Replace motherboard ?

[RJK]

If I buy a new (old) Socket A board,
and slap all my old existing parts (XP2600+ 512kb L2 cache...Barton / 768mb
PC2700 / AGP 8x DVI card / Soundblaster etc. onto it,
can I get away without reinstalling XP Home ed. OEM.
I SOOOOOOooooo don't want to reinstall.

I weighed up the pros and cons of going for a whole new board and cpu etc.
and the biggest con of course was that I could one day be left bidding for a
Socket A cpu on ebay, ...have you seen the stupid prices XP3200's are making
on there ..FOOLS !!!!

It's either a new motherboard or a new motherboard and everything else !

regards, Richard

 

[Steve Parry]

If I buy a new (old) Socket A board,
and slap all my old existing parts (XP2600+ 512kb L2 cache...Barton /
768mb PC2700 / AGP 8x DVI card / Soundblaster etc. onto it,
can I get away without reinstalling XP Home ed. OEM.
I SOOOOOOooooo don't want to reinstall.

I weighed up the pros and cons of going for a whole new board and cpu etc.
and the biggest con of course was that I could one day be left bidding
for a Socket A cpu on ebay, ...have you seen the stupid prices XP3200's
are making on there ..FOOLS !!!!

It's either a new motherboard or a new motherboard and everything else !

regards, Richard

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=249694

 

[Squire]

As long as you don't make any changes on your hard drive, you should not
have any trouble.
Your hard drive already has the Windows activation OK on it.
Give it a try.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

If I buy a new (old) Socket A board,
and slap all my old existing parts (XP2600+ 512kb L2 cache...Barton / 768mb
PC2700 / AGP 8x DVI card / Soundblaster etc. onto it,
can I get away without reinstalling XP Home ed. OEM.
I SOOOOOOooooo don't want to reinstall.

I weighed up the pros and cons of going for a whole new board and cpu etc.
and the biggest con of course was that I could one day be left bidding for a
Socket A cpu on ebay, ...have you seen the stupid prices XP3200's are making
on there ..FOOLS !!!!

It's either a new motherboard or a new motherboard and everything else !

regards, Richard

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

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.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Bruce Chambers]

As long as you don't make any changes on your hard drive, you should not
have any trouble.

That's almost always not the case.

Your hard drive already has the Windows activation OK on it.

Irrelevant when a re-installation is necessary.

Give it a try.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[RJK]

Thanx for the link, now I realise that I should have pointed out that if and
when I swap to a different mobo it will be a different make and model.

regards, Richard

 

[RJK]

Thanks Bruce,

My OEM XP Home ed. came from http://www.aria.co.uk ...it wasn't supplied
with a pre-built system box, just bundled with an order of other parts to
comply with MS's EULA. I'm sure I read in the distant past that
online-activation would tolerate some minor changes to hardware up to about
three times ?

In view that Socket A boards have all but disappeared, (...though Asrock
still seem to be chucking'em out pretty well), I would have thought that MS
should accommodate one or two motherboard swaps, across the life of a system
box, during authentication / reactivation / reinstallation ? i.e. Should
the old Socket A motherboard fail, one is almost sure to be left with no
choice but, to fit a different make and model. It would not be fair to have
to buy another copy of OEM XP Home ed. because it's impossible to exactly
match an old motherboard.

Several machines I've recently worked on had to be wiped and reinstalled
from scratch for different reasons, including a couple of newly built boxes
where XP Home went in without a hitch but, later I hit problems with
application software and/or drivers or other software problems resulting in
that "eventual" realisation that to reinstall from scratch would be quicker
than trying to solve the problems. ...and when I do hit those sorts of
problems I've, several times in the past, found that even a full-format
isn't enough to clear the way for XP reinstallation without problems, ...a
zero-filled hd is required, ...so I'd love to know what MS is leaving on the
hard-disk, and why whatever it is interferes with a fresh legal
reinstallation on a full-formatted only hard disk but, that's enough of
that - I'm wandering off course again !

