reinstall on different machine: cheapest way out?

[bruno]

Hi everyone

although it is pretty clear from this forum that an OEM version cannot be
migrated to a new PC, i am actually a little shocked in terms of bad luck. if
you have an OEM version on day 1, installed and activated, and your PC is
broken on day 2, you apparently throw away over 250 euros, since your LEGAL
version of MS office 2003 is worth less than a dime.

MY SITUATION:

I bought two OEM versions in a retail store a few days after the two desktop
purchases (around 18 months ago). so the pc's weren't delivered with the
software. i thus own 2 shiny office SBE 2003 installation CDs. I have
purchased a server with MS Windows SBS 2003 and two Vista laptops, to replace
the old desktops (one of which is broken, R.I.P) Apart from the fact that i
spent an entire weekend adding the laptops to the domain without succes
(despite following the MS guidelines, searching all internet forums about
IPv6 incompatibility, vista incompatibility and downloading all patches,
service packs and updates) i eventually decided to just start by migrating my
Office 2003 version to the laptops, which is in contradiction to MS policies,
even as a replacement for a broken desktop!

My question to anyone of you, is what my options are, to have a legal
version of MS office (preferably SBE 2003) on my two new desktop-replacing
laptops, at the lowest possible cost.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Beth Melton]

The answer to your question might be in how you bought an OEM version from a
retail store. Typically, OEM versions are preinstalled on the computer it is
licensed to. IOW, you don't install an OEM version, the manufacturer of the
computer you purchased should be installing it.

Most OEM versions you can purchase retail are illegal for Office. The OEM
System Builder Packaging and Licensing specifies, "software must be
distributed with a fully assembled computer system and must now be
preinstalled." At one time, an OEM version of Windows could be purchased
with non-peripheral hardware. This didn't apply to Office but folks would
still attempt to use that loop-hole to sell uninstalled OEM versions.
However, there is also a stipulation that an OEM version "can be sold to end
users who are acting as system builders by assembling their own PCs."

So...it's possible that what you had previously wasn't necessarily legal.
:-( I don't know, though, since it depends on how you purchased it.

Now, since you have a server with MS Windows SBS 2003, you might qualify for
volume licensing or a volume discount and that might be the cheapest route
to take. That's not something I know a lot about, I think only Microsoft or
their partners who sell volume licensing really know the ins and outs, but
that's something you might want to look into. Here's a little more on what
I'm referring to:
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/buy/software/overview.aspx#WaysToBuy

Chances are you'll need to contact someone at Microsoft or a partner to find
specific pricing details. Links for this are also included on the referenced
page.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
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