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1. Corrine

   
   Posted on: March 16, 2007 at 2:24PM  

   Good news.  Thanks for listening and responding.

   Pingback:  http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2007/03/microsoft-to-adjust-vista-eula-for.html
2. Allan

   
   Posted on: March 16, 2007 at 6:53PM  

   So if i have a copy of a retail Window Vista Home premium [upgrade version] $159.99 and then decide to use Window Anytime upgrade to get Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade Version does this mean that i can now uninstall it on my current hp computer and install it to new build computer?
3. newscientist2000

   
   Posted on: March 17, 2007 at 11:52AM  

   Great news for those with retail copies of Vista :-)

   Although the interesting part is that the site actually refers to " full packaged product versions of Windows", which could be interpreted to mean any version of Windows with packaging.

   If you define packaging in its simplest form

   "Packaging refers to the container or wrapper that holds a product or group of products."

   Full packaging for a OEM product would be its sleeve and manual?  Thats all it comes with, so it is in effect its the Full packaging for that product!

   Of course I'm sure Microsofts legal experts disagree, and maybe there is more info in the full EULA which clearly defines these different Windows versions.  I would define the statement on the website as unclear.

   Having said that I am glad that you guys have made this change, it will make retail customers happy and will add value to those SKUs.

   One quick Question:

   Is there anyway to easily tell from a product key what version of Windows version you have OEM, Retail, NFR, Enterprise etc, Trial, Beta etc?

   Because that would clear up a lot of confusion.  Particularly for end users, it would be nice to be able to clearly tell from the product key if the version is exactly what you expect it to be.

   I know that OEM versions sometimes have OEM written in the key but are there any other identifiers that describe the other types?
4. BIGwaffleman

   
   Posted on: March 18, 2007 at 9:26PM  

   Is it possible to buy one copy of windows vista on disc, install it on two computers then validate the second installation with a product key bought online?
5. Nick White

   
   Posted on: March 19, 2007 at 1:09PM  

   Hey newscientist2000:  we (at least at MS) usually refer to retail-purchased products as "fully-packaged product", or FPP.  I make a short mention of FPP in this post:  http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2006/10/24/buy-a-pc-now-upgrade-to-windows-vista-later.aspx.  

   In any case, the point is not to be confusing -- FPP refers to a product purchased at retail only.  (We use too many acronynms, I know!)

   And, AFAIK, there is no way to look at a product key (PID) and determine the version or license it will install.
6. Nick White

   
   Posted on: March 19, 2007 at 1:13PM  

   Hey BIGwaffleman:  take a look at my comments from 30 Jan on this post, as it will explain that you can use the same media for multiple installations of Windows Vista; this is one of the main premises behind WAU:  http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2007/01/17/multiple-announcments-today.aspx.
7. newscientist2000

   
   Posted on: March 20, 2007 at 12:53AM  

   Thanks for the explanation Nick.

   Microsoft should really consider adding a clear code into the license keys for Vienna that can easily be read by the consumer so that they know easily the license type/vesion of Windows/Office they will get when they use that key.
8. Nick White

   
   Posted on: March 20, 2007 at 3:23PM  

   Hey Allan:  per the licensing change mentioned in this blog post, qualified WAU users are now granted the right to uninstall Windows Vista and then re-install the OS on a different computer.  Take a look at the EULA for more detail (note that the portion referring to this WAU licensing modification has not yet been updated):  http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx.
9. someone

   
   Posted on: March 21, 2007 at 8:50AM  

   PLEASE PLEASE clear my doubts:

   1. When you perform a WAU, do you get an upgrade-only key or an entire replacement key for a higher SKU? meaning everytime you reinstall on the same PC, you'll need the original key to install the original SKU, and then upgrade using the new key? Is this how it works? OR You can straightaway supply the new key for future installations to directly install the higher SKU?

   2. IF you get a replacement key, is the old key nullified/invalidated by MS/WGA? This applies obviously if and only if you are getting a new key, not an upgrade-only key.

   3. Will WAU be ever available in other countries like India etc?
10. Nick White

    
    Posted on: March 21, 2007 at 3:38PM  

    Hey someone:  I contacted one of my colleagues reponsible for WAU and he responded with the below -- hope this helps.

    1) The key for WAU is specific for an upgrade path and it verifies that you have a genuine edition of Windows Vista of the correct edition installed to upgrade from.  You are correct in your statement that you will need to install the base edition and then upgrade using the WAU digital upgrade file in case you need to reinstall a PC.  For more information about re-installing a PC that have been upgraded through WAU, please go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/windowsanytimeupgrade/faq.mspx.

    2) See above.

    3) WAU is currently available to end-users in 57 countries and Microsoft is looking into expanding to additional countries.