Motherboard change windows activation ?

[Illusionist]

If I change motherboards, do I need to re-install windows xp, and reactivate ?? Or could I just use the OS existing on my hdd,.
Thanks

[redwudz]

Most likely, yes, to your first question. If it was the same motherboard, maybe not. But MS is fairly understanding. I would tell them your motherboard died. You can probably do a repair install from the XP OS disk with the existing XP install on your boot drive. But most times, it's a good chance to clear out all the old junk and start anew with a fresh install of XP. Your old drivers and a lot more are still left on your boot drive with a repair install.

Either way, I think you will have to do a reactivation.

[Illusionist]

Hi Redwudz,
Thanks for reply. I ordered the Gigabyte mobo and Crucial memory today, overnight shipping. Should be here tomorrow. I also bought Windows XP home, in case I ran into problems with Microsoft, the last time I tried to reactivate it took me nearly an hour to convince the rep, I had to change mobo's,.

Hope everything is smooth on boot up tomorrow.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

... the last time I tried to reactivate it took me nearly an hour to convince the rep, I had to change mobo's,...

Yeah, the last time I had to do this they were less than understanding.
Hell, it took me a while to get them to help re-activate when I got a bad virus/trojan and had to wipe the drive. Although the language barrier was a big part of it that time.

"I can't understand what you're saying" does NOT mean you need to speak louder. It means you need to speak English better...

[mazinz]

then you should get a hold of (order from microsoft) the latest windows sp3 service pack for windows xp. Why.. because they removed the validation. You no longer have to validate windows xp anymore. You still need the serial key that came with your disc, but otherwise than that you are set to go--

[redwudz]

I've had to reactivate several times through MS, both with XP and Vista. If you get a rep that you can't understand, hang up, wait a short while and dial again. Many of them speak very good English, so try till you get one that you can communicate with. Hint: Call late at night when they have a bit less traffic.

[Illusionist]

It wouldn't be a problem, if XP came down in price, when Vista came out, but XP is the same price as Vista, Lol,. It's really sad, the OS cost more then a computer system.

So I told the rep, your telling me the only solution I have is to buy Vista, sounds to me your trying to push a sale, more then assist me in getting my os activated. Now I see how Bill Gates, became a billionaire, Lol,. He gave me a validation # and slam the phone down on me, Lol,. Microsoft are quirks. Maybe I'll try a different OS in the future.

[bevills1]

mazinz, by "You no longer have to validate windows xp anymore" do you really mean no longer have to activate XP any more? If that's true, all that should be needed is download and install SP3, or even more simply just make a slipstreamed SP3 install CD using nLite for new installs.

[JohnnyMalaria]

"I can't understand what you're saying" does NOT mean you need to speak louder. It means you need to speak English better...

Perhaps. But a language barrier usually requires two people.

One thing that is so apparent to me is that in the US, at least, the majority of people are incapable or unwilling to make the mental effort to work out what someone is saying if it isn't with an accent/dialect that they are familiar with. Just watch documentaries where the aussie/brit/african/indian is speaking with perfectly good and intelligible English yet they are subtitled (which is highly offensive).

[bevills1]

It appears the belief that activation is no longer required with SP3 is a myth. To test it I made a slipstreamed SP3 setup disk and installed WinXP from that disk, and it still prompts you to choose between activate now and activate later. I suspect activation will be around as long as WinXP. In addition it checked 1 disk on startup and changed a lot of invalid security IDs which was not done when install was done from WinXP SP2 install disk. Then Win2k checks that same disk on startup and again changes a lot of invalid security IDs. Seems like it gets a bit more complicated with each new SP release.

[Robert Simandl]

My slipstream XP install (that included SP3) required activation as well.

[RickA]

Greets,

I find it ridiculous that we are forced to call MicroSoft and get their permission to reinstall / activate / validate something we have already bought and paid for. Yes, I realize it is part of the contract / license that we are bound to when we buy their software. I just see it akin to something like having to call Volkswagen for permission whenever I want drive to the grocery store or change the tires on the Jetta I own. I bought the thing, let me use my software on my computer as I would like.

