Possibly Blown My HDD & other questions.

[Corasik]

According to microsoft, the main defining componant of the computer is the motherboard.

If your using the Vaio's motherboard, then you should be able to get away with saying its still the same computer. You just 'repaired' it.

Replacement of ram/hard disks/cases/powersupplies, should not invalidate the OEM License. Not sure about the CPU... Pretty sure the only part M$ really care about is the motherboard.

If you change the motherboard as well, that voids the oem license, and you'll need a replacement. I gather if the motherboard gets fried though, your even allowed to replace this, although M$ suggest getting a similiar board, Im not sure if they could enforce that in the UK.

Im pretty sure that a court of law in the UK, would say it doesnt matter how many times you 'repair' a broken computer, its still the same machine. As long as the broken parts, couldnt be put back together, to form the original machine at a later date.

That said, OEM Windows is supposed to come with a hologram CD. Im not sure how the large system builders get away with shipping machines without their CD's, but microsofts OEM documentation still says the CD is part of the license.

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/partners/YourPC_COA.mspx

 

[str]

Someone I know wanted their Dell PC upgraded with a motherboard having an AGP slot. Obviously with the new motherboard the Dell XP Home CD said it wasn't now a Dell PC so wouldn't install.

This person then tried a generic OEM XP Home CD and it worked fine for installing. The attempt to activate via the internet failed saying the Dell XP key was invalid. So next task was to telephone the Windows Activation line and the girl asked for the first 6 digits as usual and it obviously didn't work because she then asked for the rest of the digit groups. That worked fine because she then read out the digit groups to type into the activation screen and after Next was clicked it was activated.

So yeah Microsoft now say you can't change the motherboard but the above shows they will let you activate an OEM XP licence if you can find a copy of an OEM version of Windows XP that'll install on the machine.

 

[split]

Im not sure how the large system builders get away with shipping machines without their CD's, but microsofts OEM documentation still says the CD is part of the license

I repaired a compaq nx9010 (laptop) for someone the other day (hard disc failed)
It came with the compaq windows CD (just a HP disc no hologram)

I had to wait a few days for the new hard disc so I copied the contents on the CD to my PC, and slipstreamed XP2 into it and then made a bootable disc.

Installed hard disc then put windows on, and didnt see anything about activation.
I then went and got the further windows updates, and it said it was genuine.
Went to start > run and did the %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a and it told me windows was already activated.

I can only assume there are files on that disc that link it to that laptop, but I never had to type in any key to activate it.
Maybe it's the new microsoft update thing that does it for you??