Full vs OEM versions of XP

G

geowits

Junior Member
I have seen that iMacs (core 2 Intel) with OS tiger, Parallels, and Windows XP preinstalled are becoming available on the market thru various on-line stores. I purchased one that was delivered with the following:

17" iMac core2 2ghz + XP pro/parallels #MA590LL/A
OS 10.4.8
Parallels Desktop for Mac #WDMT
Build 3188
OEM Windows XP pro w/sp2 #E85-03013

In reading the Parallels user manual, I've noticed under system requirements that "A full (not OEM) version of the operating system you wish to install" is required.

Has my supplier goofed? If so, what ramifications should I expect?

Everything seems to be working in general except for a few USB related problems that I'm trying to work through.
 
It seems to me that your situation is exactly how it is supposed to work...An OEM assembled a value-added piece of hardware and software and sold it to you.

The OEM license agreement states that they can only be sold as part of a system. Some vendors try to get around this by selling you a screw or a case fan with your Windows.
The risk with OEM versions is that they can only be reinstalled on the same hardware. They are not portable to a new machine. However they are much cheaper. There is no way that an OEM could sell you a $500 windows machine with XP preloaded if they were paying full retail price for the SW. Also, the license agreement states that you will get technical support from your OEM, not Microsoft.

There are two things going on here: Full vs. Upgrade and Retail vs. OEM. There are four combinations.

Full / Retail: Installs fine and is portable to new machine by deactivating the old.

Full / OEM: Installs fine - only if it has never been installed on another machine before - not portable. Beware of purchasing a disk from a consumer who had XP preloaded on his machine and is selling you the backup disks.

Upgrade Retail: Can be installed in Parallels, but you also have to get a copy of the pre-upgrade and install that first. For Example, you could buy a Full copy of Windows 2000, install it in your VM, and then use an Upgrade copy of XP to upgrade it. This is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot that can go wrong. But it is possible.

Upgrade OEM: Looks for previous installation. Cannot be installed in new VM without installing the pre-upgrade version as well. Not portable.

Having said all that, BOOTCAMP will only work with a FULL SP2 version. This is because you have no way in Bootcamp to change CD's in the middle of the installation.


I am sure I could have said that better. Maybe someone else can correct me.
 
For what it's worth...I've heard some reports from others that they have been successful installing an upgrade on Bootcamp by utilizing an older copy of windows in an external cd/dvd drive...of course YMMV...
 
Then I suppose the statement under requirements in the Parallels user manual is there for the purpose of complying with Microsoft's license rules and not for any technical reason?
 
Could very well be...I'll try a "Clean" upgrade later tonight...but I don't see why it wouldn't be technically possible. You surely wouldn't be able to use the express installation option...but a manual install should work...I'll try it this evening and let you know...
 
Purplish said:
It seems to me that your situation is exactly how it is supposed to work...An OEM assembled a value-added piece of hardware and software and sold it to you.

The OEM license agreement states that they can only be sold as part of a system. Some vendors try to get around this by selling you a screw or a case fan with your Windows.
The risk with OEM versions is that they can only be reinstalled on the same hardware. They are not portable to a new machine. However they are much cheaper. There is no way that an OEM could sell you a $500 windows machine with XP preloaded if they were paying full retail price for the SW. Also, the license agreement states that you will get technical support from your OEM, not Microsoft.

There are two things going on here: Full vs. Upgrade and Retail vs. OEM. There are four combinations.

Full / Retail: Installs fine and is portable to new machine by deactivating the old.

Full / OEM: Installs fine - only if it has never been installed on another machine before - not portable. Beware of purchasing a disk from a consumer who had XP preloaded on his machine and is selling you the backup disks.

Upgrade Retail: Can be installed in Parallels, but you also have to get a copy of the pre-upgrade and install that first. For Example, you could buy a Full copy of Windows 2000, install it in your VM, and then use an Upgrade copy of XP to upgrade it. This is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot that can go wrong. But it is possible.

Upgrade OEM: Looks for previous installation. Cannot be installed in new VM without installing the pre-upgrade version as well. Not portable.

Having said all that, BOOTCAMP will only work with a FULL SP2 version. This is because you have no way in Bootcamp to change CD's in the middle of the installation.


I am sure I could have said that better. Maybe someone else can correct me.
Click to expand...
Regarding non-portability, I have installed an OEM version of XP on a Mac Pro with Parallels. I had no problem with the install. However, this post raises a question. How does XP see a "new machine"? Is it looking at the Mac hardware or something in Parallels? If I had to reinstall Parallels from scratch, and thus the guest OS, would Windows reject this as a transport to a new machine of an OEM version? HMMM....
 
blueridge said:
Regarding non-portability, I have installed an OEM version of XP on a Mac Pro with Parallels. I had no problem with the install. However, this post raises a question. How does XP see a "new machine"? Is it looking at the Mac hardware or something in Parallels? If I had to reinstall Parallels from scratch, and thus the guest OS, would Windows reject this as a transport to a new machine of an OEM version? HMMM....
Click to expand...


Its looking at the gues machine, and not something on the mac. If you kept your MAC address on your gues thte same, it wouldn't wouldn't notice the difference.

IOW, keeping your pvs and hdd files is probably plenty.
 
So if a order a OEM edition of Win Xp Media centre from Amazon and wait till i am ready to install it on parallels it will work? Also, what about the licence agreement?
 
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I would most likely try and buy a oem from something like newegg.com. No chance of it already being activated.
kat
 
geowits said:
...In reading the Parallels user manual, I've noticed under system requirements that "A full (not OEM) version of the operating system you wish to install" is required.

Has my supplier goofed? If so, what ramifications should I expect?
Click to expand...
I dunno. FWIW, I have two systems each with their own license of XP Pro OEM and there is no technical problems over non-OEM that I know of. I know the OEM license does not let me change "the machine," but I don't have a problem with that.

It would be nice for Parallels to clarify why the manual (which IMO was not written by a native English speaker) who specify that. Could is be a Vista issue?
 
ccparallels said:
I dunno. FWIW, I have two systems each with their own license of XP Pro OEM and there is no technical problems over non-OEM that I know of. I know the OEM license does not let me change "the machine," but I don't have a problem with that.

QUOTE]

as stated above once you use your OEM licence you can not alter your vm, adding more ram etc. Make sure what ever copy you buy is of the type listed.
Click to expand...
 
dragonkat said:
ccparallels said:
as stated above once you use your OEM licence you can not alter your vm, adding more ram etc.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that you can't change the RAM in your Mac? Certainly this is not detectable by the guest OS?

Or do you mean that you can't change the amount of RAM you allocate to the VM via Parallels? As numerous others posting on this forum have done, I have changed this back and forth several times.

David
Click to expand...
 
The issue with any OEM is if you make too many changes in hardware ram, video cards, ETC. to the "real" machines' hardware the os in the vm may detect it.
 
dragonkat said:
The issue with any OEM is if you make too many changes in hardware ram, video cards, ETC. to the "real" machines' hardware the os in the vm may detect it.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is true for a real PC, but how does it work for a VM?

Anyone know?

David
 
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