....I think I'll Ghost, change the motherboard and try a "repair install,"
if that works well it will be soooOOOOOOOO much quicker than knocking my XP
and apps. and eeEEEEEEEverything else back into shape. I suppose everything
after SP2 has to be redone :-(
....and what about things falling over because lots of things have changed in
that cavern full of dll's ? ...and what was that file that's supplied as
an empty shell that keeps having things added to it ? ...I'll just shut up
and have a go in a week ot two !

regards, Richard

 

[Og]

Thanks Bruce,

My OEM XP Home ed. came from http://www.aria.co.uk ...it wasn't supplied
with a pre-built system box, just bundled with an order of other parts to
comply with MS's EULA. I'm sure I read in the distant past that
online-activation would tolerate some minor changes to hardware up to
about three times ?
snip>

Moving a Generic versions of Windows XP OEM to another motherboard will
require a phone call to Microsoft in order to activate.
Whether or not you will be allowed to activate on a new motherboard appears
to depend upon the MS tech that you talk to:
The two times that I have attempted to activate a Generic version that I had
moved to a different MoBo, the MS Tech refused my request on the grounds
that the OEM Operating Systems is forever tied to the original "computer",
which was defined as the MoBo.
Other people in these newsgroups (at least one is an MVP) have stated often
that they have moved Generic OEM Operating Systems many times and have had
no problem activating.
Steve

 

[Barry Watzman]

There is no such thing as a "generic" version. There are retail
versions and OEM versions, but not "generic" versions.

 

[Gordon]

There is no such thing as a "generic" version. There are retail versions
and OEM versions, but not "generic" versions.

There are indeed, two types of OEM. Branded and/or BIOS locked, as per Dell
and others, and generic OEM versions which are neither branded or BIOS
locked.

 

[Gordon]

Moving a Generic versions of Windows XP OEM to another motherboard will
require a phone call to Microsoft in order to activate.
Whether or not you will be allowed to activate on a new motherboard
appears to depend upon the MS tech that you talk to:
The two times that I have attempted to activate a Generic version that I
had moved to a different MoBo, the MS Tech refused my request on the
grounds that the OEM Operating Systems is forever tied to the original
"computer", which was defined as the MoBo.

There is NO WHERE in the Eula that you agreed to that even mentions the
motherboard. That is illegal practice by the tech.

 

[Alias~-]

Moving a Generic versions of Windows XP OEM to another motherboard will
require a phone call to Microsoft in order to activate.

Maybe, maybe not. If it's been over 120 days since the last activation,
a phone call will not be necessary.

Whether or not you will be allowed to activate on a new motherboard appears
to depend upon the MS tech that you talk to:
The two times that I have attempted to activate a Generic version that I had
moved to a different MoBo, the MS Tech refused my request on the grounds
that the OEM Operating Systems is forever tied to the original "computer",
which was defined as the MoBo.

A lie.

Other people in these newsgroups (at least one is an MVP) have stated often
that they have moved Generic OEM Operating Systems many times and have had
no problem activating.
Steve

You do not need to tell the activator anything but the ID number. What
you've done to your computer is none of his or her business. I have
changed motherboards on three computers, all running a generic OEM XP
and none of them had problems activating.

Alias

 

[Og]

Og wrote:


A lie.

The fact that my experience is contrary to your Legal Opinion of the EULA,
and contrary to your own experience, Alias, is no reason to call me a liar.
I clearly stated that my experience was not a definitive answer, and I just
as clearly stated that other people in these newsgroups have reported
results that differ from my results.
Steve

 

[Jonny]

Hard drive that requires a zero fill indicate radical CHS interpretation
differences in the bios between two motherboards. Same difference but less
difference are file problems whether with names of the files, or their
actual content. A simple partition(s) removal and new partition(s) install
is usually the solution as these install a new mbr if all are removed. Can
get hairy if a 3rd party boot manager is residing on the hard drive, this
may need a new installation after the new partition(s) installation. A zero
fill assures that all is anew irregardless, more time consuming. Zero fill
is probably the best solution, with an image restore following. Then, its
all an MS problem if problems arise regarding activation.

 

[Alias~-]

The fact that my experience is contrary to your Legal Opinion of the EULA,
and contrary to your own experience, Alias, is no reason to call me a liar.
I clearly stated that my experience was not a definitive answer, and I just
as clearly stated that other people in these newsgroups have reported
results that differ from my results.
Steve

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't being clear. The person you spoke to on the
phone was lying, not you.

