upgrade

[Hardly-Dangerous]

Hi..
I am about too embark on a major upgrade of my PC new motherboard hard drive
etc.
My question is will my copy of winXP activate with the key provided or will
i have to obtain a new key,my copy is genuine and registered.
thanx in advance

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Hi..
I am about too embark on a major upgrade of my PC new motherboard
hard drive etc.
My question is will my copy of winXP activate with the key provided
or will i have to obtain a new key,my copy is genuine and registered.
thanx in advance

Is this a retail / volume license copy? If so, you're fine. With OEM it gets
trickier (as to the legality of this).

However, even if it doesn't activate over the internet, you can call in.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am about too embark on a major upgrade of my PC new motherboard
hard drive etc.
My question is will my copy of winXP activate with the key provided
or will i have to obtain a new key,my copy is genuine and
registered.

You have provided very little information, not enough to tell you anything
definitively.

You have Windows XP and it is legitimate and working now. You plan on
replacing the hard drive (no problem) and the motherboard (could be a
problem) which likely means new processor, memory, video card, network card,
sound card, etc.

Great.

Questions you can answer to help clarify the situation:

- Is your computer an OEM - from one of the third-tier vendors (like Dell,
HP, Packard Bell, IBM/Lenovo, Gateway and so on)?
- If it is an OEM - did it *come with* Windows XP pre-installed?
- Did it come with an actual Windows XP installation CD or a
restoration/recovery CD/DVD or set and/or did you have to create one of
those when you first bought it?

- Whether or not it is an OEM - does it have a sticker on the case that has
your license key on it?

- If you purchased Windows XP separately from the computer - what type of
license is it? OEM, Retail, Upgrade, other? Did it come in a nice box with
a CD case and a sticker onthe CD case or was it a cellophane wrapped piece
of cardboard with the CD in a paper/flimsy material case?

What all - specifically - are you replacing in this computer? Please list
out the items.

 

[Hardly-Dangerous]

You have provided very little information, not enough to tell you anything
definitively.

You have Windows XP and it is legitimate and working now. You plan on
replacing the hard drive (no problem) and the motherboard (could be a
problem) which likely means new processor, memory, video card, network card,
sound card, etc.

Great.

Questions you can answer to help clarify the situation:

- Is your computer an OEM - from one of the third-tier vendors (like Dell,
HP, Packard Bell, IBM/Lenovo, Gateway and so on)?
- If it is an OEM - did it *come with* Windows XP pre-installed?
- Did it come with an actual Windows XP installation CD or a
restoration/recovery CD/DVD or set and/or did you have to create one of
those when you first bought it?

- Whether or not it is an OEM - does it have a sticker on the case that has
your license key on it?

- If you purchased Windows XP separately from the computer - what type of
license is it? OEM, Retail, Upgrade, other? Did it come in a nice box with
a CD case and a sticker onthe CD case or was it a cellophane wrapped piece
of cardboard with the CD in a paper/flimsy material case?

What all - specifically - are you replacing in this computer? Please list
out the items.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way



The computer is home built.

i am upgradin motherboard,graphics card ,processor ,memory and hard disk.
XP was bought separately it is OEM ,it was purchased in a cellophane wrapped
piece of cardboard with the CD in a paper case .With a sticker on the back
with e key on it.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am about too embark on a major upgrade of my PC new motherboard
hard drive etc.

My question is will my copy of winXP activate with the key provided
or will i have to obtain a new key,my copy is genuine and
registered.

You have provided very little information, not enough to tell you
anything definitively.

You have Windows XP and it is legitimate and working now. You plan
on replacing the hard drive (no problem) and the motherboard (could
be a problem) which likely means new processor, memory, video card,
network card, sound card, etc.

Great.

Questions you can answer to help clarify the situation:

- Is your computer an OEM - from one of the third-tier vendors
(like Dell, HP, Packard Bell, IBM/Lenovo, Gateway and so on)?
- If it is an OEM - did it *come with* Windows XP pre-installed?
- Did it come with an actual Windows XP installation CD or a
restoration/recovery CD/DVD or set and/or did you have to create
one of those when you first bought it?

- Whether or not it is an OEM - does it have a sticker on the case
that has your license key on it?

- If you purchased Windows XP separately from the computer - what
type of license is it? OEM, Retail, Upgrade, other? Did it come
in a nice box with a CD case and a sticker onthe CD case or was it
a cellophane wrapped piece of cardboard with the CD in a
paper/flimsy material case?

What all - specifically - are you replacing in this computer?
Please list out the items.

The computer is home built.

I am upgrading motherboard, graphics card, processor, memory
and hard disk.

XP was bought separately it is OEM, it was purchased in a
cellophane wrapped piece of cardboard with the CD in a paper
case with a sticker on the back with key on it.

In accordance with the End-User License Agreement, that copy of Windows XP
is licensed on the first computer you activated/utilized it on. This is
where things go gray - as I am no lawyer and I would bet two different
lawyers might interpret things differently... What constitutes the
computer?

Arguably - albeit barely in my mind - you are replacing so much that you are
indeed building a *new* computer. Seems to me the only things possibly
_not_ changing are the power supply, computer case and maybe a CD/DVD drive
(maybe a floppy drive?) and a few more external peripherals (unlikely to be
included in the definition of what constitutes the computer itself.)
Without a doubt - you are changing so much that re-activation would be
necessary immediately - if Windows XP would even boot without a clean
installation/repair installation on the new hard drive (repair if you cloned
old-to-new.)

So - from a non-authoritative standpoint - your current license for that
copy of Windows XP is about to go null and void due to the fact the OEM copy
cannot be transferred from one computer to another computer.

Technically - it will probably work just fine. Legitimate in terms of what
you decided to purchase (due to the price, likely enough) - that is very
much in question. ;-)

 

[Mark Adams]

i am upgradin motherboard,graphics card ,processor ,memory and hard disk.
XP was bought separately it is OEM ,it was purchased in a cellophane wrapped
piece of cardboard with the CD in a paper case .With a sticker on the back
with e key on it.

If it has been more than 120 days since you last activated, it'll activate
just fine after all these changes. If you are cloning the OS and apps to the
new hard drive you will have more work to do. If this is a clean install on
the new drive, it will activate without problems if more than 120 days.