Re: Seeking upgrade advise for motherboard change with oem windows

Welsh Wizard wrote:

Would prefer to "repair" windows after motherboard change but seeing
i only have oem windows xp with only a restart disc need to know if i
need only an xp upgrade version to do it or will i need a full 98
version and an upgrade xp version


You can do a repair installation with an Upgrade CD, but be aware that when
you change motherboards, a Repair installation *usually* works. It's not
guaranteed, and there is always the possibility that you may have to clean
install.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

Welsh Wizard wrote:

So seeing i have oem xp, are you saying i would only need a retail
upgrade of xp in order to complete my motherboard upgrade ?


I can't remember your original question. Do you want to do a clean
installation of Windows after the motherboard change, or are you
trying to stick with the existing installation and do a repair
installation (which you may or may not be able to do)?

If you are willing to reinstall Windows cleanly, yes, all you need
is an XP Upgrade CD (and a previous version's CD).


i dont
have any windows installation discs, not even 98


As I said, Windows 98 CDs are usually very cheap on eBay or other
used sources.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup




"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

Welsh Wizard wrote:

KEN- thanks for your frankness,


You're welcome. Glad to help.


it really shows what a grey area this
is, the microsoft knowledgebase site were insistant that mobo and
o/s were tied, if it was an oem version of xp and the mobo was
replaced then a new version of xp would be needed - hence the
advantage of owning a full retail version in case of needing to
upgrade.


My personal recommendation is the Retail Upgrade version, not the
Full one. Both the Full and Upgrade versions can do either a clean
installation or an upgrade. The only difference between the two is
that to do a clean intsallation with the Upgrade version requires
that you insert a CD of a previous qualifying version as proof of
ownership, when prompted to do so. Most people have a CD of Windows
98 around, but if you don't, you can buy one inexpensively on eBay.

So the combination of an XP Upgrade CD and a Windows 98 CD is the
equivalent of a Full XP CD, but costs much less

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



The mobo
however if it was faulty, could be changed with oem xp, as has
happened to me 2 yrs after i bought it, and strangely enough the
pc seems to be showing similar tendancies to restart itself like
it did back then ! The pc was sent away to the now bankrupt
manufacturer and came back with mobo replaced and a different
windows id and product code! It looks like i am stumped though
without a repair disc that you get with the retail version unless
its possible to leave windows to detect the changes on startup
and sort them all out but it seems unlikeley

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

Welsh Wizard wrote:

The operating system is an OEM version of windows xp home saved
on a hard disc partition i believe, and i have a reload/backup
cd for it.

I wanted to stay with an MSI "a" socket motherboard like my
current one, and i have bought one in readyness but am now
worried that i am not in a position to do an upgrade due to
microsoft rules over oem xp, or that i may have difficulties
with product keys etc


The issue of OEM licenses and what constitutes the same computer
is a can of worms. The EULA doesn't specify what constitutes the
same computer, and the EULA is what you agree to. If I had my
druthers, all licenses would be the same, with the retail rules,
and there wouldn't be such a thing as an OEM license.

There are people here (and elsewhere) who claim that if you
change the motherboard, it's a different computer. Although that
certainly sounds logical, the OEM EULA does *not* say that. Some
of these people will point to a Microsoft site for System
Builders (one that can't even be accessed by the general public)
that states that changing the motherboard makes it a different
computer. Again, the EULA, which is what you agree to, does
*not* state that, so as far as I'm concerned, what this site
states is irrelevant.

My guess is that if it ever came before a court (which is highly
unlikely) and Microsoft ever pointed to that web site, they'd be
laughed out of court.

The real issue in my mind is what happens if you change the
motherboard and have to reactivate an OEM version over the phone.
If you talk to a Microsoft representative and he defends the
"motherboard defines the computer" point of view and won't
activate you, you're out of luck unless you want to take
Microsoft to court (which is probably highly unlikely).

My own view is that you might be able to successfully argue in
court that, silly as it may sound, the computer is defined by the
case, since that's where Microsoft requires that the product key
sticker be affixed. You could therefore change everything inside
the case, and it would still be the same computer.

However, don't rely on that last paragraph unless you're willing
to go to court over it. I wouldn't be.

So what should you do? It's hard to advise you. You may be able
to change the motherboard and reactivate or you may not.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


.

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