XP Serial Number Problem

Brian Stuart said:
This is FUD. The motherboard is considered by Microsoft to be the PC and OEM software is tied to that PC. If you have an email from Microsoft telling you that if you reinstall OEM software on a different motherboard you have not broken the EULA then please post a pic as this is contrary to every Microsoft EULA that I have ever read.
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I can categorically tell you that i did receive an email saying just this because i requested email confirmation as proof - precisely because of a million threads on this exact topic drawing the conclusion you and burnsey have.

when i called they were very particular in asking for the make and model of the PC that had bec0me damaged and asked me quite specifically if it was the same PC - I said yes but that it was not possible to get the exact same motherboard.

i can only find the email confirming the case closed with case number on this login however i shall have a look on my old account (different partition) and see if i can dig it out....sigh its always the way. can you point me to the licensing info you refer to so that we may all read for ourselves the exact text? :)

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Microsoft recently made a change to the license agreement saying that a new motherboard is equal to a new computer, hence you need to purchase a new Windows license. Here is what Microsoft has to say:

“An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a “new personal computer” to which Microsoft® OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from another computer. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created and the license of new operating system software is required.”

So I am correct according to that - if there is a defect then you are fine.
 
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I'm surprised that MS were giving support on an OEM product. It is my understanding that the system builder provides support for OEM software Anyway

Originally Posted by Microsoft
"If the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do NOT need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC. The replacement motherboard must be the same make/model or the same manufacturer’s replacement/equivalent."

As I said in an earlier post you are only licensed if it is a replacement for a defective motherboard ie under warranty
 
How many people will actually go out and buy another licence when they can get reactivated by Microsoft? You pay for the software, the Motherboard goes kaput, then you think, "Oh dear, i must buy another licence because it is naughty to install the original one i paid for", well, not many people are going to fork out for another OS when they have one in thier draw!

I am not on about people who never pay at all for an OS. This is about the majority of us who do pay for it. Licensed or not. If Microsoft activate it again for me then that is good enough as far as i am concerned.
 
ticktock said:
How many people will actually go out and buy another licence when they can get reactivated by Microsoft? You pay for the software, the Motherboard goes kaput, then you think, "Oh dear, i must buy another licence because it is naughty to install the original one i paid for", well, not many people are going to fork out for another OS when they have one in thier draw!

I am not on about people who never pay at all for an OS. This is about the majority of us who do pay for it. Licensed or not. If Microsoft activate it again for me then that is good enough as far as i am concerned.
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Precisely :)

Maybe an upgrade to Vista time? :)
 
ticktock said:
How many people will actually go out and buy another licence when they can get reactivated by Microsoft? You pay for the software, the Motherboard goes kaput, then you think, "Oh dear, i must buy another licence because it is naughty to install the original one i paid for", well, not many people are going to fork out for another OS when they have one in thier draw!

I am not on about people who never pay at all for an OS. This is about the majority of us who do pay for it. Licensed or not. If Microsoft activate it again for me then that is good enough as far as i am concerned.
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Remember there are two separate things here... whats technically possible to do, and whats legally and within the EULA.

Yes you can activate it and get microsoft to ok the activation, but from a purely license point of view its not covered.

This forum has people who view the EULA as a tablet written by god and some that dont :D so take your pick, as there will never be an agreement as to whats covered under these oem conditions. ( this has been argued to death on these very forums... do a search if you want some light bedtime reading ) :p
 
You should buy another licence As previously mentioned you threw away the COA, so you nolonger have a legal licence. However, seeing that it was a genuine mistake you should be able to boot the old hard disk with a different motherboard, if only to find the serial using the Magic Jellybean Keyfinder as mentioned above (try safe mode). Being an OEM copy however it is unlikely to reactivate with a different motherboard than they original, so legally you'll have to buy a new license anyway, or you can trick it into activating...
 
Mattf121 said:
You should buy another licence As previously mentioned you threw away the COA, so you nolonger have a legal licence. However, seeing that it was a genuine mistake you should be able to boot the old hard disk with a different motherboard, if only to find the serial using the Magic Jellybean Keyfinder as mentioned above (try safe mode). Being an OEM copy however it is unlikely to reactivate with a different motherboard than they original, so legally you'll have to buy a new license anyway, or you can trick it into activating...
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Its ok, got the number off of the hard drive. Put new Motherboard in PC. Formatted etc etc. Rang Microsoft to Reactivate, told them about replacement Motherboard and no sticker. They still activated it with no problems!! Thats good enough for me and My Mates Sister-In-Law, who the pc belongs to.
 
Why are you all taking the **** out of Burnsy2023? The license states that the COA sticker must be affixed to the case. As he said earlier, either follow the license or why bother even buying one?
 
Ascendancy said:
Why are you all taking the **** out of Burnsy2023? The license states that the COA sticker must be affixed to the case. As he said earlier, either follow the license or why bother even buying one?
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For goodness sake! Are the police going to call because the sticker was not fixed to the case?

Software was bought, oops the Sticker got lost, am i a criminal? Do you really think Microsoft care? The software was bought, i am not talking about piracy here!!

Some of you lot on here get really hung up on the EULA thingy. You are probably the only people in the UK who do so!! lol :D

I explained to Microsoft about the sticker etc and they gladly re-activated windows for me. As far as i am concerned, matter closed. Who's going to take me to court for not putting the sticker on the case?
 
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