Windows xp OEM /Retail

[J273]

Whats the differences between the 2? Because ive just restored a lappy using a OEM version of xp home not bought with the laptop but i used the licence key for it....and it restored it completely to like it was out of the box including its pre installed apps I would of thought it would of installed the system with just xp alone Is this because of the serial key i used ? Jamie

 

[J273]

woops dunno why its not adding spacing ^

 

[alexbleubolt]

OEM, you mean like a dell win xp restore cd, it is a basic build image with the apps on it as if you got it from the shop. most windows xp codes with most oem cd's some check bios stuff to make sure its a dell or hp, so if your laptop is the same as your home system ie both dell, then thats why the cd worked ok, with the same serial

 

[J273]

Well with the lappy i was fixing for someone.....The system has 2 partitons .....1's a c:\Backup with a windows Pe restore image on there and the others a d:\ drive where the windows installation is on which i thought was strange as i thought it would of been the other way around........anyway I couldnt get the system to restore from the backup partiton no matter what i tried it kept coming up with missing files .....So i formatted the D: partiton and reinstalled a copy of XP oem (I didnt buy it :cough and enterd the original licence key on the back of the lappy and it completey reinstalled the way it was out of box.

 

[Munson]

As I understand it;

OE is cheaper and can be qualified as OEM if you buy certain things at the same time ie. a hard drive. Retail costs more as you dont NEED it unless you are upgrading hardware. 'OEM' installs from Dell, Sony etc. etc. tend to be branded, and pre-bulids often contain all kinds of s**t you wont ever need, not to mention small recovery partitions and such like.

For me, the only way to fly is an unbranded OE in a self-build machine.

 

[sargey]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OEM_software

 

[J273]

Ahhh ok...yea it is branded.....just seems strange how it restored it completely back to how it was out of box...with AOL crap and other bundled software even though i installed a fresh copy of xp home ... must have somthing to do with the licence key as its got the bundled software from the hidden c: partiton with the backup image.

 

[Daz]

Ahhh ok...yea it is branded.....just seems strange how it restored it completely back to how it was out of box...with AOL crap and other bundled software even though i installed a fresh copy of xp home ... must have somthing to do with the licence key as its got the bundled software from the hidden c: partiton with the backup image.

They key would be unrelated. If it's a branded XP CD, then it will be doing it's own random things.

If you used a proper, Microsoft distributed original XP CD, then it wouldn't be installing anything but XP

 

[J273]

Think i know why......i couldnt get the lappy to restore using the WIN PE system recovery as it kept coming up with error 76 missing file

So after i formatted the D drive and reinstlled the OEM xp it must of replaced the missing files...and when i booted up again it restored.

Well i think thats what happend anyway.....getting confusing

Thanks anyways guys