"Michael C" wrote:

Last night I upgraded a customers machine with new motherboard, cpu, memory,
video card, netcard and soundcard. The only thing that was the same was the
HDD, dvd drive, tape backup and scsi card. I was having trouble with the
internet so I phoned MS to activate XP again. After it activated I asked him
what the limit is to hardware change before XP won't activate. He said that
XP oem has to always remain on the same PC to be activated. In return I
asked "what constitutes the same PC?". He kept going around in circles and
not answering my question and just stating that it has to always remain on
the same PC. He never gave me a definition of what "same PC" means. In the
end I asked if it was more of a policy than a technical limitation and he
said "thank you for calling microsoft to activate your software" and hung
up!

I suspect that means that it can be installed on a completely new machine
and will activate ok. Is that true?

Hello, Had one experience with "activation". Purchased a unit from a company
that builds individual units. Due to a shipping problem the video card was
unseated. The card was replaced. Five months later had several problems
related to damaged done by the video card. I removed the HD's and returned
unit. The company decided to replace: motherboard, video card, memory, sound
card, cpu, and modem. I asked about "activation" they asked me to wait until
on-line to find out if it is needed. They had replace everything except the
modem and memory with new warranty replacements" same make and model" have
new boxes and registration numbers. The memory was same amount different size
modules. When on-line was informed that activatation not needed only modem
was listed as changed. The HD's (2), DVD burners(2) and power supply not
changed. Must be graduations in "activation" concerning make and model of
replaced items.
Interesting conversation.
Take Care.
beamish.