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Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?

Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.
windows - comments - 15.5.2007

OEM licensing confusion starts at Microsoft.com

Last week, in the wrap-up for a post about WGA, I offered five suggestions Id like to see incorporated into Vista and especially into Windows 7.
microsoft - comments - 9.9.2008

Microsoft Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit available

The Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) OEM Presinstallation Kit is now available. Microsoft's Worldwide System Builder team would like system builders to experience the updated OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) tools which will be used to preinstall Windows Vista.
windows - comments - 16.10.2006

Microsoft: The Windows OEM License Dies with Its Computer

Licenses for Windows come in various flavors from Retail to Volume, but perhaps the most common of all is provided by original equipment manufacturers together with operating systems preloaded on new computers.
windows - comments - 17.6.2008

Microsoft Confirms Windows Vista OEM BIOS Crack

Microsoft confirmed the fact that hackers have developed a valid Windows Vista crack designed to exploit the operating system's OEM BIOS activation.
windows - comments - 11.4.2007

Microsoft blacklists leaked Lenovo OEM Windows 7 Key

According to Neowin, Microsoft has responded to the latest Windows 7 cracking scheme by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM master key on computers that are not manufactured by Lenovo.
windows - comments - 31.7.2009

Microsoft to Kill the Grace Timer and OEM BIOS Windows Vista Cracks with Vista SP1

With the advent of Windows Vista, cracks also became available being designed to bypass the activation process of the operating system.
windows - comments - 4.12.2007

What about Windows 7 OEM pricing?

Microsoft still has yet to go public with its Windows 7 price list. But that hasnt stopped customers and partners from publicly hoping for the best (cheaper than Vista) and fearing the worst (any kind of increase over the cost of Vista).
windows - comments - 16.6.2009

Windows Live to Get First OEM Bundle

Microsoft will imminently announce its first PC-bundling deal for Windows Live.
windows - comments - 14.3.2007

Windows 7 OEM Pricing Emerges

Windows 7 is set to be launched on the market in about three weeks from now, and those people considering choosing it as the platform on their computers are certainly interested in the costs the migration will imply.
windows - comments - 30.9.2009

OEM versions of Vista Ultimate available for pre-order

hardgiant spotted over at overclockers.co.uk that Windows Vista Ultimate 32/64 OEM discs have been added at just 114.99, which when converted to USD comes to $262.750 plus tax. The full retail version costs 352.49 a whopping $685.235 after tax.
windows - comments - 4.1.2007

Vista OEM 'Express' upgrades stuck at the gate

Europeans who bought a new PC in time for Christmas and were persuaded that they would get a Vista upgrade soon after the rollout by redeeming a voucher, are learning that demand for the upgrades far outstrips "supply".
windows - comments - 18.2.2007

Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta

Thanks to Steve Jobs for this download. This is Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta by Steve Jobs @ Keznews forum
download - comments - 22.3.2007

Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit v1.5

Steve Jobs update his Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit For Vista 32bit and 64bit to version 1.5. Vista will be 100% genuine, all downloads will work.
download - comments - 3.4.2007

Vista Loader 2.2.0 OEM BIOS Crack Emulator

This is New version of Vista Loader 2.2.0 from Chinese hackers. With this you can force a bios emulation and let Vista think it's installed on a OEM machine.
download - comments - 20.5.2007

XP OEM Licensing Extension Is Urban Myth

Contrary to all the blog buzz, Microsoft hasn't extended OEM Windows XP "downgrade" licensing by another six months.
windows - comments - 8.10.2008

Get an Insight into the Windows 7 OEM Pre-installation Kit

Here is your chance to get an insight into the OEM Pre-installation Kit (OPK) that Microsoft will offer for Windows 7.
download - comments - 24.5.2009

Windows 7 OEM Named Partner RTM Information

Here is the correct current information as available for OEM's. Thansk to our fiend for report.
windows - comments - 22.7.2009

Want Windows 7 for 50 Percent Off? Order an OEM Copy

Missed out on the early preorder discounts? Popular retailer Newegg.com has listed the OEM prices for Windows 7, which will be offered at less than half what Microsoft will charge for a retail copy.
windows - comments - 26.9.2009

OEM Logo and Information for Windows Vista - Auto Patch

Thanks to Steve Jobs for this post in forum. You have successfully activate Windows Vista instantly in OEM style by using hardware-level BIOS ACPI-SLIC mod, or one of the two software based OEM BIOS emulator such as softmod SLIC BIOS bootloader and Paradox OEM BIOS Emulation Toolkit.
download - comments - 20.3.2007

