Guest EW1947@gmail.com Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 OK, I'm a rookie. I've had my Windows XP system for 5 years (on a Dell Dimension). All was well until yesterday -- the motherboard fried. Big Question: if I replace the motherboard, will I have a problem with XP validation? I've changed some hardware items on the Dell over the past 5 years, but haven't had an XP validation warning yet. Perhaps the motherboard swap may be the last straw. Does Microsoft usually play fair in this kind of situation? Will I likely have to buy a new XP OS?? Thanks. EW
Guest Alias Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? EW1947@gmail.com wrote: > OK, I'm a rookie. I've had my Windows XP system for 5 years (on a > Dell Dimension). All was well until yesterday -- the motherboard > fried. Big Question: if I replace the motherboard, will I have a > problem with XP validation? I've changed some hardware items on the > Dell over the past 5 years, but haven't had an XP validation warning > yet. > > Perhaps the motherboard swap may be the last straw. Does Microsoft > usually play fair in this kind of situation? Will I likely have to > buy a new XP OS?? > > Thanks. > > EW > If you replace it with the same or very similar motherboard, XP should boot right up without any problems, activation or otherwise. If not, and you have to reinstall XP, call them and tell them a lie like you installed IE7 and WMP 11 and it screwed up your XP installation so you reinstalled. Play dumb. Don't, for a second, let them think you know *anything* about computers. That said, if all you have is a restore CD from Dell, it may be tied to the motherboard and you will have to get a new motherboard from Dell. -- Alias To email me, remove shoes
Guest Ken Blake Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? <EW1947@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1187709407.679561.270090@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com... > OK, I'm a rookie. I've had my Windows XP system for 5 years (on a > Dell Dimension). All was well until yesterday -- the motherboard > fried. Big Question: if I replace the motherboard, will I have a > problem with XP validation? I've changed some hardware items on the > Dell over the past 5 years, but haven't had an XP validation warning > yet. > > Perhaps the motherboard swap may be the last straw. Does Microsoft > usually play fair in this kind of situation? Will I likely have to > buy a new XP OS?? Normally, a Repair installation, and then reactivation, is all you need to do. It's a rare occurrence, but occasionally the differences between the two motherboards are severe enough that a repair installation doesn't work, and a complete clean installation is required. But your computer is a Dell, then your copy of Windows came with it, and that makes it an OEM copy. It *may* be BIOS-locked to the motherboard, and that copy won't install at all, let alone validate. Even if it's not BIOS locked, there's a potential licensing issue to be aware of. It's a can of worms, as far as I'm concerned. The OEM EULA states that the license is valid only for the original computer it's installed on, and it may never be moved to another. The problem is that the Microsoft OEM EULA does not precisely define exactly what constitutes the "computer." Some people claim that the motherboard constitutes the computer. However logical that might seem, the EULA does not state that, and the EULA is the document that defines the rights of both parties to the agreement. Some of those people point to a web site for System Builders, where Microsoft defines the computer as the motherboard. However it's not what it says on some web site that defines the customer's rights, it's the EULA; besides, that web site is not even available to the general public. I'm not a lawyer, but my guess is that if it ever came to a court case and someone cited that web site, he'd be laughed out of court. So, can you replace a motherboard, consider the result the same computer, and reuse your OEM copy of Windows? Regardless of what I think, you think, or anyone else thinks, or even what a court might rule if it came to that, the real issue is whether Microsoft will permit you to reactivate if you do. Unfortunately the answer is again not clear-cut, and we have heard here from people who have had both experiences--some were reactivated and others were not. If they refuse to reactivate you and you take them to court, you might win, but who of us would be willing to undergo that trouble and expense to find out? So the answer, with an OEM version, is that there is no real answer. -- Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User Please reply to the newsgroup
Guest EW1947@gmail.com Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? On Aug 21, 11:17 am, "Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote: > > So the answer, with an OEM version, is that there is no real answer. > > -- > Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User > Please reply to the newsgroup Thanks for the info, Ken (and Alias above). I have no idea what I'll do now. I guess I'll just get the motherboard replaced (by a service tech) and let him deal with it. The C: drive should be fine, so I anticipate that XP "should" boot up just fine, even with a different motherboard. I'll worry about the validation thing later! Stupid Dell!!! The darned thing should have lasted another 5 years!!! I babied it carefully, daily. Other people I know let their systems run 24/7, don't clean them, could care less, and they run forever. Me: I do the right things and it craps on me. Oh well. EW
Guest Ghostrider Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? EW1947@gmail.com wrote: > On Aug 21, 11:17 am, "Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> > wrote: > >>So the answer, with an OEM version, is that there is no real answer. >> >>-- >>Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User >>Please reply to the newsgroup > > > > Thanks for the info, Ken (and Alias above). I have no idea what I'll > do now. I guess I'll just get the motherboard replaced (by a service > tech) and let him deal with it. The C: drive should be fine, so I > anticipate that XP "should" boot up just fine, even with a different > motherboard. I'll worry about the validation thing later! > > Stupid Dell!!! The darned thing should have lasted another 5 > years!!! I babied it carefully, daily. Other people I know let their > systems run 24/7, don't clean them, could care less, and they run > forever. Me: I do the right things and it craps on me. > > Oh well. > > EW > > Look at it this way. Five years is a pretty good life for any computer, whether it has been well maintained or kept sloppily. But on the bright side, by maintaining it well, it also means that you took care of the other aspects of computer use and you could probably walk away from this without having lost a single important file. And as for those who do not normally take care of their systems, they experience crashes at the most inopportune moments and without backups. Time to move on. Maybe your new and more modern system will last 10 years.
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? EW1947@gmail.com wrote: > OK, I'm a rookie. I've had my Windows XP system for 5 years (on a > Dell Dimension). All was well until yesterday -- the motherboard > fried. Big Question: if I replace the motherboard, will I have a > problem with XP validation? I've changed some hardware items on the > Dell over the past 5 years, but haven't had an XP validation warning > yet. > > Perhaps the motherboard swap may be the last straw. Does Microsoft > usually play fair in this kind of situation? Will I likely have to > buy a new XP OS?? > > Thanks. > > EW > Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM installations are BIOS-locked to a specific 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: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
Guest Ken Blake Posted August 22, 2007 Posted August 22, 2007 Re: XP Validation Problem after Hdwe Change?? <EW1947@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1187719563.062532.48910@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > On Aug 21, 11:17 am, "Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> > wrote: >> >> So the answer, with an OEM version, is that there is no real answer. >> >> -- >> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User >> Please reply to the newsgroup > > > Thanks for the info, Ken You're welcome. Glad to help. > (and Alias above). I have no idea what I'll > do now. I guess I'll just get the motherboard replaced (by a service > tech) and let him deal with it. The C: drive should be fine, so I > anticipate that XP "should" boot up just fine, even with a different > motherboard. No. As I thought I said in my earlier message, replacing a motherboard almost always means having to at least a repair installation. > I'll worry about the validation thing later! > > Stupid Dell!!! The darned thing should have lasted another 5 > years!!! I babied it carefully, daily. Other people I know let their > systems run 24/7, don't clean them, could care less, and they run > forever. Me: I do the right things and it craps on me. I don't think five years lifetime is so bad. Looking at it from a cost standpoint, a motherboard costs around $100 (plus what it costs to replace it, if you can't do it yourself), so this one cost you only about $20 a year. Not very much money, if you annualize it. Ken
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