New mobo

[hkspike]

Could somebody tell me if I need to reinstall XP after rebuilding my PC with a new motherboard but still using my original harddrive? Or does installing the mobo software and reinstalling any PCI card drivers suffice?Thanks, Andy

[Ed_P]

I lost my mb and had to install a new one with a new processor and new drivers and I had no problem with XP activation. I was quite surprised, pleasantly so. Especially considering that the sound, NIC, modem boards were probably in different slots also. Apparently the same hd weighs heavily in the activation equation.

[epp_b]

Nope, shouldn't be a problem. Did this with my Win98 machine. Sometimes, it's also a good idea to first boot into safe mode and remove all the old drivers. Then, once the new board is in, boot into normal mode and let Windows find all of the new hardware.

[nlinecomputers]

That is not quite correct. Windows Product Activation(WPA) works by taking a inventory of your hardware and creatating a hash number of the system. This number combined with your product key are sent into the WPA center and you're sent an activation number back. If you must change hardware on an existing install you will not be required to reactivate unless about 7 points worth of hardware changes. However even if you do have enough items that are different to trigger a WPA failure if the changes happen 90+ days after the orignal instal the WPA center assumes this is an upgrade and reactives you. The WPA center only keeps hash numbers for 90 days so reinstalls after 90 days work just like a new install does. This is assuming that you don't reinstall XP. A reinstall will generate a new hash number(because of the "new" hardware) and then only the 90 day rule applies.

[nlinecomputers]

Could somebody tell me if I need to reinstall XP after rebuilding my PC with a new motherboard but still using my original harddrive?  Or does installing the mobo software and reinstalling any PCI card drivers suffice?Thanks, Andy

That depends. If your new mobo is using the same chipset then Windows XP will likely boot up just fine. If the chipset is vastly different then XP will probably blue screen on boot up. If you do a Repair install then you should be able to get going again and not lose any data or have to reinstall applications.

[Rons]

If your new mobo is using the same chipset then Windows XP will likely boot up just fine.  If the chipset is vastly different then XP will probably blue screen on boot up.

What Nathan has stated about the 'chipset' is the key element on how well the install of a new mobo to a existing Windows installation is going to work or not.

[Ed_P]

That is not quite correct.

I assume you're referring to my comment about the hd's weight. You may be correct. Do you know the points associated for each item evaluated and what each item is? If so could you provide them? My mb upgrade was approximately 30 days after I upgraded to XP from W98SE so the activation code was indeed live and in effect.

The WPA center only keeps hash numbers for 90 days so reinstalls after 90 days work just like a new install does.

That implies that major upgrades after 90 days cause re-activations. It also implies that the sw can be installed on additional computers after 90 days. I thought that was what MS was trying to prevent.

[nlinecomputers]

I assume you're referring to my comment about the hd's weight. You may be correct. Do you know the points associated for each item evaluated and what each item is? If so could you provide them?

I wasn't refering to the "weight" of the hard drive as your comments about the slot locations and so forth. WPA doesn't care where the items are just that they are present. If all you changed was the MOBO and your NIC, sound, video cards didn't change then you didn't do enough to trigger a WPA failure. I don't know the weights off hand and it isn't quite as simple as that. For example both NIC cards and HardDrives have serial numbers and that weighs very heavy on WPA. You kept both if I read your post correctly. I don't recall the URL but if you do a google search some tech shop did a very detailed review of what exactly is going on during a WPA check.

That implies that major upgrades after 90 days cause re-activations. It also implies that the sw can be installed on additional computers after 90 days. I thought that was what MS was trying to prevent.

Any major update causes a re-activation be it one day or 91 days. The difference is how the WPA activation center RESPONDS to your activation request. Inside of 90 days you will have to call in to justify your need for reactivation. Outside of 90 days your system is treated as if it is a new install and it activates. In therory YES you can install more then one copy of XP as long as you wait 90 days to do it. The problem is that one you'd be a very slow pirate and two you have no control over there need (or yours for that matter) to reinstall. If you do a wipe and reinstall or one of your pirates does then THAT number becomes the registered hash number. Now just because Microsoft basicly ignores(for activation) the hash number after 90 days doesn't imply that they don't track them all either. I never tested it but I suspect if you try to "goback" and reinstall XP on a OLD system and thus an OLD hash number you'll get flagged. Also if the same serial number appears to be used too often if will get flagged as well.

[nlinecomputers]

Microsoft White Paper on Windows Product Activation in Word DOC format.Above link from Microsoft explaining what I just said about WPA.