First OEM Boxes of Windows 7 RTM Build 7600.16385

Last week, just days after Windows 7 was released to manufacturing, Microsoft started handing the gold bits to original equipment manufacturers.
windows - comments - 27.7.2009

Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key

Hackers cracked and permanently activated Windows 7 Ultimate RTM Final Version. Once again hackers wins the cat and mouse battle game from the Redmond giants.
windows - comments - 29.7.2009

Vista to Windows 7 Upgrades Kill Access to OEM Recovery Applications

Users that upgrade Windows Vista OEM computers to Windows 7 might find that the recovery applications set in place by the original equipment manufacturer are no longer accessible.
windows - comments - 9.10.2009

Dell, HP, and Sony OEM Certificates Used in Windows Vista Activation Crack

The latest trend in Windows Vista cracks is to utilize OEM certificates in order to bypass the activation process of the operating system. Via the OEM crack for Windows Vista, original equipment manufacturer versions of the operating system are illegally activated through a process that involves patching the BIOS of the motherboard.
windows - comments - 26.2.2007

Dead Cheap Windows 7 OEM/System Builder, Pricing Details Revealed

How would you like to buy Windows 7, all major editions, at prices half of those for the retail versions of the operating system? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal? Well, thats because it is, with the exception of a few small downsides.
windows - comments - 3.9.2009

How to Backup and Restore to Preserve OEM Offline Pre-Activation When Reinstall Windows XP

Most users of new computers with Windows XP pre-installed will notice that no activation is required after they unwrap and start up the new laptop or notebook PC, even though they need to go through the initial set up process, and a product key is found on the Certificate of Authenticity attached to the PC (COA Key). Large PC manufacturers known as Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) have the ability to pre-activate Windows XP operating system installed on new PCs via SLP (System Locked Preinstallation).
windows - comments - 3.9.2009

How to Downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Ultimate OEM Edition and Install Windows XP Professional

A lot of users still dont getting used to Windows Vista. A lot of reviews have been labeling Windows Vista as bloated, hard to use, tons of compatibility issues, inconvenient, not user friendly, not stable and etc.
windows - comments - 22.8.2008

New Vista OEM Activation Hack - Vista Boot by gkend

Thanks to Steve Jobs for this article on his blog and to our forum members to clecha, Nighthief and fitterphil120 for most of the findings. One again the Chinese come up with a new method to trick out the Vista Activation. We have seen Softmode and VistaLoader, however Vista Boot by gkend does promise even more.
download - comments - 21.5.2007

Microsoft releases free ebook: Introducing Microsoft Visual Basic 2005

Get a focused, first look at the features and capabilities in Microsoft Visual Basic 2005, Visual Studio 2005, and the .NET Framework 2.0. If you currently work with Visual Basic 6, these authors fully understand the adoption and code migration issues you'll encounter.
microsoft - comments - 12.4.2006

Microsoft SQL Server Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005

The Microsoft SQL Server Management Pack provides both proactive and reactive monitoring of SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000 in an enterprise environment. Availability and configuration monitoring, performance data collection, and default thresholds are built for enterprise-level monitoring. Both local and remote connectivity checks help ensure database availability.
microsoft - comments - 5.6.2006

OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing

OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing is a topic that seems to again be generating questions and there are plenty of people out there who are illegally taking advantage of others to trying to make a quick profit by selling counterfeit or unlicensed software.



Here are the facts and answers to many of the points of confusion around OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing so you are informed and can protect yourself from the scammers out there...




winbeta.org - 02.08.2007

Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key

Windows 7 has yet to even be released officially to the general public, and already the dodgy folk on the Internet have fully cracked and activated the Ultimate version, with help from a leaked Lenovo OEM DVD .ISO file. The news comes from website My Digital Life who state that you can already pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style. The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 29.07.2009

July 1: No more Office 2003 for OEMs

Its only been six months since Microsoft launched Office 2007 at retail. But as of July 1, 2007, Microsoft wont be making the OEM version of Office 2003 to its PC partners, aka "OEMs."

