Changing Computer with XP

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The motherboard, Ram DVD RW, the harddrive with XP one I put into the new
case, XP asks me to re-activate...waiting for phone line to be repaired
before I can continue

Will I need to re-activate?

Justin: Elder007
 
Hi,

Yes, you will need to reactivate due to the changes in hardware. Did you
also do a repair installation? It would be necessary with that degree of
replacement parts.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Hi Rodger... What is a repair installation? I changed the computer. Keeping
my HDD with XP on, kept the RAM [2x512MB]

Justin Howard\ South Africa
 
Elder007 said:
Hi Rodger... What is a repair installation? I changed the computer.
Keeping my HDD with XP on, kept the RAM [2x512MB]
Click to expand...

You basically changed everything in your computer. Do a Repair Install
to make sure XP has enumerated the hardware correctly.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Also make sure you install drivers for your new motherboard and any
other new hardware. Never get drivers from Windows Update. Get them
from:

1. The device mftr.'s website; OR
2. The motherboard mftr.'s website if hardware is onboard; OR
3. The OEM's website for your specific machine if you have an OEM
computer (HP, Dell, Sony, etc.).

Read the installation instructions on the website where you get the
drivers.

Malke
 
Elder007 said:
The motherboard, Ram DVD RW, the harddrive with XP one I put into the new
case, XP asks me to re-activate...waiting for phone line to be repaired
before I can continue

Will I need to re-activate?
Click to expand...

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations are
BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore 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

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:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Hi Bruce...

It took a phone call to MSOFT and all is well. I have re-formatted and
re-installed XP as there was a serious clash between on-board VGA and my
Nvdia Graphic ACC board, could not resove conflict + very short fuse [ME!!!]
and all is well.Just need to re-activate XP for I think tyhe 50th Time.

Justin Howard/ South Africa
 
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