what happens when a hard drive fails?

[kcmunchkin]

this is something i've always been worried about, and even more so now
with all the horror stories of WGA failures circulating.

i have an OEM Windows XP Home SP2 disk -- the one with a hologram
rather than just a recovery disk -- that i purchased to install on an
athlon64 machine that was originally packed with Linspire. (it was
just one of those weird PowerSpec configurations that i could only get
a certain way.)

anyway, i guess i just don't know the proper combination of words to
stick in the Live Search search box to get the answer to my question,
which is this:

how do reinstallations work with OEM Windows disks when a hard drive
fails and i need to replace it? i'm terrified that my hard drive is
going to fail and my Windows won't re-activate when i pop in a new hard
drive. the only thing i've chaged to my configuration so far is to add
ram to my machine.

thanks,
em

 

[Alias~-]

this is something i've always been worried about, and even more so now
with all the horror stories of WGA failures circulating.

i have an OEM Windows XP Home SP2 disk -- the one with a hologram
rather than just a recovery disk -- that i purchased to install on an
athlon64 machine that was originally packed with Linspire. (it was
just one of those weird PowerSpec configurations that i could only get
a certain way.)

anyway, i guess i just don't know the proper combination of words to
stick in the Live Search search box to get the answer to my question,
which is this:

how do reinstallations work with OEM Windows disks when a hard drive
fails and i need to replace it? i'm terrified that my hard drive is
going to fail and my Windows won't re-activate when i pop in a new hard
drive. the only thing i've chaged to my configuration so far is to add
ram to my machine.

thanks,
em

Not need to be afraid. You can change your hard drive without any
problems. For that matter, you can upgrade/replace any component of your
computer, including the motherboard and not have any activation
problems. The worst that would happen is that you might have to do a
phone activation. I have one computer with a generic OEM XP just like
yours and the only thing left from the original set up is the case. It
activated on line with no problems when I reinstalled Windows the last
time. Before that, upgrading/replacing bad components did not even
trigger activation.

Alias

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

how do reinstallations work with OEM Windows disks when a hard drive
fails and i need to replace it? i'm terrified that my hard drive is
going to fail and my Windows won't re-activate when i pop in a new
hard drive. the only thing i've chaged to my configuration so far is
to add ram to my machine.

With an OEM copy or a retail copy, you can change hardware as much as you
want, reinstall Windows and reactivate it. There is no restriction on doing
this at all. The only issues are

1. If you reformat and reactivate fewer than 120 days since the last
activation, you will have to do it by voice call to an 800 number, not over
the internet. But that's quick and easy and not a problem.

2. If yours is an OEM copy, you may not replace the entire computer and
continue to use the same copy of Windows on the new one.

 

[kcmunchkin]

special thanks to alias and ken blake for clearing that up for me!

thanks again,
em

 

[Bruce Chambers]

this is something i've always been worried about, and even more so now
with all the horror stories of WGA failures circulating.

i have an OEM Windows XP Home SP2 disk -- the one with a hologram
rather than just a recovery disk -- that i purchased to install on an
athlon64 machine that was originally packed with Linspire. (it was
just one of those weird PowerSpec configurations that i could only get
a certain way.)

anyway, i guess i just don't know the proper combination of words to
stick in the Live Search search box to get the answer to my question,
which is this:

how do reinstallations work with OEM Windows disks when a hard drive
fails and i need to replace it? i'm terrified that my hard drive is
going to fail and my Windows won't re-activate when i pop in a new hard
drive. the only thing i've chaged to my configuration so far is to add
ram to my machine.

thanks,
em

In this respect, an OEM license is no different from a retail license.
There's no limit to the number of times you can reinstall and activate
the same WinXP license on the same PC. Nor is there ever a charge. Nor
does a Product Key (so long as it's not an evaluation license) ever
expire. 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.

Here are the facts pertaining to activation:

Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/

Windows Product Activation (WPA)
http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm


--

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

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

special thanks to alias and ken blake for clearing that up for me!

You're welcome. Glad to help.