Can a Vista **OEM** DVD be used to do upgrades from Win XP

**Anilrgowda** · 05-Mar-2007, 10:15 PM

Question: The specific question is : Can a Vista OEM Home Premium DVD be used to upgrade from XP Home SP2 ?

I am posting exactly the same question I already posted and then assigned points to the previous answers at http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/Windows_Vista/Q_22156200.html
because I have decided that the links in the two replies in that Question do NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION.

Please note that my question relates to an ***OEM** DVD, not a Full or Upgrade DVD. The upgrade matrices in those links may apply to Upgrade DVDs or to Upgrade and Full DVDs but may not apply to OEM DVDs.

This is so because
(A) OEM's NEVER NEVER used the DVD to upgrade, they use it to do a FULL install on new HW, right? So the option to upgrade MAY NOT BE THERE on an OEM DVD

(B) OEM Vista Home Premium DVDs cost about 1/2 of Home Premium Full DVDs. I do not think that price difference is because the Full version comes in a pretty box !!! OEM DVDs based on the price difference alone may have more limited capabiliies (ie (A) directly above).

Please ONLY REPLY to this Question if you are 100% sure or close to 100% sure of the answer. If you answer and provide a link please make sure that link refers to OEM versions of Vista Home Premium and the word OEM is in the linked text.

BTW, XP Full CDs would also do upgrades (per MS tech support on the phone) and I am assuming the same is true for Vista. The choice for me is between Vista OEM and Full as I need to use the CD FIRST to upgrade my office XP Home SP2 PC andTHEN use it to do FULL or Startup Repair installs later on my customers PCs. (I fix PCs for a living). Regarding Activation, I call MS and get this approved if the prupose is to fix corrupt OS files and I can prove that and MS ALWAYS approves those calls (I have extensive experiece with this!!). So, please no replies that the 2nd and later uses will not activate. Please stick to the technical question here.

**Anilrgowda** · 05-Mar-2007, 10:15 PM

Update:

Turns out the HD I was using was failing.

New resutls:

You can run an upgrade using an OEM vista home premium disc from XP home sp2.

Notes:
Selling the OS in this manner is a violation of the OEM ToS.
Using this method to reinstall Vista on a system with a valid retail or upgrade license for vista should be OK.
OEM DVDs only contain 32 or 64 bit files. I believe retail copies contain both.

05-Mar-2007, 10:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
Anilrgowda Administrator Posts: 18,704 Join Date: Jan 2006 Rep Power: 10 IM:	Can a Vista OEM DVD be used to do upgrades from Win XP Question: The specific question is : Can a Vista OEM Home Premium DVD be used to upgrade from XP Home SP2 ? I am posting exactly the same question I already posted and then assigned points to the previous answers at http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/Windows_Vista/Q_22156200.html because I have decided that the links in the two replies in that Question do NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION. Please note that my question relates to an *OEM DVD, not a Full or Upgrade DVD. The upgrade matrices in those links may apply to Upgrade DVDs or to Upgrade and Full DVDs but may not apply to OEM DVDs. This is so because (A) OEM's NEVER NEVER used the DVD to upgrade, they use it to do a FULL install on new HW, right? So the option to upgrade MAY NOT BE THERE on an OEM DVD (B) OEM Vista Home Premium DVDs cost about 1/2 of Home Premium Full DVDs. I do not think that price difference is because the Full version comes in a pretty box !!! OEM DVDs based on the price difference alone may have more limited capabiliies (ie (A) directly above). Please ONLY REPLY to this Question if you are 100% sure or close to 100% sure of the answer. If you answer and provide a link please make sure that link refers to OEM versions of Vista Home Premium and the word OEM is in the linked text. BTW, XP Full CDs would also do upgrades (per MS tech support on the phone) and I am assuming the same is true for Vista. The choice for me is between Vista OEM and Full as I need to use the CD FIRST to upgrade my office XP Home SP2 PC andTHEN use it to do FULL or Startup Repair installs later on my customers PCs. (I fix PCs for a living). Regarding Activation, I call MS and get this approved if the prupose is to fix corrupt OS files and I can prove that and MS ALWAYS approves those calls (I have extensive experiece with this!!). So, please no replies that the 2nd and later uses will not activate. Please stick to the technical question here.

05-Mar-2007, 10:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anilrgowda Administrator Posts: 18,704 Join Date: Jan 2006 Rep Power: 10 IM:	Re: Can a Vista OEM DVD be used to do upgrades from Win XP Update: Turns out the HD I was using was failing. New resutls: You can run an upgrade using an OEM vista home premium disc from XP home sp2. Notes: Selling the OS in this manner is a violation of the OEM ToS. Using this method to reinstall Vista on a system with a valid retail or upgrade license for vista should be OK. OEM DVDs only contain 32 or 64 bit files. I believe retail copies contain both.

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