change motherboard

Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from
something really old to modern units, am I
going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?


Many thanks,
-T

--
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.
--Charles Varlet de La Grange

T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?


Many thanks, -T


No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

On 04/06/2017 09:09 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?


Many thanks, -T


No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

Thank you!

XP gives nothing but brief. I learned how to get around it
but sheees!

T wrote:
On 04/06/2017 09:09 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?


Many thanks, -T


No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

Thank you!

XP gives nothing but brief. I learned how to get around it
but sheees!

Ever consider Linux? No activation nonsense.

On 04/06/2017 09:38 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
On 04/06/2017 09:09 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?


Many thanks, -T


No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

Thank you!

XP gives nothing but brief. I learned how to get around it
but sheees!

Ever consider Linux? No activation nonsense.

Yes. I am a Linux house. But I have to work on
Windows as that is predominately what my customers
have.

T wrote:

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

No mention if the license you have for Windows 7 is a retail license
(full or upgrade) or OEM/System Builder license. Changing the
motherboard and processor means you would have a NEW computer. Reusing
a case screw from your old computer does not qualify as still having
your old computer. OEM versions stick permanently to the first computer
on which they are installed. Retail licenses can be transferred (not
cloned).

However, Windows 7 was when Microsoft started playing around with their
licenses regarding transfer. If the original licensee does the transfer
between their own computers then that licensee can transfer the license
an unlimited number of times. A transfer that involves selling off the
license, like when selling off an old computer and including Windows 7
and its license, allows only ONE such transfer. There is a one-time
transfer allowed from the original licensee to a 2nd licensee. The 2nd
buyer is not allowed to resell that license again. That's for the
retail license. OEM licenses can never be transferred whether between
computers for the same licensee or by selling the license, only by
including the computer in the transfer of the OEM license.

The licenses do not bar upgrading the hardware; however, changing both
the motherboard and CPU means you no longer have your old computer.
Replacing the mobo to have more features (more card slots, larger system
RAM, more SATA ports) but using the same CPU type is an upgrade.
Replacing the CPU with a faster one is an upgrade but going from an
Intel Duo Core to an Intel i7 is not an upgrade. Doing both is
definitely not an upgrade.

You can do it and see what happens. If the online validation fails,
call Microsoft. I had to replace a mobo (physically damaged) but kept
the same CPU, online validation failed, called Microsoft to tell them
the mobo replacement was due to damage and the old one was no longer
available, and they gave me a product key. They're just trying to
ensure that the one license you have is installed on only one computer.

On 6/4/2017 09:06, T wrote:

Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from
something really old to modern units, am I
going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Probably.. Depends. Lack of the appropriate Windows 7 hardware
drivers comes to mind. But easy enough to check. Go to the MB
manufacturer's web site and see if the MB is W7 compatible. Check your
other hardware similarly.

Stef

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 14:17:34 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

No mention if the license you have for Windows 7 is a retail license
(full or upgrade) or OEM/System Builder license. Changing the
motherboard and processor means you would have a NEW computer.


Yes, that's way Microsoft now interprets what a "new computer" means.
But originally, they didn't even define what they meant by the same
computer and a new computer.



Illogical as it is, I always felt that for purposes of OEM licensing,
it should be the case that defines whether it's the same computer or a
different one, because that's where the OEM sticker with the product
key is affixed.

On 2017-04-06 12:35, T wrote:

On 04/06/2017 09:09 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Many thanks, -T

No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

Thank you!

XP gives nothing but brief. I learned how to get around it
but sheees!

Did it do to you what it did to me? I had to restore to my very first
backup of Xp once, but since the backup had been taken I'd changed some
hardware inside the PC. The damn thing would boot, let me enter
username/password, make as tho it was logging me in, and then go back to
the Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to Login. It just would NOT let me login anymore.
Curious if it was an activation problem; I couldn't log in so
troubleshooting was difficult, and it was a restore from a fresh
install, so doubtful something was broken...

Thank you.
Best Regards,

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Memberavid-Suzuki-Fdn/EFF/Red+Cross/SPCA/Planetary-Society
oO-( )-Oo Computer, delete WESLEY.EXE -Entire Enterprise crew

On 6/4/2017 16:56, Wolf K wrote:

On 2017-04-06 19:41, Stef wrote:
On 6/4/2017 09:06, T wrote:

Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from
something really old to modern units, am I
going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Probably.. Depends. Lack of the appropriate Windows 7 hardware
drivers comes to mind. But easy enough to check. Go to the MB
manufacturer's web site and see if the MB is W7 compatible. Check your
other hardware similarly.

Stef

The hardware is the least of OP's worries. If it's an OEM licence (if W7
came with the computer), MS will not allow registration on a different
computer. A new motherboard + new CPU is a different computer. You're
building a new machine, even if you reuse some of the old machine's
other parts.

Maybe. Maybe not.

