Recently I had replaced the motherboard of a PC I had.
Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore 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
Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with WinXP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
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.
I needed to
reinstall XP yet I already it installed. The installation process was
complete but its telling me I need to activate windows. The problem I
have is that my PC cant connect to the internet.
This is most likely because the old WinXP installation on the hard
drive doesn't recognize or have the necessary device drivers for the new
motherboard's network adapter. Perform the repair installation as
mentioned above.
I even tried calling
the toll free number but it tells me the number is unavailable.
Microsoft Activation Centers Worldwide Telephone Numbers
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/numbers.mspx
I got
the windows XP installation disc from a friend and Im pretty sure its
way past the activation date for that disc. Any help please?
You need to use your own WinXP installation CD and Product Key to
perform the repair installation.
--
Bruce Chambers
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