Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks!

"Gab" <Gab@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F3724681-AF3E-4CF7-82E3-464A7C47020F@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

Google - [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer[/url]

I thoroughly recommend that you try... [url]http://www.google.com[/url]
it is one of the most useful pages on the web.

Hi Gab,

OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer" It means that it is an
operating system that has been sold with a computer. This however is not the
retail version as it cost a lot less than the retail version.
I would not panic if your serial number has that included.

"Gab" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

"Gab" <Gab@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F3724681-AF3E-4CF7-82E3-464A7C47020F@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

Your Windows Vista was ether preinstalled on the PC or you purchased the
cheaper OEM version of the OS (which carries certain restrictions on its use
and transfer - read your end user license agreement for details)
All support for the OS comes form the manufacturer of the PC it was pre
installed on.
--

Mike Brannigan

Gab,

Original Equipment Manufacturer

Having OEM in your product ID means that you bought it from an OEM (Dell for
instance).
With an OEM version of software, support is the responsibility of the seller
of the system.
For instance if you bought Vista from Dell, then support is the
responsibility of Dell NOT Microsoft.
(Microsoft DOES provide updates via automatic updates however, and certain
security problems will also be taken care of by Microsoft).

Michael

"Gab" <Gab@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F3724681-AF3E-4CF7-82E3-464A7C47020F@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

Why on earth would getting the definition to an acrynym be urgent?


"Gab" <Gab@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F3724681-AF3E-4CF7-82E3-464A7C47020F@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

Bob wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi Gab,
>
> OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer" It means that it is an
> operating system that has been sold with a computer.[/color]

Or without a computer. Generic OEM versions don't need a computer to be
bought, at least not in civilized countries.

Sooo, the REAL answer is that there are two kinds of OEMs: branded ones
that have been bastardized by the likes of HP and Dell and unbranded, or
generic ones, that can be bought all by their lonesome and installed on
any old computer that one's little heart desires.

Alias
[color=blue]
> This however is not the
> retail version as it cost a lot less than the retail version.
> I would not panic if your serial number has that included.
>
> "Gab" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
>> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color][/color]

He is trying to pass the Microsoft Support Desk class in India so he can
work for Dell <G>

Dan


"Bill Yanaire" <bill@yanaire.com> wrote in message
news:ebNlc4HnHHA.668@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Why on earth would getting the definition to an acrynym be urgent?
>
>
> "Gab" <Gab@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F3724681-AF3E-4CF7-82E3-464A7C47020F@microsoft.com...[color=green]
>> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
>> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]
>
>[/color]

On May 22, 7:50 am, Gab <G...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]

Gab, post the entire number and I will be able to tell you if its
genuine.

Really? No need to post the entire number, or even check if it's genuine!
<rolls eyes>

That has nothing to do with the original question. Besides, asking for
specific information gives the less experienced users the idea it's ok to
post details online. ( shame on you! ) :)

Your intentions may be honorable, but there are many people out there that
might try to abuse the system with detailed information.

It's called *Social Engineering* and involves asking for detailed
information, whicvh eventually leads to trusting private information to the
whole world in public messages.

( this public service message brought to you for the benefit of the other
people out there that don't know this yet. ) LOL

KB

"ilogik" <kneeslider******.com> wrote in message
news:1179852732.067387.241230@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> Gab, post the entire number and I will be able to tell you if its
> genuine.
>[/color]

Gab wrote:[color=blue]
> Guys i need help. My product id looks like this: 12345-OEM-1234567-12345.
> What does that OEM stand for? It's urgent! Thanks![/color]



In general, an "OEM" is a manufacturer (Original Equipment
Manufacturer). For the purposes of this newsgroup, that would mean the
computer manufacturer, such as Dell, Gateway, Sony, Micron, etc.

Your Product ID indicates that you have an installation made using
an OEM license.

There are some very important reasons that an OEM license costs so
much less than a retail license. OEM licenses are very limited:

1) OEM versions must be sold with a piece of non-peripheral
hardware (normally a motherboard or hard drive, if not an entire PC,
although Microsoft has greatly relaxed the hardware criteria for WinXP)
and are _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which they are installed.
An OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under any circumstances. This is the main reason some people
avoid OEM versions; if the PC dies or is otherwise disposed of (even
stolen), you cannot re-use your OEM license on a new PC. The only
legitimate way to transfer the ownership of an OEM license is to
transfer ownership of the entire PC.

2) Microsoft provides no free support for OEM versions. If you
have any problems that require outside assistance, your only recourse is
to contact the manufacturer/builder of the PC or the vendor of the OEM
license. This would include such issues as lost a Product Key or
replacing damaged installation media. (Microsoft does make allowances
for those instances when you can prove that the OEM has gone out of
business.) This doesn't mean that you can't download patches and
service packs from Microsoft -- just no free telephone or email support
for problems with the OS.

3) An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier
OS, as it was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive.
It can still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an
in-place upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

4) If the OEM CD was designed by a specific manufacturer, such as
eMachines, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc., it will most likely only install
on the same brand of PC, as an additional anti-piracy feature. Further,
such CDs are severely customized to contain only the minimum of device
drivers, and a lot of extra nonsense, that the manufacturer feels
necessary for the specific model of PC for which the CD was designed. To
be honest, such CDs should _not_ be available on the open market; but,
if you're shopping someplace on-line like eBay, swap meets, or computer
fairs, there's often no telling what you're buying until it's too late.
The "generic" OEM CDs, such as are manufactured by Microsoft and sold
to small systems builders, don't have this particular problem, though,
and are pretty much the same as their retail counterparts, apart from
the licensing, support, and upgrading restrictions.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
[url]http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html[/url]

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell