Vic said:
Just installed XP1 and have 2 weeks until PA is required, BUT:
I am not decided on what motherboard to use, the current one or one I plan
to buy shortly, so there are questions
1) can the Xp be activated on one MOBO then reinstalled to a different setup
with a different MOBO and PA be kept? The same HD, video card and modem
would be used. Sound on both is onboard so I'm not sure if that would affect
anything.
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed 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
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.
2) is there a web site with DETAILED information on this topic (I think it
is such a pain)?
Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
I am also wondering what happens when day 31 comes and xp is NOT activated.
Can you still reach the desktop? Does a screen with a time-bomb appear? Does
XP allow you into the GUI and be able to activate?
You will be allowed to boot into Safe Mode (with Networking) and
prompted to activate the installation immediately upon log in. If you
do not activate, you will be logged out.
3) how many times can one change hardware (I like to tinker and have
multiple PC)?
Here are the facts pertaining to activation:
Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/
Windows Product Activation (WPA)
http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm
--
Bruce Chambers
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