Eric Ligman, Senior Manager of Small Business Community Engagement with Microsoft, reminded OEMs and customers of the pending cut-off date in a blog posting dated June 18:

"After June 30, 2007 , OEM Microsoft Office 2003 will no longer be availble from Microsoft. Some authorized OEM Microsoft distributors may have some remaining inventory left for a short time after June 30th; however, Microsoft will no longer be shipping OEM Microsoft Office to them." ..
winbeta.org - 18.06.2007

MS: It's Okay to Buy Vista OEM Software

Microsoft has given the go ahead for users to buy the low-cost OEM copies of Windows Vista now appearing on sites like Newegg.com; however, they would be expected to adhere to the licensing terms just like any other computer manufacturer...
betanews.com - 30.01.2007

Microsoft blacklists leaked Windows 7 OEM key

Microsoft has responded to pirates by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM key that leaked earlier this week. On Tuesday Neowin reported that pirates were able to modify their BIOS and activate copies of Windows 7 Ultimate with a Lenovo OEM master key. Microsoft have worked with Lenovo to blacklist the master key before Windows 7 starts shipping with new PCs in October. According to Alex Kochis, Director of Genuine Windows at Microsoft: "we've worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating their copy of Windows 7.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 31.07.2009

Microsoft block Windows 7 OEM key hack

Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage team have responded to this week's news that a Windows 7 Ultimate licensing hack had been identified. After a Lenovo OEM Windows 7 image leaked and was used to extract a license key, Microsoft have worked with the manufacturer to blacklist the rogue key and replace it - on genuine Lenovo PCs bought with the new OS - with a working version.




winbeta.org - 31.07.2009

Microsoft recruits Altech for OEM distribution in Australia

Microsoft has struck an OEM distribution agreement with Altech Computers for its Windows Vista, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Server products lines. The OEM partnership is the vendor's first in nearly 10 years.



Microsoft SME and partner director, Pip Marlow, said the two companies had partnered closely over recent years.



The new relationship would expand its scope and enable Microsoft to deliver more support to the local system builder market, she said.



"Altech is the destination for small system builders - they do a phenomenal job supporting that part of the channel," Marlow said. Altech now shares OEM distribution rights with Ingram Micro and Synnex.




winbeta.org - 12.11.2007

Microsoft sends harsh reality check to OEMs

Last week, Microsoft sent certified letters to its OEM partners regarding Vista's anti-piracy technology -- or, more accurately, what happens if they dare ship a system with a "non-genuine" copy of Vista.

The answer: The system is crippled for 30 days, then hosed entirely until you pony up for a license. This is apparently what Microsoft means when it http://oem.microsoft.com/downl oads/public/US/wgavista/genuin e.pdf>warns of a "diminished user experience."

This would be fine if Microsoft were a reasonably competent organization and Windows Genuine Advantage worked flawlessly. True pirates deserve to be punished. But Microsoft isn't and WGA doesn't at least, judging by the many letters I got from Cringesters who bought legit OEM copies of XP from major manufacturers, only to have WGA label them as pirates. ..
winbeta.org - 04.06.2007

Google Pushes for Wider Google Apps Adoption with New Reseller Program

Google tonight announced a reseller and accreditation program for Google Apps. Resellers, after being trained by Google, can now market, support, and customize Google Apps Premier Edition for their customers. Resellers will get training and support from Google, as well as tools for sales, marketing, and integrating Google Apps into their customers' existing architectures. Google has already rolled out a pilot of this program to more than 50 partners worldwide.




winbeta.org - 14.01.2009

Windows 7 OEM prices unveiled, 50% off list price

ComputerWorld is reporting that online retailer Newegg.com has unveiled Windows 7 OEM pricing. Newegg.com has priced the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium at $99.99 which is a price reduction of 50% down from the recommended retail price of $199.99. Other savings are available for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate at $134.99 and $174.99, respectively. This is a saving of approximately 50% on each version from the list price. OEM editions are priced lower as you typically do not get retail packaging, little official support and you're not able to transfer the operating system license from one PC to another.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 29.09.2009

Microsoft Brings The Heat To Software Pirates

In the latest salvo of its ongoing war against software piracy, Microsoft late Monday announced the filing of 21 lawsuits in federal court in 14 states against resellers who it claims have been illegally distributing its software.



Sharon Cates, an antipiracy attorney at Microsoft, says many of the resellers targeted have been using a tactic known as hard disk loading, which involves taking a single piece of software and loading on multiple PCs, and then selling those PCs to unwitting customers.




winbeta.org - 10.06.2008

Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?

Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.

Conventional wisdom holds that if you feel the urge to upgrade to Windows Vista, buying it pre-installed on a new machine is the best way to go. The advantages are allegedly twofold: there should be fresh and functional drivers for all the built-in hardware, and you get OEM pricing (much lower than the retail $400-$700 price range) for your new OS.

