Reinstall XP Home.

[Lee Moeller]

I posted this on Help and Support. It hasn't shown up there yet . Lets
see if it works here.

I am currently on my 3 rd hard drive and my second motherboard since
purchasing my Windows XP Home OEM version. and today , you guessed it,
my hard drive went belly up again and will have to be replaced. The
last time I had a problem my power supply fried and took my motherboard,
floppy, and CD ROM with it. After replacing these items and starting the
new system, I was confronted with reactivating the installation on the
hard drive from the previous system. I had to do this over the phone.
I had so many problems with XP in the beginning that I have lost count
of how many times I reinstalled it. Now I am faced with starting over
again and from what some people have told me I will probably have a real
problem getting it activated again. I would like to call someone at
Microsoft to see where I stand before I go through all the steps and
find out it won't work. That would be a big waste of time which I have
very little of these days. I understand that if this were a full
version of XP that I would not have any problems reactivating no matter
how many times it was done. Any thoughts on this dilemma would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lee

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

There is no one to call. You'll have to reinstall Windows XP
and activate by phone if the internet activation procedure fails.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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

:

| I posted this on Help and Support. It hasn't shown up there yet . Lets
| see if it works here.
|
| I am currently on my 3 rd hard drive and my second motherboard since
| purchasing my Windows XP Home OEM version. and today , you guessed it,
| my hard drive went belly up again and will have to be replaced. The
| last time I had a problem my power supply fried and took my motherboard,
| floppy, and CD ROM with it. After replacing these items and starting the
| new system, I was confronted with reactivating the installation on the
| hard drive from the previous system. I had to do this over the phone.
| I had so many problems with XP in the beginning that I have lost count
| of how many times I reinstalled it. Now I am faced with starting over
| again and from what some people have told me I will probably have a real
| problem getting it activated again. I would like to call someone at
| Microsoft to see where I stand before I go through all the steps and
| find out it won't work. That would be a big waste of time which I have
| very little of these days. I understand that if this were a full
| version of XP that I would not have any problems reactivating no matter
| how many times it was done. Any thoughts on this dilemma would be
| greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lee

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

How many items are plugged into your power strip?

 

[Lee Moeller]

Is windows activation capable of recognizing the old hardware.

 

[Lee Moeller]

9, but some only run when needed. ie., printer, scanner etc. By the
way I am communicating via a linux drive that is in tandem with the
windows drive that crashed on this system. Am suffering no problems
with it. Power supply is 450 watts and can't remember the mfg, but know
it is a high end model, as that was what I requested when I replaced it.
From what my computer parts supplier/tech told me, my hardware
problems rise from the fact that there are two heavy smokers in this
household,not me, I quit years ago, and that the nicotine and tars
sucked into the systems causes eventual failure.

 

[Lee Moeller]

Forgot to note that I have two power strips one is a APC battery backup
and the other is a Tripplite Isotel Ultra.

 

[Ron Martell]

I posted this on Help and Support. It hasn't shown up there yet . Lets
see if it works here.

I am currently on my 3 rd hard drive and my second motherboard since
purchasing my Windows XP Home OEM version. and today , you guessed it,
my hard drive went belly up again and will have to be replaced. The
last time I had a problem my power supply fried and took my motherboard,
floppy, and CD ROM with it. After replacing these items and starting the
new system, I was confronted with reactivating the installation on the
hard drive from the previous system. I had to do this over the phone.
I had so many problems with XP in the beginning that I have lost count
of how many times I reinstalled it. Now I am faced with starting over
again and from what some people have told me I will probably have a real
problem getting it activated again. I would like to call someone at
Microsoft to see where I stand before I go through all the steps and
find out it won't work. That would be a big waste of time which I have
very little of these days. I understand that if this were a full
version of XP that I would not have any problems reactivating no matter
how many times it was done. Any thoughts on this dilemma would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lee

To start with there are two types of OEM versions - those that can be
activated on a different motherboard and those that can't. This is
the result of a change made as of March 1, 2005. As and from that
date BIOS Locked OEM versions from major computer manufacturers will
not be able to be activated on a motherboard that is not from that
same manufacturer.

So if your OEM version was the BIOS locked type then you may have
difficulties. A BIOS locked OEM version would have come on a CD
bearing the name and logo of the computer manufacturer (but not all
such CDs are BIOS locked). It would also not have required activation
with the original motherboard, even after the first hard drive
replacement.

But if your OEM version is not BIOS Locked, and especially if it is a
generic OEM version with just the Microsoft name etc. on the CD then
it should be able to be activated.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Lee Moeller]

Looks like I will be ok. I built this system myself , purchasing my
components and Win XP from a local independent retailer. It is a MS
Logo Version 2002 OEM Part No X08-33941. Thanks for the response.
Sure has saved me some worry. Thanks, Lee

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Actually the systems installed from a BIOS locked OEM cd don't activate the
same way anyway. As I recall, if there is a BIOS id match with the cd the
system installs and if there is a mismatch the system won't install from the
cd. Since the cd is useless on any system without the correct BIOS id there
is no need to monitor hardware changes and trigger activation. There would
not be any internet or phone activation for these, so BIOS locked cd's are
not affected by the change.

Microsoft has turned off internet activation for all product keys in the
batches issued to the 20-top vendors. That means a lot of previously
installed systems as well as systems going forward. As long as reactivation
is not triggered, the consumer will never notice. If reactivation is
triggered such a product key is blocked for internet activation and the
phone procedure is required. A surprise when it happens, no doubt.

OEM cd's sold to smaller vendors and the small computer outlets still
activate over the internet just like the retail editions.

(Gee, I hope I have this right...)

 

[Lee Moeller]

Wanted to let you all know how things went with the new drives
installation. I set up 2 new drives , installed Windows XP then
configured my raid system and set it up. Once this was done I activated
the new installation over the web without any problem. Thanks everyone
for the help. These newsgroups always bail me out. I have another
question I will post separately about the new install. Lee