The facts are OEM is tied onto your Motherboard and other hardware. You change/replace them, your Windows copy is deactivated. Then next time online, it will attempt to reactivate. Checking if the hardware is too different, OEM won't reactivate. Meaning you have to contact Microsoft themselves and explain the changes, with a good reason why. By using a P2V It's a breach of the Microsoft OEM Licensing Agreement to transfer OEM licenses. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) versions Note: Physical-to-virtual hard drive migration of a Windows installation is a valid function for customers with Software Assurance and full retail copies of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
Summary: If you are confused and have no idea to choose which Windows license key for your PC then, have a look at this article and know the Windows OEM vs Windows retail difference. This will help you in making a wise decision.
If you owe a Windows 10 operating system then you must have a Windows license key as it activates and verifies the Windows on your PC. In some cases, Windows 10 automatically get activated with a digital license instead of the product key.
Copying Windows 10 from one PC to another requires a product key to activate it. If you have copied Windows 10 from the other computer then you must get the license key for Windows to run on your PC.
Though there are four types of Windows licenses for different requirements such as Windows OEM, Windows retail, Windows volume, and Windows MSDN. If you are not developing any software or working in a large business then you can choose either OEM or retail license.
Go through this article and get to know the difference between OEM and retail Windows 10 and then make a purchase of Windows license for your PC to activate Windows 10.
Also, discover the relevant information regarding Windows 10 OEM and Windows 10 retailversion.
What Does OEM Windows 10 Mean?
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) is a Windows license that is pre-installed on your PC by the companies that manufacture PC. They include a copy of Windows in it so that you can immediately use your PC.
Though this OEM license is pre-installed, users can also buy them if they want to build a gaming PC or have a second-hand system that is either outdated or have no operating system.
Talking about whether to purchase this license or not, you can decide when you go through Windows OEM vs Windows retail difference.
What Is The Retail Version Of Windows 10?
A retail version of Windows 10 is a full packaged product. It is referred to retail license that users buy when they purchase a Windows 10 copy from any retailer store or Microsoft store.
If you have purchased Windows 10 retail license then you can transfer it from one computer to another but not at the same time, one device has to be deactivated plus no limit on the hardware.
Now, that you got to know about Windows 10 OEM and Windows 10 Retail. Let’s the Windows 10 OEM VS retail battle begin.
What Is the Difference Between OEM and Retail Windows 10?
Finally, we have arrived at the battleground of Windows OEM VS Windows retail.
First of all, talking about the features both the OEM and retail have a full version of the operating system, where the user can enjoy updates, functionality, and features that is expect from Windows.
Whether you are using OEM Windows 10 or retail you can upgrade your Windows to a newer version as long you have a Windows license.
Though there is not much of a difference between OEM and retail Windows 10, only a few that is stated in the below table.
Windows OEM | Windows RETAIL |
| In OEM Windows 10 any part of the computer can be replaced except the motherboard. As the SLIC (Software Licensing Internal Code) is stored in BIOS if when missing then Windows 10 OEM won’t get activated. | In Windows 10 Retail License there is no limit in replacing the hardware of your PC. Even if you replace any hardware of your PC it will still be activated without any issue. |
| OEM Windows 10 license is Non-Transferable | Windows 10 Retail license is Transferable from one PC to another. |
| Windows 10 OEM license is cheaper and when purchased online from Amazon or eBay the price gets lower. | Retail license Windows 10 cost is more than OEM but when online purchased the price gets a bit low. |
| The user needs to contact the manufacturer of the device for any problem. | Windows 10 Retail customer if run into any hardware or activation issue, directly contact Microsoft support. |
| OEM Windows 10 can be installed only once and that too locked in a single PC. | The retail version of Windows 10 can be installed multiple times but to activate the product key into the new device, the old one has to be deactivated. |
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People Also Ask:
- If you want to which Windows license key you are using, simply open the command prompt (PowerShell) by pressing Windows + X key
- In the command prompt window, type Slmgr /dli or slmgr /dlv and hit the enter key
- After a couple of minutes, the Windows script host will appear where your license type, product key, and license status will be mentioned.
YES, Windows 10 license can be transferred if you have purchased the Windows 10 retail copy. If you are upgrading your Windows to a newer version you are allowed to transfer the product key to a new device.
First of all, you have uninstalled the product key. For that open the command prompt (admin) and then type slmgr /upk command.
The Windows script host will let you know whether the product key is uninstalled or not. After that in the new PC, open cmd and type slmgr /ipk xxxxxxxx xxxx (xxxx means product key).
Wait for a couple of minutes for the Windows script host to tell you that the product key is installed successfully.
Conclusion
All right, so this was all about Windows OEM VS Windows retail.
I have listed down the difference between OEM and retail Windows 10 so that it will get easier for you to choose the license key for your PC to activate Windows 10.
If you have a pre-installed OEM Windows 10 then there is no need to change the motherboard and if not then go with the Windows 10 Retail license as it has more privilege.
Well, it depends on you which Windows license you buy. I hope that you liked this article and go to know about the retail OEM difference in Windows license.
Apart from this, if you have left with any questions or suggestion then write to us on our Facebookpage. We’ll be happy to help you.
Neha Kumari
Being a professional badminton player, Neha has won many awards in school and college level. During her college days, she also developed a passion for computer-related stuff which lead her to become a technical writer indeed. She writes so that other people can benefit from her acquired knowledge.
Last updated on August 28th, 2019
This tutorial contains instructions to convert Windows Server 2016 Evaluation version to Licensed. As you know all Evaluations versions is available for testing for 180 days and after that period you must convert the Evaluation version to Licensed first and to use a valid product key in order to activate Windows Server 2016 (or Server 2019)and use all its features without problems.
How to Convert Evaluation Server 2016 or 2019 to Licensed Version.
To convert Windows Server 2019 or 2016 Evaluation to Licensed (Retail):
1. Open PowerShell as Administrator and give the following command to find the installed version of Server 2016:
- DISM /Online /Get-CurrentEdition
2. Then give the following command to convert the Server 2016 Evaluation version to Full Retail (Licensed):
- DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerEdition /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula
* Notes:
1. In the above command, change the ServerEdition according to the installed version.
For example…
1. If the installed edition is the 'ServerStandarEval' then the command is:
- DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula
2. If the installed edition is the 'ServerDatacenterEval' then the command is:
- DISM/Online/Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter/ProductKey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx/AcceptEula
2. If you have a KMS host running in your deployment, then you can use a KMS Product key for activation or you can use the KMS key to convert the Evaluation version to licensed and then (after the conversion), to change the product key and activate Windows by using the slmgr.vbs /ipk command.
3. When the operation is completed, press the 'Y' key to reboot the Server and apply changes.
That’s all folks! Did it work for you?
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