WPA & OEM WinXP

[Keith French]

With Windows Product Activation and an OEM copy of WinXP (with SP1), can I
change my hard disk? I think it is developing a fault as it sometimes not
detected by the BIOS on boot up. I have been reading the excellent article
by Alex Nichol on this subject and it tends to suggest some limitations with
an OEM copy.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

With Windows Product Activation and an OEM copy of WinXP (with
SP1), can I change my hard disk? I think it is developing a fault
as it sometimes not detected by the BIOS on boot up. I have been
reading the excellent article by Alex Nichol on this subject and it
tends to suggest some limitations with an OEM copy.

It would depend upon the specific type of OEM recovery or
re-installation options the computer's manufacturer provided. There
is certainly nothing in the OEM EULA that prevents your replacing a
defective hard drive, nor would WPA interfere in the process. If you
have a true OEM installation CD, such as provided by Gateway, Dell,
and with some HP laptops, you should have no problems.

Unfortunately, however, all too many OEMs do not provide true
installation CDs, but rather "Recovery" CDs that can be used to
restore the computer to the exact state it was in when it left the
factory. Such Recovery CDs, if not used judiciously, can be
destructive to any personal files and data stored on the hard drive.
Worse still, some of these recovery images have been specifically
designed, by the computer's manufacturer, to work _only_ upon the
exact hardware configuration for which they were originally designed.
This means that the disk image might "refuse" to install on a
different brand/model/size hard drive. There have even been reports
of OEM image restorations failing if the computers owner has upgraded
the amount of RAM from the computer's original state. If you have one
of these Recovery CDs, you only real option is to obtain the
replacement hard drive from the computer's original manufacturer,
through that manufacturer's tech support and warranty channels.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Tom]

You should be fine.

 

[GHalleck]

With Windows Product Activation and an OEM copy of WinXP (with SP1), can I
change my hard disk? I think it is developing a fault as it sometimes not
detected by the BIOS on boot up. I have been reading the excellent article
by Alex Nichol on this subject and it tends to suggest some limitations with
an OEM copy.

Theoretically, it should not be a problem. Make an image
file(s) of the partition(s) and restore the images to the
corresponding partition(s) on the new HD. Where WPA might
play a role will depend on the hash count that is generated
by the built-in ID [serial] number of the new HD. According
to theory, if the hash count is significantly different,
re-activation might be needed.

If Windows XP is being installed from the OEM disc and this
particular disc is a "recovery" one or a heavily-branded one,
then the caveats mentioned by Bruce Chambers shall pertain,
including bios-locking to specific firmware ID's of the OEM
hardware.

 

[Steven K]

With Windows Product Activation and an OEM copy of WinXP (with SP1), can I
change my hard disk? I think it is developing a fault as it sometimes not
detected by the BIOS on boot up. I have been reading the excellent article
by Alex Nichol on this subject and it tends to suggest some limitations
with an OEM copy.

Yes u can do it! Worst what can happen is to reactivate XP by calling MS.
They can not refuse activation due to swapping a failing component...

 

[Alex Nichol]

With Windows Product Activation and an OEM copy of WinXP (with SP1), can I
change my hard disk? I think it is developing a fault as it sometimes not
detected by the BIOS on boot up. I have been reading the excellent article
by Alex Nichol on this subject and it tends to suggest some limitations with
an OEM copy.

Thank you. Yes for an 'OEM' one you bought and installed, it will
survive a change of just one item, or even several, so that it looks
like the same hardware. Take advantage though of the Hint on resetting
the Volume Serial number to the old one. You would change disks, format
and go ahead to install and in due course (after that reset) activate
again on the net. Where an OEM copy falls down is in not being licensed
to a different machine. Just where a sequence of changes makes it a new
machine is left undefined, but just a new HD will not put you into it