Revive XP on new motherboard

[Guest]

I have a Sony vaio which recently died due to motherboard failure. I
replaced it with a new motherboard and processor, plugged in the drive and
accessories but XP won't come up either from the HD or the recovery disk. I
assume this is because the system is no longer recognized as a vaio and
Microsoft thinks I am trying to steal a copy of windows. Of course this is a
bought and paid for copy which came with the original machine. Is there any
way to make this work?

 

[Guest]

Microsoft hasnt the slightest thing to do with youre problem(s).....
An old hd with xp on it will not run on a diffrent MB,it was configured to
run on the 1st board only.Boot to xp cd,reinstall xp,new copy,delete the
partition,
create one,then let xp format & install.

 

[Malke]

I have a Sony vaio which recently died due to motherboard failure. I
replaced it with a new motherboard and processor, plugged in the drive and
accessories but XP won't come up either from the HD or the recovery disk. I
assume this is because the system is no longer recognized as a vaio and
Microsoft thinks I am trying to steal a copy of windows. Of course this is a
bought and paid for copy which came with the original machine. Is there any
way to make this work?

This has nothing to do with Microsoft and everything to do with what you
purchased - an OEM machine from Sony. The XP installed on the Sony is an
OEM version and OEM versions are tied to the hardware on which they are
first installed. In addition, many OEM versions are BIOS-locked to look
for an OEM motherboard. IOW, if your install disk doesn't find a Sony
motherboard it won't install.

This is not because Microsoft "thinks" you are trying to steal anything.
It is because you did not understand what you bought from Sony. What you
should have done was either get the replacement board from Sony (and in
that case would have been able to use the reinstallation media) or, if
that was no longer possible, purchase a generic OEM or retail version of
XP. You will still need to download all the drivers and laptop-specific
software for your particular model laptop from Sony.


Malke

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have a Sony vaio which recently died due to motherboard failure. I
replaced it with a new motherboard and processor, plugged in the drive and
accessories but XP won't come up either from the HD or the recovery disk. I
assume this is because the system is no longer recognized as a vaio and
Microsoft thinks I am trying to steal a copy of windows.

No, it's because Sony bound its Recovery media to a specific
motherboard to prevent theft.

Of course this is a
bought and paid for copy which came with the original machine. Is there any
way to make this work?

Only if you obtain the replacement motherboard from Sony.

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

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