Re: Changing motherboard--need to buy a new copy of XP?!

From: Jupiter Jones [MVP] (jones_jupiter_at_hotnomail.com)
Date: 02/28/04 

Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:09:58 -0700

Those options will not work.
Because the OP bought a motherboard from a different manufacturer and
Emachines BIOS locks their Windows XP to the motherboard.

Emachines will not help because of different motherboard manufacturer.
Microsoft can not help because Windows is OEM.
The OP voided all support options by changing original configuration.

The OP may have to buy Windows XP.
The OP also needs to read the EULA already agreed . 

-- 
Jupiter Jones  [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/
"Chris Barber" <chris@blue-canoe.co.uk.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:OUEofFg$DHA.3536@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> From the sounds of it, this is not an XP issue - XP 'should' be fine
with a
> new motherboard - you have to go a long way to make it decide that
it's on a
> new machine.
>
> I have a new motherboard in my XP workstation and nothing untoward
happened
> at all.
>
> This really sounds like a compatibility issue between the board,
CPU,
> memory, PCI peripherals, and hard disks etc.
>
> At the very worst all you would have to do is contact Microsoft and
> re-activate XP.
>
> NB You're e-Recovery CD probably won;t work because all of the
system setup
> will be targeted to your old board and CPU. What you really need is
a
> bootable XP CD (you should have been provided with one - if not then
call
> and complain although you may have to pay a few dollars for it) and
run an
> 'in-place' upgrade to renew the driver stuff to let it boot. I'm not
a PC
> repair professional but I have rescued a few machines in my time so
I'm
> pretty confident that as long as your HD hasn't crashed then it can
be
> restored. The key thing here is that you *need* a valid XP install
CD to go
> anywhere.
>
> Chris.
>
> "Jim" <jamest571@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:A4917D69-21CE-4F05-9D9D-4B8AF9008AA9@microsoft.com...
> Hi!
>
> My name is Jim and I live in Colorado Springs, CO.  Recently I
bought a new
> motherboard to upgrade my, long-in-the-tooth, e-machine computer.  I
did
> consider resealing Windows XP before changing the board but I
decided not to
> since my copy of XP is the upgrade version (at least I assume it is,
it was
> loaded on to the system by the oem, of course) and I thought this
could lead
> to trouble.  Besides, I felt I could always explore that option
latter if
> needed.
>
> I did expect the system to protest and perhaps make me call
Microsoft for a
> code but what happened instead came as a complete surprise.  After
changing
> the motherboard I first just tried to reboot the computer into the
safe mode
> however Windows XP refused to do this.  So I inserted the e-machine
recovery
> disk into the CD-ROM player.  I was surprised to see the exact same
message;
> something to the affect that Windows could not boot into the safe
mode and
> this problem could be the result of hardware issues caused by
hardware
> issues.
>
> Well, I first called e-machine support and was told that since I did
not
> send the computer to them to put in a new e-machine motherboard (I
doubt if
> this is even an option on my system) that they could not offer me
any
> support.  I explained that all I wanted was a way to get to the
Windows XP
> files [I tried to boot directly from the recovery disk, this works
but you
> really have no where to go from this point.  I first booted from the
> recovery disk and then tried to install Win 98 from a CD-ROM but
received
> the dreaded "incorrect COMMAND.COM" message.]
>
> I then called Microsoft and talked to a pleasant support specialist
who gave
> me the number to get media copies.  I have not called them yet (I
work
> nights and they are closed by time I get home) but I will very soon
of
> course.  However I am very concerned that they will say that they
cannot
> send me a copy of Windows XP since I DO have my copy from e-machine.
>
> You know I am a big fan of Microsoft.  The people who argue that
Microsoft
> has monopoly power in some of the market segments that they are in
never
> bring up one very salient point.  Microsoft makes GREAT products!
This
> being said I have never cared for some of their policies concerning
how many
> copies of the operating system an individual user (not a company or
> organized group of some kind but just an ordinary individual) has to
buy.
> If I own five computers I still believe I should only have to buy
one copy
> of the operating system, after all I cannot use all five computers
at once.
> This goes hand in glove with my belief that Microsoft should go a
little
> easier on the hobbyist user (who some might call a "power" user)
since from
> the ranks of these hobbyists often emerge the new ideas that drive
the
> industry.  Also the hobbyist user will spend much more money on both
> hardware and software than just an ordinary user---why not give them
a
> break?
>
> Another aspect of this policy that disturbs me (especially with the
strong
> enforcement mechanism built-in to Windows XP) is that it is a policy
that
> basically represents a death sentence for the white-box computing
business
> (what I mean by "white box industry" is all of the small computer
stores
> that you see in strip-malls etc.).  After all the logic of using
components
> is declining in the face of ever falling PC prices and if you are
going to
> be forced to buy a new operating system just because you changed the
mother
> board in your computer obviously this is going to be an unworkable
situation
> very rapidly.  With a low end computer the price of the operating
system
> alone can represent 20-25% of the cost.
>
> But getting back to the issue at hand, I just want to know if other
people
> have had the same issue to contend with and what kind of outcome did
they
> experience.  Also do you agree with my premise that since I did buy
Windows
> XP when I purchased my e-machine computer that I am entitled to have
new
> copies of the disks (separate from what is locked up in my e-machine
> recovery disks) just as if I had bought a copy in the store and for
some
> reason I needed some new media?  I would also like to hear from
anyone who
> disagrees with this premise.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim
>
> Please CC to my email address
>
>
>
>

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