Hardware upgrades after installing Vista

[Bob]

Just read that MS is allowing one major hardware upgrade on a computer and
after that a new copy of Vista will have to be purchased.
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/10/microsoft_anger.html

The article was written in October and what I'm wondering is if this is
still true or has it been changed. I generally upgrade my MB and other
hardware every year or 2 and this would be a major added expense to that
process if it's still the case.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[Jeffrey Sparks]

According to the Rep at the last Microsoft launch I went to (January 18th)
you can activate Vista automatically 5 times before you have to start
calling (just explain to them, hey I had to replace my motherboard, etc and
they will activate it for you). The having to buy a new copy of Vista only
happens if you purchase an oem copy installed on a computer (say an HP from
best buy) and then buy a new computer with no O/S installed on it.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

That article is obsolete. A retail version of Windows Vista will
accept any hardware changes or upgrades you wish to make.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

Just read that MS is allowing one major hardware upgrade on a computer and
after that a new copy of Vista will have to be purchased.
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/10/microsoft_anger.html

The article was written in October and what I'm wondering is if this is
still true or has it been changed. I generally upgrade my MB and other
hardware every year or 2 and this would be a major added expense to that
process if it's still the case.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[Bob]

Thanks for the helpful replies...that helps a lot for the future.
Bob

 

[Conor]

Thanks for the helpful replies...that helps a lot for the future.
Bob

Just to add..

I have the Vista Business Upgrade that came in the Action Pack. I
installed it on my computer with the SATA controller in IDE mode and
activated it as that. When I changed the controller back to SATA which
then automatically sets it as a RAID controller also, it said I needed
to re-activate and provide another product key as this was already in
use. Turning the SATA controller back to IDE mode sorted it again.

 

[Flatus Ohlfahrt]

That article is obsolete. A retail version of Windows
Vista will accept any hardware changes or upgrades you wish
to make.

Perhaps. But, based on my experience over the past week with XP
Pro, re-activations are triggered with fairly routine hardware
changes.

As examples, I built two new boxes with new retail packages of
the OS. In the first case, the activation was broken after a few
tries of different graphics adapters.

In the second, switching motherboards while retaining all the
other components triggered a new request.

In each case, Internet activation was refused and a phone call
was required.

I hope they have lots of people on standby to handle the traffic
once people start doing the inevitable hardware manipulations
that major software upgrades will require.

Flatus

 

[Rock]

Carey Frisch [MVP]

Perhaps. But, based on my experience over the past week with XP
Pro, re-activations are triggered with fairly routine hardware
changes.

As examples, I built two new boxes with new retail packages of
the OS. In the first case, the activation was broken after a few
tries of different graphics adapters.

In the second, switching motherboards while retaining all the
other components triggered a new request.

In each case, Internet activation was refused and a phone call
was required.

I hope they have lots of people on standby to handle the traffic
once people start doing the inevitable hardware manipulations
that major software upgrades will require.

For one thing Vista is not XP, we don't have all the specifics on what
triggers activation in Vista, but there are changes from XP. For XP, if you
want to learn more about what triggers it see this link:

Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

 

[Guest]

what about oem if i put oem on a computer with agp and my motherboard crashes
and i put it all back together with a new motherboared, cpu, video card and
ram, can i still reactivate an oem copy on the new parts

 

[Guest]

I too am a perpetual waterfaller buying new hardware for my primary system
and waterfalling the replaced component to my secondary and tertiery systems.
I understa why they require re-registration but it would be nice if they
just provided a text box on the web re-authorization. It is very irritating
to call and go thru the automated voice process (if its automated whats the
difference why can't I do it over the web) only to then get patched to MS rep
who asks me the same questions they could ask on a chat session.

The actual cost of an XP license for me is the in store price plus $10-15 in
cell phone charges over the lifecycle of the box for registrering video card
upgrades and what not...

I truely hope they have improved this process for Vista.