Pretty basic quesion for this group I'm sure but I've been away from
hardware for a bit of time. Appreciate the patience.
I have an old T4160 eMachine and I'm pretty sure the mainboard went bad.
Wondering if I can replace it for maybe 50-75 bucks.
Probably, assuming you find something compatible... best bet
is a board using same chipset and you should measure the
current board or even better the available space and
mounting holes in the case to determine acceptible
dimensions for the replacement. It's probably just a
standard mATX motherboard, but better to know for sure then
find out it won't fit at the last moment.
Another variable might be whether the front ports use a
standard pinout connector to the motherboard or something
more integrated, proprietary. Same goes for the front panel
power, reset, and indicator LEDs. Proprietary pinouts can
sometimes be easily worked around but other times it would
require making a new connector one way or another, or
abandoning use of some of the ports focusing only on bare
requirements like power switch (and probably LEDs are also
deemed necessary).
If you were able to find exact same board you might not even
need to contact MS. It would also remove questions of
compatibility with the case, but the large variable that
remains is why the current board failed and whether the
problem is present on all of them. For example failed
capacitors would be a problem you'd face again on a
replacement board unless the manufacturer changed cap brands
(and to a better rather than just equivalent budget cap
brand) between certain runs so the replacement has a better
chance of long term survival... or perhaps it's worthwhile
to consider the system's life *half gone* if you can get as
long a life with the replacement board as the original.
No machine details because first I'm wondering what's gonna happen with the
Windows Xp license? The drive and data are all OK but isn't that Genuine
Windows check that happens on updates going to think it's been put on
another machine and lock it up?
Thanks,
Red...
It will most likely prompt you for activation, may go online
to do it, and likely will not activate so you'll have to
call MS and read them your (case sticker?) certificate
installation key at which point they'll read back an
activation code you input.
When you call them the wording of your request might be
important, making it clear to them that this is not an
upgrade or chosen chanage to the system but rather a direct
repair scenario where an equivalent part was used for the
repair (if they ask at all, if they don't ask there's no
reason to stir the pot).
The reason for this is ambiguity in reuse of an OEM license
when the motherboard is replaced, because some would like to
go against the intention of the EULA and replace whole
system therefore creating a distinctly new, different
system, instead of the intent being to keep using what they
had within reason (still being allowed to upgrade minor
parts). IOW, I would say buying a motherboard that cannot
use the current CPU or at least same family of CPUs that
might've been upgradable on the old board, would be going
beyond the intent of a mere repair, but again there is some
grey area and disagreement about such things.