I agree with you JohnnyMalaria that the language barrier is not just one sided. At least they have attempted to learn another language - English. Wish I had the foresight back in school to have learned a second, or even third language. As a young kid one does not always think that far ahead in life.

Cheers,
Rick

[bevills1]

That activation requirement is precisely the reason I chose Win2k over WinXP about 6 months after WinXP was released. I've had to reinstall Windows at least half a dozen times since due to mobo upgrade, hard drive failure or other hardware changes, and I didn't want to hassle with activation over and over when such changes become necessary. I'm still happily running Win2k and plan to continue as long as Win2k is supported.

[johns0]

I've changed my MB 5 times since i bought vista premium oem and each time i phoned to reactivate only took less than a minute after giving the original 50 digit activation code.

[budz]

It doesn't take long to do the activation over the phone. I've repaired a few computers where I had to do the activation due to mobo replacement. It ain't a big deal.

[bevills1]

Activation may be easy most times, but I'd hate to encounter problems like Illusionist did. With Win2k I don't have that concern, and Win2k does most of what WinXP will do. I also very much dislike such a long 50 digit activation code. I not too infrequently reverse a couple of characters of product key during installation, and there're many more chances for this kind of error with a 50 digit code which would naturally prolong the process if errors were made. Win2k fulfills all I need, and I simply prefer not to have to deal with activation.

In addition I feel activation borders on spying IMO. I have user tracking disabled and clear page file on shutdown enabled via registration modifications to further reduce possible spying by Microsoft or anyone else.

[zzyzzx]

Bah humbug. Just use Windows 2000 and you won't have these activation problems.

[V20]

I'm still using W2K and will continue to use it. I originally bought my copy just a few months after XPee was introduced. That activation crap was the reason I did, and is the reason I'm staying away from XPee.

I've heard horror stories about people having OEM copies of XP and Microshaft refusing to activate them (example: somebody's MB died and they had to replace it with a different model as the model that died was no longer made.) Even though everything else (including the CPU) was not changed, activation was refused and they were told to buy a new copy of XPee.

I can't help but wonder that someday, M$ will simply refuse to activate XPee anymore and people will be told upgrade to Vista (or Windows 7). I know support for XPee will last through 2010 and critical fixes (but no support) will still be supplied through (June?) 2014. I would not be surprised to see all activations denied by that date.

It's an easy way to force people to a new OS, even if they don't need it or want it (or their computer can't run it.)

[budz]

I'm still using W2K and will continue to use it. I originally bought my copy just a few months after XPee was introduced. That activation crap was the reason I did, and is the reason I'm staying away from XPee.

I've heard horror stories about people having OEM copies of XP and Microshaft refusing to activate them (example: somebody's MB died and they had to replace it with a different model as the model that died was no longer made.) Even though everything else (including the CPU) was not changed, activation was refused and they were told to buy a new copy of XPee.

The activation is painless with a few minutes on the phone. I did not even have a live person from MS on the phone, everything was voice activated and when going online the questions of the mobo/cpu replacement are asked so you just answer accordingly. I had no problem in using the OEM XP PRO disc that was originally bought to replace COMPCRAP (COMPAQ) computer. My cousin lost the XP disc that came with the COMPCRAP computer so I purchased a OEM XP PRO from Newegg.

[pchan]

Hi Budz,
My NEC laptop hard disk crashed. I couldn't the XP OS disc. So, I bought a new copy of XP Home. A couple days ago, I found the original XP disc the came with the NEC laptop. Do you think Microsoft would let me use the XP Home on a new system ?

[redwudz]

The MS 'rule' is 'One system - One OS install', but I would give it a try. You would need to uninstall the OS from the NEC computer to be compliant, but I would see if MS would let you use the newer OS disc first on your other computer.

[mpack]

I have another wrinkle on this issue.

