Using Win7 OEM on a new motherboard?

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Hi,

I'm thinking about upgrading to SandyBridge. This will mean a new motherboard and CPU. I bought a pre-built PC that came with Win7 installed.
Now ideally I'd like to re-use this PC and just change the motherboard and CPU over.

Now I understood that OEM licenses were tied to the motherboard and as such wouldn't expect this to work.

I contacted the place I bought the PC from and they said that the license is for the machine so I could re-use the OEM Win7 with the PC after the upgrade.

Is this right?

Thanks.
 
So it is legal?
Basically after I upgrade the motherboard and CPU the only original parts will be the case, the Blu-ray drive and the DVD drive. Is this all ok?
An OEM licence is tied to the machine it's originally installed on: "2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. a. One Copy per Computer. The software license is permanently assigned to the computer with which the software is distributed. That computer is the “licensed computer.”, and can't be transferred to another... so far, so clear. Where the difficulty arises is in defining what constitutes a "new" computer - you could be like Trigger from Only Fools and Horses, who had the "same" broom for 20 years, in which time it had 17 new heads and 14 new handles.

Microsoft's OEM FAQs (8th question down) state that a motherboard is the "heart and soul" of a PC, and therefore the established wisdom is that you can't swap it out and still be in compliance with the terms of the EULA. However, I'm personally unconvinced that FAQs on a website have any legal enforceability, *unless* they're also clearly stated (or at least alluded to) in the actual contract to which you sign yourself up when you click the "I Agree" button.
 
There's also the issue of when such components fail. You have a licence to use that software, it shouldn't be forfeited if the hardware 'fails'.
The FAQs do actually cover that possibility: "If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC as long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent, as defined by the manufacturer's warranty."
 
The people I bought it from said
The licence is tied to the machine, so an upgrade like this is allowed. You can not install it on a new machine though.

But in fairness I didn't tell them I've replaced a lot of other parts.

I'm trying to decide which PC to keep and which one to replace with SandyBridge. There's the machine I've been talking about which has an OEM Win7 Pro install and my other rig that has a Retail Win7 Home install.
It's just that the one with the Retail version on is a Watercooled AMD rig and I'd need to re-use everything except the motherboard and CPU so not an easy switch over. Would save me £120 on a new copy of Windows though. but would cost £50-60 on a new CPU waterblock...

If I could have re-used the OEM version then it would've been the easy solution.
 
What if you can't obtain the same motherboard...?
"...as long as the replacement motherboard is the same make/model or the same manufacturer's replacement/equivalent..." is reasonably clear I think.

If the mobo manufacturer had gone out of business, I guess the "reasonable" course of action would be to find an alternative which matched the original specs as closely as possible.
 
So it is legal?
Basically after I upgrade the motherboard and CPU the only original parts will be the case, the Blu-ray drive and the DVD drive. Is this all ok?

No it's illegal.

It's illegal to phone up microsoft, tell them the motherboard died and had to be replaced thus freeing up your OEM licence for another installation.

But it works and since all they want is your word, nothing will happen unless you tell them you're abusing their OEM rules.
 
Surely as long as you leave the hard drive in, you dont even need to ask this question as it is possible to replace the motherboard without reinstalling windows?
 
Plus its generally good practice to reinstall after changing the majority of your hardware to clean out the drivers and so on? Obviously for something like a graphics card this isn't such an issue, but mobo and CPU?
At least I know it used to be this, though if its still the same case with Win 7 I don't know.
 
OEM license is tied to the Original Equipment Manufacturer. If your replace the entire guts of it then it's a new PC and needs a new license. (technically & legally).

Personally, I often need to test new service packs, server and desktop OS's and various parts of Office and the networking thereof at home. I find that I can test all of the Microsoft Application and Operating System software across all of my home network with a £150 a year Technet subscription.

I'm currently testing 4 copies of Windows 7 Ultimate with Office Pro, Visio etc.
 
Technet licenses are for NON-PRODUCTION computers.
So useless to 99% of people on these forums - including the original poster.
If you have a PC you regularly use then Technet is of no use to you.

Either buy the correct license or download yourself an illegal copy.
Absolutely no point paying for and using a license outside of the agreement - because it would be no more legal than an illegally downloaded copy.
 
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