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Windows Forum / Windows XP / New Users / May 2008Change in Motherboard - reactivating OEM version?
I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the replacement as close as possible - but the mobo is not identical. Now XP Home Edition that came with the original mobo comes up and complains of not be activated, and will not let me login to Windows. In safe mode I complains about all the new hw and not having drivers. I tried to perform an in place repair - did not work, never asks for lic key. I tried to install new on a new hard drive and that rejects the lic key as invalid. How do I ge this resolved? I see a lot of posts on this topic and I believe I tried all of these methods to no success. I obviously am doing something wrong. Also, there seems to be some "magic" phone number to get a hold of MS to discuss generating a new key - but I never see the phone number - what is it? If I can just call MS and discuss the situation that would be ideal. Appreciate the assist folks! > I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the > replacement [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > but I never see the phone number - what is it? If I can just call MS and > discuss the situation that would be ideal. Appreciate the assist folks! I'm sorry to tell you this but there is no magic solution. In order to use the XP Home OEM disk you received from eMachines, you would have needed to replace the motherboard with the exact same one from eMachines. Since you didn't, you don't have a legal copy of Windows that will work with the new motherboard. You will need to purchase a full retail copy of XP. I need to change my XP Product KEY #18 on the FAQ list - http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html#018 Then you'll need to install the correct drivers that came with the new motherboard. Malke  SignatureMS-MVP Elephant Boy Computers www.elephantboycomputers.com Don't Panic! I appreciate your time and reply. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but that seems very unfiar to expect to purchase a second license simply because there was a quality problem (you all know the eMachine bad caps story) and replacing it with the next closest mobo replacement. For obvious reasons we did not go with an exact match to only end up with the same failure in a few months. I can not believe that MS has not thought of this senerio before establishing the EULA rules. Crazy! But I may have to just give up and make my $190 retail lic purchase. > > I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the > > replacement [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Malke > I appreciate your time and reply. I know I am preaching to the choir > here, but that seems very unfiar to expect to purchase a second license [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > senerio before establishing the EULA rules. Crazy! But I may have to > just give up and make my $190 retail lic purchase. I understand how you feel about this, but you have a basic misunderstanding of OEM vs. retail licensing. When you purchase an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) license, it is tied to the original hardware on which it is installed. A retail version has no such limitation. OEMs like eMachines, Dell, Sony etc. have licensing agreements with Microsoft. When you purchase an OEM machine with a Microsoft operating system preinstalled, your support and licensing lies with the OEM and not with Microsoft. The OEM must give the buyer a way to return the computer to factory condition. This can be with a restore image on a special partition on the hard drive, a CD/DVD with the restore image(s), a real operating system disk, or any combination of these. In addition to all of this, when the OEM provides an operating system restore disk, in many cases it is BIOS-locked to the OEM-branded motherboard that came with the system. I am sympathetic, but you should have purchased the identical motherboard from eMachines. You need to either purchase XP Home or put a different operating system on the computer that doesn't have a licensing problem such as one of the many Linux distros. Only you know whether this last option is viable for you. Malke SignatureMS-MVP Elephant Boy Computers www.elephantboycomputers.com Don't Panic! > I appreciate your time and reply. I know I am preaching to the choir here, > but that seems very unfiar to expect to purchase a second license simply [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > senerio before establishing the EULA rules. Crazy! But I may have to just > give up and make my $190 retail lic purchase. There is really nothing unfair about this situation. Overall, the cost of Windows XP installed by an OEM on its machines is quite minimal. To buy the same, but unbranded/unlocked, OEM version costs between $150 to $200, for which the buyer of an OEM system might have nominally paid $15. For all things being equal, that is for the home-builder who bought an off-the-shelf motherboard and Windows XP, re-using the OS by repairing or replacing the motherboard is, therefore, reasonable and justified. The party to seek, recourse, and to blame, for having a failed computer system in this case is eMachines. If out of warranty (and, in any event, it has been voided by removing the original motherboard), then SOL. Microsoft has nothing to do with your deal with eMachines. >> I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the >> replacement [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> did >> not work, never asks for lic key. As a general rule, OEM installation media won't allow one to do an in-place installation. Such media usually must be installed on a "clean partition", so unless you back up your data and program installers on external drives, you would lose it. >> I tried to install new on a new hard >> drive [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >didn't, you don't have a legal copy of Windows that will work with the new >motherboard. Whether the copy is "legal" or not is irrelevant, since it won't work with your newer motherboard anyway. >You will need to purchase a full retail copy of XP. This is not true (if by "full retail copy" you mean a "boxed" copy from Microsoft.) Purchasing a "FULL OEM" copy from your local computer shop down the street will work just as well. But prices being such as they are at present, it MIGHT be possible to purchase a boxed copy as cheaply as a full OEM copy. >I need to change my XP Product KEY #18 on the FAQ list - >http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html#018 >Then you'll need to install the correct drivers that came with the new >motherboard. That is correct, however. It will also be necessary to install the new OS "clean". And, even if it isn't "necessary", it is certainly advisable. Donald L McDaniel Please reply to the correct thread and article. ================================================ (snippage) Thanks for all the thoughtful comments but I'm not the OP and I don't have the problem. Malke SignatureMS-MVP Elephant Boy Computers www.elephantboycomputers.com Don't Panic! >(snippage) > >Thanks for all the thoughtful comments but I'm not the OP and I don't have >the problem. > >Malke Sorry, I seem to be doing that often. I meant to reply to the OP, but apparently, I moved the selection bar on to your reply and forgot I had done it. I will try harder not to do this. Donald L McDaniel Please reply to the correct thread and article. ================================================ >I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the >replacement [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > but I never see the phone number - what is it? If I can just call MS and > discuss the situation that would be ideal. Appreciate the assist folks! There is a circumstance that can arise during this kind of replacement, where the system wants to activate but will not provide the dialogs for phone activation. It may be wanting to activate online, but can't do this because the correct network adapter drivers aren't installed. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, you *have* to have that phone dialog to enter the new key or activation number. I could not find any way around this aside from a clean install with a correct key. You may need to contact eMachines for the correct key. Perhaps you will find a way around this; I could not. HTH -pk > I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the replacement > as close as possible - but the mobo is not identical. Now XP Home Edition [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > not work, never asks for lic key. I tried to install new on a new hard drive > and that rejects the lic key as invalid. How do I ge this resolved? Obtain an identical replacement motherboard from eMachines - accept no substitutes. Or buy a new WinXP license. SignatureBruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot >> I had to change a failed eMachines motherboard. I matched up the replacement >> as close as possible - but the mobo is not identical. Now XP Home Edition [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Obtain an identical replacement motherboard from eMachines - accept no >substitutes. Or buy a new WinXP license. From his comments, it appears to me that the OP probably also wanted to upgrade his motherboard, rather than just replace it with an identical one, unless, of course, eMachines had no replacement available. In which case, he has no other choice than to purchase a new copy of XP. Donald L McDaniel Please reply to the correct thread and article. ================================================ |
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