First of all, based upon the description you've provided, you have
an OEM license for WinXP Home. An OEM version must be sold with a
piece of hardware (normally a motherboard or hard rive, if not an
entire PC) and is *permanently* bound to the first PC on which it's
installed. An OEM license, once installed, is not legally
transferable to another computer under any circumstances. You can
remove or replace it, if you like, but you can neither reuse it on a
different computer or resell it.
You'll need to purchase a new WinXP license for the new computer.
For the technical explanation of what you're seeing:
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations
and licenses 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
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