A colleague was singing the praises of "Virtual Machines" to me the other day, so I downloaded Microsoft's own "Virtual PC 2007" product and gave it a try (at the time I was under the impression that MS and VMWare were the only players as that is what my colleague led me to believe). I knew that trial versions of XP were available but I wanted an instance that wouldn't expire, plus I had an unused XP Pro retail CD handy, so I installed that and stupidly activated it right away. VM ran ok, a little sluggish maybe, and audio seemed wrong (intermittent).

While researching ways to tweak the VM I discovered that other people make similar products, in particular VirtualBox is a good performer, totally free (in fact open source), and supported by Sun. So, I gave that a try too. Much better performance, audio problem gone, so I decide to install the same XP CD in there.

Can't activate. Damn!

The VM issue a whole can of worms! One of the selling points of VM is that you can carry your virtual PC around with you on a memory stick and run it on any physical PC... except that by MS licensing terms I'm sure they would rather like me to pay for a new license on each physical PC that hosts the VM even though I never actually install it there.

In the meantime I've just bought a new OEM copy of XP Pro SP2 that I'll use exclusively on the VirtualBox "hardware".

[jagabo]

Get a pirated corporate XP Pro for your VM. No activation nonsense (no Windows update either, except for security updates).

[mpack]

Get a pirated corporate XP Pro for your VM. No activation nonsense (no Windows update either, except for security updates).

To be honest: yes I considered that, but apart from the moral issue I don't want to limit myself to never being allowed to update. It's a kosher license for me I'm afraid.

[jagabo]

I use VMs mostly for trying out demo software that I don't want to install on my real computers or for unprotected surfing. (I delete the virtual drive when I'm done and restore from a backup copy). I don't mind not having updates for that.

<edit> Fixed a typo. Surging! LOL </edit>

[mpack]

I intend to use VMs in a similar way, but I'm concerned that some software I want try will oblige me to install this or that Windows patch before I can test drive it. The whole point of a VM for me is that I'll be able to install any updates I like without concern for how that affects my real PC - and then I can just delete the whole lot if the trial failed to impress. A VM that doesn't let me install certain updates would defeat the purpose for me.

Just an idle point? Does Microsoft sell product online? (via distributors if necessary). It just seems crazy in this day and age that Microsoft - who should presumably be at the core of all things hi-tech - still wants to me to buy a shrink wrapped physical CD and wait for it to arrive by mail. Or did I just not look hard enough online?

[bevills1]

Before TheScreenSavers show was dropped from broadcast by G4TV, there was a show where Leo LaPorte said Miscrosoft permits 2 or 3 different installs of an XP install CD even though officially policy is 1 install per XP install CD. pchan could try it to see if allowed, and worse case he would likely be told it can't be activated on the second system.

I'd never want to run any OS that can't be updated due to security issues. Also those buying pirated copies are participating in crime by accepting stolen property which is probably a felony. Imagine the hefty fines and/or prison term if caught.

[jagabo]

I'd never want to run any OS that can't be updated due to security issues.

Pirated corporate XP Pro does download all the security patches. It won't download some of the other stuff you can get by going to the update site. For example, when IE7 first came out it couldn't be downloaded and installed. MS eventually made it available to everyone -- probably because they were losing too much browser market share.

[mpack]

Before TheScreenSavers show was dropped from broadcast by G4TV, there was a show where Leo LaPorte said Miscrosoft permits 2 or 3 different installs of an XP install CD ...

Well, in my case it was two installs on consecutive days and the second one could not be activated.

I read on the web that there is a 120 day minimum period - if that period has expired then you can activate a new install no problem. I also read that activation involves sending a hardware signature drawn from ten different major PC components. If too many of those components change at once then a current install might lose its activation. This is all hearsay - I can't personally confirm any of it.

[jagabo]

Keep in mind there is a difference between OEM and Retail versions of Windows. OEM is intended for a single computer. If you change too much hardware it may not qualify as the same computer any more. Retail is valid for any number of computers as long as it's only installed on only one at a time.