Will changing MB & CPU invalidate OEM license/key?

[Guest Ben Bowen]

Hi all. I'm having some overheating problems with my PC running OEM

XP. I'd like to change the MB and CPU to something a bit newer to get

rid of this problem, but I don't know if XP will recognize the change

and invalidate the license/key.

 

Any advise?

 

Thanks

[Guest Colon Terminus]

Re: Will changing MB & CPU invalidate OEM license/key?

 

"Ben Bowen" <bozothedeathmachine@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:84e80139-7355-4050-a704-b06c491a9487@p31g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

> Hi all. I'm having some overheating problems with my PC running OEM

> XP. I'd like to change the MB and CPU to something a bit newer to get

> rid of this problem, but I don't know if XP will recognize the change

> and invalidate the license/key.

>

> Any advise?

>

> Thanks

 

 

My personal experience is ... Yes.

If you proceed, you will have to purchase a new license.

Been there ... done that.

 

 

 

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[Guest Bruce Chambers]

Re: Will changing MB & CPU invalidate OEM license/key?

 

Ben Bowen wrote:

> Hi all. I'm having some overheating problems with my PC running OEM

> XP. I'd like to change the MB and CPU to something a bit newer to get

> rid of this problem, but I don't know if XP will recognize the change

> and invalidate the license/key.

>

> Any advise?

>

> Thanks

 

 

The answer depends entirely upon the specific type of OEM installation

CD you have. If you have a generic, unbranded OEM installation CD, you

might not have too many problems. If, on the other hand, you have a

brand-specific "Recovery" CD, it most likely will not work at all on the

new hardware.

 

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM

installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard chipset and

therefore are *not* transferable to a new motherboard - check yours

before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical

(same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one

on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, you'll need to

perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:

 

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

 

Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

 

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with

licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.

You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If

you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a

Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style

foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,

is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any

old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it

"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the

reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable

than the Win9x group.

 

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any

important data before starting.

 

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a

Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than

120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most

likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's

been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.

 

 

 

--

 

Bruce Chambers

 

Help us help you:

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[Guest Alias]

Re: Will changing MB & CPU invalidate OEM license/key?

 

Ben Bowen wrote:

> Hi all. I'm having some overheating problems with my PC running OEM

> XP. I'd like to change the MB and CPU to something a bit newer to get

> rid of this problem, but I don't know if XP will recognize the change

> and invalidate the license/key.

>

> Any advise?

>

> Thanks

 

What kind of XP OEM do you have?

 

Alias