Upgrading hardware

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Guest

Hi all..!

I want to upgrade my PC.. well, basically rip out the old motherboard and
stick a new one in... I want to keep my harddrive with all the software on
it...

Perviously, I've taken bits of hardware out and replaced them with new
stuff, and Windows XP has simply asked me to re-activate my copy of XP, and
hence no problem.

BUT!!!!!! How is a new motherboard going to effect windows XP and it's
re-activation? Will I need a new copy of XP, or can I just replace the
motherboard, and then re-activate this copy of XP? Or, will Windows throw a
wobbler at me and refuse to do anything at all?

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.!

Many thanks in advance!

FCM
 
Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi all..!
|
| I want to upgrade my PC.. well, basically rip out the old motherboard and
| stick a new one in... I want to keep my harddrive with all the software on
| it...
|
| Perviously, I've taken bits of hardware out and replaced them with new
| stuff, and Windows XP has simply asked me to re-activate my copy of XP, and
| hence no problem.
|
| BUT!!!!!! How is a new motherboard going to effect windows XP and it's
| re-activation? Will I need a new copy of XP, or can I just replace the
| motherboard, and then re-activate this copy of XP? Or, will Windows throw a
| wobbler at me and refuse to do anything at all?
|
| Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.!
|
| Many thanks in advance!
|
| FCM
 
(this has top posted - sorry if this board only likes bottom posting)

How do I find out if this copy of XP is OEM..?
I bought a copy of XP, but couldn't boot it from CD - one of those old PC's
that still have cavemen inside (every now-and-then I can hear noises coming
from inside the tower that must be the cavemen chasing their dinner, or
something)
Anyway, this copy of XP - bought it and couldn't boot it.. so, had to get
some disks to boot it with.

Sorry, I'm not sure what OEM is exactly, so I really don't want to go buy a
motherboard and find out I can't use the damned thing after it's been taken
out of it's packaging.
 
(this has top posted - sorry if this board only likes bottom posting)

How do I find out if this copy of XP is OEM..?
I bought a copy of XP, but couldn't boot it from CD - one of those old PC's
that still have cavemen inside (every now-and-then I can hear noises coming
from inside the tower that must be the cavemen chasing their dinner, or
something)
Anyway, this copy of XP - bought it and couldn't boot it.. so, had to get
some disks to boot it with.

Sorry, I'm not sure what OEM is exactly, so I really don't want to go buy a
motherboard and find out I can't use the damned thing after it's been taken
out of it's packaging.
 
Hi

Type the following from Start>Run:

winver

you'll get the version of XP that is installed.
 
Hi, FCM.

OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer. This might be either a big computer
maker, like Dell or HP. Or it might be your local Hank's Computer Shoppe,
who buys parts and assembles them into a computer and then installs Windows
XP before selling the bundle to you. The big OEM probably has substantially
altered WinXP to fit its hardware and its ideas of how to do business. The
little OEM probably bought the "generic" OEM version that Microsoft produces
just for this purpose. In either case, the license for that copy of WinXP
is "locked" to that specific computer and can't be moved to any other.

Microsoft does not allow an OEM version of WinXP to be sold separately; it
must be "bundled" with hardware. The intent is that it be pre-installed on
a new computer, but some vendors will bundle such a CD with a motherboard or
HDD or other hardware that is much less than a complete computer.

If your computer is running WinXP, just press Win+Break. That is, hold down
the Windows logo key while you press the Pause/Break key. The System
Properties window will pop up in your face. Among other information on that
page is your Product ID. If part of it says "OEM", then your copy of
Windows has an OEM license.

A "retail" (non-OEM) copy of WinXP can be installed on any computer, but can
be on only one at a time. It can be installed on a second computer after it
is deleted from the first. It can be installed on "the same computer" an
unlimited number of times.

Next question: Is this "the same computer" on which this copy of Windows
was previously activated? If major changes have been made (and the
motherboard is certainly a major change), it might not be recognized as "the
same computer" anymore. In that case, you probably can't activate it over
the Internet; you will get a screen with an 800 phone number that you can
call and explain the situation in a 5-minute phone call.

For details, see:
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation.mspx

RC
 
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations
and licenses are not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours
before starting), unless the new motherboard is virtually identical
(same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the
one on which the WinXP installation was originally performed, 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

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this
point. You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the
OS. (If you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as
picking up a Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch
style foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K
before it, is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to
accepting any old hardware configuration you throw at it. On
installation it "tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This
is one of the reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much
more stable than the Win9x group.

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

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. 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
 
ComputerWobbler said:
I want to upgrade my PC.. well, basically rip out the old motherboard and
stick a new one in... I want to keep my harddrive with all the software on
it...

Perviously, I've taken bits of hardware out and replaced them with new
stuff, and Windows XP has simply asked me to re-activate my copy of XP, and
hence no problem.

BUT!!!!!! How is a new motherboard going to effect windows XP and it's
re-activation? Will I need a new copy of XP, or can I just replace the
motherboard, and then re-activate this copy of XP? Or, will Windows throw a
wobbler at me and refuse to do anything at all?
Click to expand...

With a new motherboard you should start by doing a repair reinstall, so
as to match the system to the new hardware. Depending on how much else
you change in the process, or in the past, this may well leave the
system thinking at boot that 'this ain't Kansas any more', and refusing
to boot other than Safe mode until you activate again by phone (Start -
All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Activate Windows and use the
By Phone option). That is not a major hassle as long as you are aware
of the possibility, provided you have a retail copy of XP with transfer
rights. 'OEM' ones are licensed solely to the system on which first
installed and may not be transferred; if such a system sees itself as on
different hardware you will probably be required to buy a new copy.

Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard disk, then boot the XP CD, start
Setup (do not take 'Repair' at this stage), then after the license
agreement take 'Repair Installation'. This will retain your existing
software installations and most settings. But Updates will have to be
run again, especially SP1; I would have a SP2 CD to hand ready to run
It is important to activate the basic XP Firewall before you ever
connect to the net to get the patches, so as to be protected against
things like the BLAST worm.
 
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