pcgamer58 said:
Ok I just got a new motherboard for christmas and now it tells me I have to
activate windows XP.
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations and
licenses, especially those of the branded, BIOS-locked variety, 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.
So whenever I click the little popup thing it says
"Windows has already been activated" But still everytime I turn my computer
on the thing still pops up with "X days left to activate windows" So I don't
know if its truly activated or not and what should I do?
Possible Resolution: Boot into "Safe Mode" by pressing (F8) during a
reboot. Go to Start > Run and type: regsvr32 regwizc.dll , and hit
enter. Then go again to Start > Run and type: regsvr32 licdll.dll ,
and hit enter again.
--
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