That discount pricing comes with a nasty twist, however. Because you've purchased an OEM copy, Microsoft won't extend to you the courtesy of a 90-day support period for Vista, which it does offer to customers who struggle through the upgrade process on their existing machines. Instead, it will direct you straight back to your hardware manufacturer...
winbeta.org - 15.05.2007

How to Get Windows XP Even Though it's 'Dead'

On June 30, 2008, Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows XP. That's the last day Windows XP was officially available for purchase from retail outlets, major resellers and OEM hardware manufacturers. But that doesn't mean the operating system is going to go quietly. Many consumers would still rather run XP than Vista, and there are several loopholes in Microsoft's supply chain that let you get a copy of XP if you really want one.




winbeta.org - 01.07.2008

Microsoft promises, fails to keep things simple for partners

Microsoft today tried to convince UK channel partners that its working hard to simplify its licensing terms, but many resellers have grumbled that the firm hasnt gone far enough yet.



MS director of emerging technology, Gurprit Singh, who was speaking at the companys partner event in London this morning, told the gathered crowd that a key part of its latest Software plus Services strategy was all about keeping things simple for resellers.




winbeta.org - 01.10.2008

Microsoft Responds to Reported OEM BIOS Hacks

The WGA team have finally provided a written response to the reported OEM BIOS Hacks regarding Vista:
I know many of you are aware of reports of hacks that attempt to exploit our OEM BIOS based activation. We're aware of this type of hack and I wanted to take a minute to describe how these work and how we plan to respond.

First, what is OEM BIOS based activation?

Here's a little more information on how OEM BIOS based activation works. This form of product activation is also known as OEM Activation or just OA, which is how Microsoft refers to it and how I will refer to it in this post. Back at the launch of Windows XP when Microsoft introduced Windows Product Activation, we recognized that as easy as end-user activation is, it still represented an extra step.

neowin.net - 12.04.2007

Microsoft goes internal for a new OEM chief

Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft has been looking for a new head of its OEM business since late last year. It has found one: Steve Guggenheimer, former head of the companys application platform business.



Guggenheimer will become the new Corporate Vice President in charge of Microsofts OEM Divisionas of early March. He will continue to serve as the head of Microsofts application-platform division until a replacement there is named, sources said.



I asked Microsoft for confirmation on Guggenheimers appointment. Yep, its a done deal. From a company spokeswoman...




winbeta.org - 09.02.2008

Microsoft and HP Extend Private-Label Hosting Opportunities to Value-Added Resellers

Microsoft Corp. and HP today announced a joint initiative that will enable value-added resellers (VARs) to benefit from a software-plus-services business model by providing new revenue streams and helping them become strategic advisors to their clients.



HP and Microsoft plan to equip VARs with comprehensive tools and guidance that will enable them to offer private label Microsoft solutions that are hosted by managed service providers. As a result, they can generate new revenue streams by offering their small and midsize business (SMB ) customers a greater choice of solution delivery methods.




winbeta.org - 10.12.2008

The Problem with Bundling

Joe Wilcox: On Friday I spoke with two product executives from a major OEM about some forthcoming new PCs and notebooks. During the conversation, I asked about their Windows Media Center strategy. The OEM no longer has one, and Vista integration is the reason.



The response is surprising, because Media Center integration into Vista was supposed to benefit Microsoft, its customers and partners. But that's not how this OEM sees it. Reasoning: The discreet SKU's disappearance makes Media Center differentiation more difficult among OEMs, so there is no real competitive advantage. The product executives expressed concern that Media Center promotion for the OEM's products might benefit competitors.



The conversation was a broad indictment of Microsoft's whole Vista SKU strategy. Rather than differentiate products around Vista SKUs, the OEM has instead returned to emphasizing performance metrics and made product design a greater priority. That's opposite the intention of Microsoft's Vista SKU strategy, which was supposed to encourage greater differentiation around operating system capabilities.




winbeta.org - 10.12.2007

Apple threatens Australian resellers: don't talk about iPhone

Apple has threatened its "Premium Resellers" with losing their accreditation if they speak to customers about the iPhone, which is not yet officially available in Australia.



"Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE is anyone to offer any form of support to customers for the iPhone, either inside or outside of business hours," one reseller told its staff in an email.



"Doing so is in breach of our Apple Premium Reseller agreement.



The reseller said staff could be subjected to disciplinary action "including termination" if they helped a customer with an iPhone, even in their private time.




winbeta.org - 29.11.2007

Google launches Google Apps reseller program

Google has launched their GAPE (Google Apps Premiere Edition) reseller program on Wednesday, which is one step ahead from its current Google Docs offerings. From the end of March, authorized resellers will be able to sell, customize and support premium versions of Google Apps, which includes word processing, spreadsheets, calendars and email. Resellers will be able to buy the Premiere Edition at a 20% discount and keep the recurring revenue for the lifetime of their customer relationship.The search leader already offers a basic package of Google Apps for free to consumers.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 15.01.2009