New Motherboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sam D
  • Start date Start date
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Sam D

I recently installed a new motherboard and expected the
reactivated screen to appear. This is not the case. It
gets to the windows loading screen, goes to a blue screen
with some writing on (which goes too quick to read)then
restarts and the preocess happens all over again. I tried
an old HDD with Win98 on and it works fine so theres not
a problem with the m/b.
How can i reactivate XP?
 
Greetings --

You cannot reactivate WinXp until you repair it.

Unless the new motherboard is virtually identical to the old one
(same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.), 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

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also require re-activation. 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

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
None of those methods work. Inseting any of the XP CDs
does nothing. Upon exploring the CD's there are no
executable files etc. Booting from the CD gives me two
options; Restore WinXP and Boot to command prompt from
CD. Tryin to restore XP just tells me that my system is
incompatible. The latter option just sends me to the
command promt.
 
The advice you were given works fine, if you have a *retail* full or upgrade
version of XP. I've done it several times, all with one XP license
(installed on one system, although that system has been changed out
completely).

If you don't have "setup.exe" in the root directory of the CD, then I
believe that you have something other than a retail version of XP.

Manufacturer's restore CDs, for example, are probably useless on other
mainboards than the ones they were sold with. A BIOS-locked OEM version
might work with a different board, if it was from the same manufacturer. I
don't know about a generic OEM CD; maybe you could do the repair
installation, but I doubt that you could activate it. (I don't know the
rules as regards OEM licenses: they are supposed to not be movable, but
somehow they must support changes like replacing the hard drive.)

You may be out the price of an upgrade version of XP. (If you have a real
Win98 install CD, you may use it as qualifying media for an upgrade. Again,
manufacturer's restore CDs may not be usable that way.)

You get to decide whether to curse Microsoft for permitting the various OEM
deals, or the manufacturer of your last system for saving costs.

Good luck.

Bob Knowlden

Spam dodger may be in use. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
 
Greetings --

The only way the instructions I provided would not work would be
if you're trying to use an OEM Recovery CD, rather than a true WinXP
installation CD. When all you have is a Recovery CD, you're only
option is to replace the defective motherboard with an identical
model. Contact the PC's manufacturer for support.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
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