Hardware ID Change

With the advent of Windows XP, the OS is tied to a hardware signature (derived from motherboard/hdd/mac address combinations) based on a unique product key. If you can PROVE it is on the same machine, you can call Microsoft for a release code. However, with that much hardware being changed, I doubt it will happen.

I believe Microsoft has changed its policy recently. If the motherboard was changed because it was blown they will allow you to use the old license. However, if you have changed the motherboard because you wanted to upgrade it they will teat it as a new system and will not allow reuse of the old license.

Microsoft for our purposes here sells its software in two versions. OEM and retail. Oem is tied to a specific machine and hardware signature. Basically you can change anything in the machine but the motherboard without having to purchase a new OS. You can get around this if the motherboard is under warranty and typically the same model. This requires talking to a live body. Upgrades to a different motherboard usually won't fly. Not all Micresoft reps are as hard nosed as some others so make a phone call on their dime and see what happens.

Retail versions purchased at a much higher price than OEM's are able to be transferrred from one machine to the other but cannot be used on two or more macines at the same time.

Thanks

Spoke to MS - It is My Software, which was originally purchased with the computer, so how can they make it so difficult to continue using it on my computer?

Nowhere in the EULA does it say that the software becomes invalid if your computer is repaired.

Anyway, in order for this to be sorted out, I need to read out the current serial numbers of HDD and motherboard to them. The HDD serial I found on a label, but there's nothing on the board as far as I can see. Can I read the Number using DOS?

As far as I am concerned, I own a legal computer and paid for the software when I bought it. ( Dear customer, you had your clutch replaced, now please pay for a new drivers license..)

Is there a way for

• me,
• a computer shop, or
  
• the distributor of the motherboard

to change the serial number of the replacement mobo to the original one?

Would still be legal - I own the computer and I own the right to use the OS on this computer.

If the new and old motherboards are identical AND the BIOS chip(s) are removable you may be able to put the old chips(s) in the new board and fool MS. I do not believe this invalidates the license as you are not 'upgrading' the motherboard.

Hangwaiter,

I had to do something like what you are trying to do on an older IBM Thinkpad laptop. I was able to find a utility via Internet, that allowed me to change the electronic Motherboard Serial Number. Try a couple of different searches via Google, to see if you might find a similar program for your laptop. If you want some help searching, post the manufacturer/model of your laptop.

I like your comparison of the clutch and drivers license! I have gotten very aggravated with Microsoft when having to deal with their "validation" issues!

Tom D.

Microsoft and their licensing is one of life's most frustrating experiences. Until my retirement, I owned a small computer company which was a so called Microsoft Partner(for $299 per year). We built several hundred computers per year so we occasionally had one with a bad motherboard and we ran into the same problems as you are having and we had the same thoughts about ownership. Even though we were one of Microsoft's partners we were treated the same as everyone else; like a bag of dirt. It took a firm attitude and perseverance to sometimes convince someone in some far off country that the we were changing the MB under warranty and that it wasn't the same type of MB (we did this if we lost confidence in that particular MB or the manufacturer discontinued it as they were prone to do every few months)

If your old MB was still under warranty and had problems and you couldn't get an exact replacement, you might push that at them. To me, a MB that didn't perform as to the customers expectations was a warranty issue and we did fight the battles over that. I don't remembering ever losing a fight with them but I do know that at times it would have been cheaper because of the wages I was paying to just take a lose and put in a new OS.

I do wish you well as I know how frustrating it is.

I must say that I've run into similar issues with microsoft in the past and they've usually been fairly liberal about issuing new product keys for this sort of problem. My advice would be to give the licensing group a call and explain the situation and you might just find that they'll work with you on it.