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Can I replace my motherboard and hard drive without...?

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plautus   02-25-2007 at 09:00:51 PM

...having to buy a new copy of XP? What might this entail? Any advice appreciated.

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skyguy   02-25-2007 at 09:14:42 PM
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If you have your original serial key then you're fine. If you bought OEM then tougher, especially if you have a Dell, HP, etc. In which case, call up M$, tell them your old mobo fried and you want to put your legit XP onto the new machine. They might ask for your old key, and if they're in a good mood they might just give you one anyways.

OH, and tell them you need XP reinstalled because you're gonna be upgrading to Vista. Whether you are or not, they'll be more willing to help you ;)

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cattbert   02-25-2007 at 09:20:39 PM
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What type of license do you currently have, i.e. did you buy a retail box or did it come preinstalled on a purchased computer?

Either way, you can move your current product ID to the system with the new parts. If it was an OEM license (came on a purchased PC), after you type it in the activation wizard will say it is invalid and prompt you to call an 800 number, at which time you just need to tell them you have replaced the hard drive and that Windows will only be installed on one machine. They will give you a new (one use) number to type in.

You will want to reinstall Windows from scratch, rather than try to move your current image over to a new setup. This may cause a small problem if your original system only came with a restore disk. You will have to find someone with a Windows XP Home or Pro OEM disk that you can make a copy of.

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engrpiman   02-25-2007 at 10:21:08 PM
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i have xp pro oem an i have installed it on lots of computers several times .. no problem

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rtfm   02-25-2007 at 10:33:56 PM
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If you still have your license key and disc, then there should be no problem (I've done it plenty of times with pro and home). It may not activate if you have reinstalled and reactivated windows lots of times, but I doubt it - by the sound of it you've never re-installed xp. Dont forget to bacckup first :-)

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cal7   02-25-2007 at 10:48:45 PM
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this doesnt work all times ( i mean the reactivation crap).I just installed new drivers from ATI once and it asked me to reactivate.Changed my whole system recently and it didnt.

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skyguy   02-26-2007 at 12:31:59 AM
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Yea, I just read an article yesterday that M$ will be changing their Genuine Windows "checker" (can't remember the official name). In any case, ALOT of people have had problems with re-activating and/or new hardware. Talk about cumbersome and stupid......you'd think they'd know how to fix it........ :roll:

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