Alias

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

There is no such thing as a "generic" version. There are retail
versions and OEM versions, but not "generic" versions.

There's no such thing as a "generic version," without any other description,
but the term "generic" is widely used to modify "OEM." There are two types
of OEM versions--those cutomized for a particular manufacturer's computers
and those that can be used on any computer. That latter type (essentially
the same as a retail version, but with the OEM version's restrictions) is
called a "generic OEM version."

 

[Barry Watzman]

There are two issues, what will work physically, and will it require
reactivation (and related to that, will MS let you reactivate).

Major changes will require reinstallation but will physically work.
With or without reinstallation, that leave the reactivation issue.

The EULA says that an OEM edition it tied to the computer on which it
was installed forever. But "computer" is never defined ... is it the
CPU, the motheboard, or the sheet metal case (I know that "case" sounds
laughable, but don't forget that the COA and product key are on the case
and are supposedly non-removeable without destruction).

The reality is that it's a nebulous and difficult to interpret / enforce
restriction, and I'm not sure of the extent to which PA does or does not
enforce it (for example, PA on retail copies reportedly "resets" to an
uninstalled state after 4 months of no activity; does this occure for
OEM copies also? [I'm not asking whether it should, I'm asking if it
actually does].

In any case, if a motherboard dies, you ARE allowed to replace it, and
if it's more than about 2-3 years old, you won't be able to replace it
with the same exact type even if you want to. But under the rules, you
are not allowed to replace a motherboard just to upgrade performance.
The only problem is, there is no way for MS to really know even what's
happening, much less why. They can only go by what the caller says, and
at some point it becomes a subjective call on the part of the call
center attendant.

Understanding that you are dealing with a subjective situation, all that
you can do is try to activate, and if it's denied over the internet call
and plead your case.

 

[RJK]

Your points are interesting but, whilst I was wandering off the point and
mentioning the occasional system box, where one has to "start again," I
didn't mean to imply that hardware was being changed. That was just me
asking one question and then rambling on about something else !

My point about the occasional problematic Windows installation was:-
On the odd occasion one assembles a system box with serious TLC, hardware
and bios are correctly configured and usually Windows fly's in without a
hitch. ...perhaps drivers go in beautifully - then several apps. ...and
then BANG something is unhappy with something else, one uninstalls that last
app. or driver and drops back to the restore point made before whatever it
was that started playing up, that usually fixes it but, again - on the odd
occasion - things get worse ! (Over the years one gains an armoury of known
hardware and/or software incompatibility issues but, it's such a massive
field that one has to weigh up the time it could take hunting down solutions
to problems, or simply install from scratch.) Here is where the mystery
starts. Perform a quick format | reboot, or even a full format | reboot -
start installing Windows and problems arise early on, (even during
installation of Windows itself compared to that first installation where
there were none), and there's more of them. (Someone will blame this on a
spec of dust changing a bit or two of data being read off the cd ! ).

Zero fill the hard-disk for half a day ! and all is again lovely and Windows
will fly in beautifully !

regards, Richard

 

[Barry Watzman]

This is apparently an OEM copy (although the original poster repeatedly
called it a "generic" copy). The license (EULA) for OEM copies is
different from retail copies. Your reply is reportedly correct for
retail copies, which are reported to rest to an "uninstalled" state
after 4 months. However I've never seen a definitive indication as to
whether or not the Activation servers ever reset an OEM copy once it is
initially installed. It would be good to from people who have actually
been in this situation. What matters, of course, is what Microsoft's
product activation servers actually do, not what they are reported or
supposed to do.

Alias~- wrote:

 

[Alias~-]

This is apparently an OEM copy (although the original poster repeatedly
called it a "generic" copy). The license (EULA) for OEM copies is
different from retail copies. Your reply is reportedly correct for
retail copies, which are reported to rest to an "uninstalled" state
after 4 months. However I've never seen a definitive indication as to
whether or not the Activation servers ever reset an OEM copy once it is
initially installed. It would be good to from people who have actually
been in this situation. What matters, of course, is what Microsoft's
product activation servers actually do, not what they are reported or
supposed to do.

I know from personal experience on dozens of computers that the 120 days
trip also applies to generic OEMs.

Alias