64bit, but only for one type of OS (HB, HP, Business, Ultimate, etc). But can anyone confirm this?


(HP = Home Premium)

The Dell license key will, I expect, be specific to Dell equipment so probably not. OEM licenses, which are cheaper and therefore used by system builders, are tied to the machine for life and once that machine dies so does the license as its non-transferrable. If you have a copy of Vista that isnt OEM (i.e Retail or Volume License) then you can remove and reinstall that onto whatever you like.

Morg wrote:The Dell license key will, I expect, be specific to Dell equipment so probably not. OEM licenses, which are cheaper and therefore used by system builders, are tied to the machine for life and once that machine dies so does the license as its non-transferrable. If you have a copy of Vista that isnt OEM (i.e Retail or Volume License) then you can remove and reinstall that onto whatever you like.

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick- I want to install on the dell laptop with the dell license, just 64bit instead of 32bit. So I'm not transferring any licenses.

I've only got one vista DISK, but two licenses, I was just wondering if a license would do 32 and 64bit.

No confusion here. You still cant do what you want to do. The CD Key for 32bit will only work for that OS and License type and vice versa with the 64bit. You cant seriously think M$ would allow you to get away with buying one version and then using another do you?

When you buy a retail version you get the choice to install 64 bit OR 32 bit anyway.....
your not allowed do it though.

Thanks for the PM Groiny, I don't need to go down that route, I've got an MSDN .iso of Vista 32bit somewhere, so could always burn that if needed.

Morg wrote:No confusion here. You still cant do what you want to do. The CD Key for 32bit will only work for that OS and License type and vice versa with the 64bit. You cant seriously think M$ would allow you to get away with buying one version and then using another do you?

It seems a 50-50 split online - half reckon the OEM license will activate 32bit and 64bit of the same version, and half reckon it won't. A lot have said they did it and it activated.

At the moment, it's just a random musing as I've no need to reinstall Vista, but if I did I don't want to use the dodgy partition rubbish that Dell, as it'll just install loads of superfluous shit that I don't need, and want to reclaim the whole drive when I reinstall. You spend £700 on a laptop, and Dell are still too stingy to throw in a 25p Restore disc......

Redddraggon wrote: At the moment, it's just a random musing as I've no need to reinstall Vista, but if I did I don't want to use the dodgy partition rubbish that Dell, as it'll just install loads of superfluous shit that I don't need, and want to reclaim the whole drive when I reinstall. You spend £700 on a laptop, and Dell are still too stingy to throw in a 25p Restore disc......

I rung them up and complained and theys sent me all the reinstall disks foc

Mseries3 wrote:I rung them up and complained and theys sent me all the reinstall disks foc

i rang them up and complained, they told me to **** off and get my own disc.
that was for an XP pc, so since then Ive bought my own devices.

can u not instal it on more than one pc from same disk im sure i read some where that if u hav a disk of what ever 32/64 u could instal it on up to 2 machines if am rite and i dont know instal the 64 on ur lap from the disk ??????

mclean0782 wrote:can u not instal it on more than one pc from same disk im sure i read some where that if u hav a disk of what ever 32/64 u could instal it on up to 2 machines if am rite and i dont know instal the 64 on ur lap from the disk ??????

you can install it on ten million machinse from the same disk for all they care, but if its a dell OEM one, you can only use that on dell PC's, if its an Oem one, itll only be 32 bit, and if its a retail, then knock yourself oout. you still need to get a licence key for each machine though, otherwise windows beeps at you, tells you your pirating software, and shuts down every now and again to annoy you into getting one.

Hhmmmm again i mite be wrong but was sure it said u could use the same key for 2 machines the thing i read said they had relaxed the security somthing or otheer to make this possible

about as liklely as being able to use the same CD key on two accounts. I cant see the same key working on 2 pc's, even if they do, I highly doubt you can get updates for the second pooter.