Windows Vista Home Premium 64 OEM DVD?

I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
Premium 64 bit.
The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't have
to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain ol
Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a plain
Jane copy of Vista?

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:27:38 -0500, Justin
<> wrote:

>I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
>Premium 64 bit.
>The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't have
>to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
>So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain ol
>Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
>The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
>invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a plain
>Jane copy of Vista?

You're giving the OEM key... MS doesn't play with OEM product.

DDW
--
Reply via this group
No email please

DDW wrote:
> On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:27:38 -0500, Justin
> <> wrote:
>
>> I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
>> Premium 64 bit.
>> The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't have
>> to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
>> So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain ol
>> Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
>> The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
>> invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a plain
>> Jane copy of Vista?
>
> You're giving the OEM key... MS doesn't play with OEM product.
>
> DDW
> --
> Reply via this group
> No email please

So... I hit the torrents?

The key you have is only valid with the OEM media. If you don't have it, you
will have to get one from HP.

Alternately, you might be able to use Acronis or a similar utility set to
recover or "unformat" the disk. Or, if you created the recovery disks, you
can use those to recover the system.

Plan "B" is to use a full retail version with a retail key.

As for Torrents--not going there.
--

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007


"Justin" <> wrote in message
news:gfoegv$frr$...
>I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home Premium
>64 bit.
> The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't have to
> deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
> So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain ol
> Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
> The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
> invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a plain
> Jane copy of Vista?

Tom Ferguson wrote:
> The key you have is only valid with the OEM media. If you don't have it,
> you will have to get one from HP.
>
> Alternately, you might be able to use Acronis or a similar utility set
> to recover or "unformat" the disk. Or, if you created the recovery
> disks, you can use those to recover the system.
>
> Plan "B" is to use a full retail version with a retail key.
>
> As for Torrents--not going there.

I don't want to do a recovery because that will but all the useless ****
from HP on there - which is what I want to avoid.
I made the recovery DVDs with no problem. I'll use them to restore the
machine in a few years when I ebay it.
I'm guessing HP won't sell me a normal DVD for Vista. I guess I'll just
have to break the law. No big deal.
Anyone know some good IRC search engines? Other than packetnews...

"Justin" <> wrote in message
news:gfohg8$2oe$...
> DDW wrote:
>> On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:27:38 -0500, Justin
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
>>> Premium 64 bit.
>>> The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't have
>>> to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
>>> So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain ol
>>> Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
>>> The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
>>> invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a plain
>>> Jane copy of Vista?
>>
>> You're giving the OEM key... MS doesn't play with OEM product.
>>
>> DDW
>> --
>> Reply via this group
>> No email please
>
> So... I hit the torrents?

Do you know anyone with a Retail 64-bit DVD? All the DVD media is identical,
it's the keys that determine what gets installed.

Brian W wrote:
> "Justin" <> wrote in message
> news:gfohg8$2oe$...
>> DDW wrote:
>>> On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:27:38 -0500, Justin
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
>>>> Premium 64 bit.
>>>> The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't
>>>> have to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
>>>> So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just
>>>> plain ol Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer
>>>> found." The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key
>>>> was
>>>> invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a
>>>> plain Jane copy of Vista?
>>>
>>> You're giving the OEM key... MS doesn't play with OEM product.
>>>
>>> DDW
>>> --
>>> Reply via this group
>>> No email please
>>
>> So... I hit the torrents?
>
> Do you know anyone with a Retail 64-bit DVD? All the DVD media is
> identical, it's the keys that determine what gets installed.

<snigger>

Brian W wrote:
>
> "Justin" <> wrote in message
> news:gfohg8$2oe$...
>> DDW wrote:
>>> On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:27:38 -0500, Justin
>>> <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just bought a HP laptop DV6700. It came with Windows Vista Home
>>>> Premium 64 bit.
>>>> The first thing I do when i get a retail PC is reformat so I don't
>>>> have to deal with all the HP junk they put on it from the factory.
>>>> So I went to Microsoft's site to order a $12.99 DVD with just plain
>>>> ol Vista on it. I entered my Key and it tells me "no offer found."
>>>> The first time I typed the key incorrectly and it said the key was
>>>> invalid. Duh on my part. Why doesn't Microsoft want me to have a
>>>> plain Jane copy of Vista?
>>>
>>> You're giving the OEM key... MS doesn't play with OEM product.
>>>
>>> DDW
>>> --
>>> Reply via this group
>>> No email please
>>
>> So... I hit the torrents?
>
> Do you know anyone with a Retail 64-bit DVD? All the DVD media is
> identical, it's the keys that determine what gets installed.
>


you are incorrect. I downloaded a 64 and 32 bit DVD image. The 32 bit
OEM image downloaded first, so I tried that just to test - it worked
fine. It accepted the key.
Same thing with the 64 bit version, only I have the 64 bit version
activated with Microsoft.