4 replies to this topic

[BW7]

Hi, first time poster, I apologize if this is not in the right thread.

I work at a school and we recently had 32 computers donated to us from the Air Force. They wiped the drives clean including the OS. My question is since we have a site license, which I have been told is an upgrade only license, do we have to buy a new license for each machine before we can install our OS? Each individual machine has a "Microsoft Authenticity" sticker and each has its own Product Key #.

If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it, before we have to spend money, that we don't have, on licenses that we may not need.

Thanks,
Bryan

[+skilithead]

My suggestion would be to first contact your Volume License provider , or perhaps Microsoft directly : https://www.microsof...er/default.aspx , they should be able to answer any of your questions about what you may legally do .

[+sc302]

If the computers have a valid oem key, and you are within you upgrade rights to upgrade that version of windows to the vlk you have the upgrade for, then yes you can use your vlk. If you are unsure of your coa key or are unsure of your upgrade rights then you should contact microsoft.

[BW7]

Thank you! I found the answers I was looking for with your advice. Didn't get the results I wanted but at least now I know we need to buy licenses.

[+BudMan]

Odd that you would have to buy licenses - depending on what you want to put on them I guess. But the OEM license is tied to the box, so if they just wiped them clean - the license would still be valid for that box. OEM is tied to the hardware it is sold with, wiping the drive would not invalidate the license it was sold with.

So you contacted MS, and they told you had to buy licenses? Is this to upgrade to something other than what was installed on them? Or just to put the OS they came with back on?