Replacing the motherboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

My new DELL has a bad network card (integrated) and they are coming to rplace
the motherboard. Teh service tech has told me I will need to reactivate my
XP license once the motherboard is replaced. Any idea how to this?
 
If Dell sold you a preinstalled version of Windows XP,
it does not require activation or reactivation. I have no
idea what the "service tech" is trying to tell you.

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

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx

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

:

| My new DELL has a bad network card (integrated) and they are coming to rplace
| the motherboard. Teh service tech has told me I will need to reactivate my
| XP license once the motherboard is replaced. Any idea how to this?
 
My new DELL has a bad network card (integrated) and they are coming to rplace
the motherboard. Teh service tech has told me I will need to reactivate my
XP license once the motherboard is replaced. Any idea how to this?
Click to expand...

If the system requires re-activation it will tell you so when you first
boot up with the new board, just follow the directions.
 
tlove said:
My new DELL has a bad network card (integrated) and they are coming to
rplace
the motherboard. Teh service tech has told me I will need to reactivate
my
XP license once the motherboard is replaced. Any idea how to this?
Click to expand...

The MOBO will be exactly the same (at least it should be), so activation
won't be neccessary. If they give you a different MOBO, then you may have to
activate, and then go through the new accusatory questionaire MS will use,
since they have a new policy regarding activation on the top 20 OEM venders,
of which Dell is one.
 
Be sure that the Dell tech stays around while you start up the PC, and
especially if it asks you to re-activate. Try the on-line re-activation
first. If that works, be happy, Dell has obviously arranged things to make
life easy for you. For example, Dell might have tied activation to a
specific version of the BIOS (inside the moderboard), instead of a weighted
sum of PC components.

But, it is also possible that the re-activation will fail, an 800 number
will appear on the screen, and when you call that number they (Microsoft)
will tell you that re-activation is not possible, because you have an OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) version of XP, which is good on only one
PC. In this context PC = motherboard. If you get any grief from Microsoft,
put the Dell tech on the phone. Do not let the Dell tech go until you have
a working PC, including all re-activation issues solved. I am sure that
Dell has some way to make this happen.
 
Back
Top