Changing the motherboard

[Tomcat]

If I change the motherboard on my pc will it send windowz into a spac and accuse me of piracy? Just configing a computer for my missus and need to up date the bios on it quickly.

[Barc0de]

well provided that the motherboards share the same chip (eg VIA) windows will be fine.

[Tomcat]

No idea what that means, but if its any help one is a Pentium D and the other AMD 3200. The motherboards are totally different makes.

[port187]

Windows will not bother you providing you have a legal code the hardware doesn't matter > XP (Vista I don't know) it will probably bother you about all the new hardware found.

[Tomcat]

The problem is I think last time I did it, I changed to a laptop from a desktop and transferred my legal code over but it kept coming up with it being an pirated copy.

[the_steadster]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/hard...alling-windows

Read this the other day - should be very useful

[madhatter256]

Assuming you have XP installed on both of them...

Look at both computers. Look at the chip, especially the big one near the bottom right corner. It should say either Via, SiS, Intel, or nVidia. If both computers have the same name on these chips then you are fine EXCEPT for intel. XP is picky with intel chipsets. You have to look at the first line of numbers/letters and see if they match up.

Either way. You can still do it, and simply do a repair installation. This will no overwrite files and settings. And if Activation will not let you activate after the repair then call MicroSoft and tell them that the original motherboard died and they don't make them anymore and that is why you had to get a different make and model.

[neull]

And if Activation will not let you activate after the repair then call MicroSoft and tell them that the original motherboard died and they don't make them anymore and that is why you had to get a different make and model.

That's what I had to do before, they'll give you a new key for about any excuse you give them. The only problem i had was understanding the tech support person.

-Gamerfreak1727

[Tomcat]

Hmm the problem I have is I dont have a disk its all on a 2nd partition

[opethfan]

Microsoft are usually OK with activation (though it's still shit). In fact, one you've activated x number of times online, it won't let you anymore, but when I moved the license from my old PC to this one, it let me activate online again.

When you phone up, just say you had a virus and had to reinstall, or that your system was repaired at the store, and you only have the copy installed on 1 system.