I did what the OP was talking about, but with XP. The original
machine's motherboard had died. It came with an install CD of XP Home
SP1. No Restore Partition then. You got a CD with the manuals and such.
After it died, I gave away or cannabalized the hardware, but removed
the key sticker from the box, and put it, the CD and manuals away for a
rainy day.

A few years later, when the need for a Windows system arose, I decided
to try to install XP in VirtualBox on my Linux box instead of buying a
new Windows machine. I called MS customer service (or was it tech
support?), explained what I wanted to do. The tech asked if I still
had the "key" sticker from the original machine. Of course. He said
just to install XP normally, enter the key, and the system would
authenticate on line. It did. I upgraded to SP3 and installed what
apps I needed. I'm still using it. Been running fine ever since.

Now, I'm sure this wouldn't work with W10, but we"re talking 7. Maybe,
the OP should check with MS. Never hurts to ask.

Stef

On 04/06/2017 06:51 PM, B00ze wrote:
On 2017-04-06 12:35, T wrote:

On 04/06/2017 09:09 AM, Z wrote:
T wrote:
Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Many thanks, -T

No, in fact if it's been over 120 days since your last activation, MS
will think it's the first time.

Thank you!

XP gives nothing but brief. I learned how to get around it
but sheees!

Did it do to you what it did to me? I had to restore to my very first
backup of Xp once, but since the backup had been taken I'd changed some
hardware inside the PC. The damn thing would boot, let me enter
username/password, make as tho it was logging me in, and then go back to
the Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to Login. It just would NOT let me login anymore.
Curious if it was an activation problem; I couldn't log in so
troubleshooting was difficult, and it was a restore from a fresh
install, so doubtful something was broken...

Thank you.
Best Regards,


Hi B00ze,

My memory was something similar. I still have notes
on how to get around it. Ping (subject: Ping Todd)
and I will post the for you. It was a real trip
to figure out.

-T

On 04/06/2017 12:17 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
T wrote:

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from something really old to
modern units, am I going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

No mention if the license you have for Windows 7 is a retail license
(full or upgrade) or OEM/System Builder license.

It is OEM and I sold it to him. These copies have a real
key, not the bulk key Dell has that does not match the
sticker on the computer. (I double checked.)

Changing the
motherboard and processor means you would have a NEW computer. Reusing
a case screw from your old computer does not qualify as still having
your old computer. OEM versions stick permanently to the first computer
on which they are installed. Retail licenses can be transferred (not
cloned).

However, Windows 7 was when Microsoft started playing around with their
licenses regarding transfer. If the original licensee does the transfer
between their own computers then that licensee can transfer the license
an unlimited number of times. A transfer that involves selling off the
license, like when selling off an old computer and including Windows 7
and its license, allows only ONE such transfer. There is a one-time
transfer allowed from the original licensee to a 2nd licensee. The 2nd
buyer is not allowed to resell that license again. That's for the
retail license. OEM licenses can never be transferred whether between
computers for the same licensee or by selling the license, only by
including the computer in the transfer of the OEM license.

It use to be retaining the hard drive (which I will, it is almost
new) was all you needed.


The licenses do not bar upgrading the hardware; however, changing both
the motherboard and CPU means you no longer have your old computer.
Replacing the mobo to have more features (more card slots, larger system
RAM, more SATA ports) but using the same CPU type is an upgrade.
Replacing the CPU with a faster one is an upgrade but going from an
Intel Duo Core to an Intel i7 is not an upgrade. Doing both is
definitely not an upgrade.

You can do it and see what happens. If the online validation fails,
call Microsoft. I had to replace a mobo (physically damaged) but kept
the same CPU, online validation failed, called Microsoft to tell them
the mobo replacement was due to damage and the old one was no longer
available, and they gave me a product key. They're just trying to
ensure that the one license you have is installed on only one computer.

On 04/06/2017 04:41 PM, Stef wrote:
On 6/4/2017 09:06, T wrote:

Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from
something really old to modern units, am I
going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Probably.. Depends. Lack of the appropriate Windows 7 hardware
drivers comes to mind. But easy enough to check. Go to the MB
manufacturer's web site and see if the MB is W7 compatible. Check your
other hardware similarly.

Stef


Hi Stef,

Good advice!

This is only meant to be low end, so I am
going with a Supermicro C7H170-M, which has
both a USB 2 and 3 bus, so the W7 installer
won't give me any grief with the keyboard
and mouse (both are bootable).

I also have a dd image I constantly reuse
of a USB3 injected W7 Pro x64 flash drive

-T

Someday I will figure out how to inject
both those two KB's that are needed to
install to an M.2 NVM3 drive

On 04/06/2017 10:29 PM, Stef wrote:
On 6/4/2017 16:56, Wolf K wrote:

On 2017-04-06 19:41, Stef wrote:
On 6/4/2017 09:06, T wrote:

Hi All,

W7 pro

If I upgrade a motherboard and processor from
something really old to modern units, am I
going to get a lot of grief over the registration
key?

Probably.. Depends. Lack of the appropriate Windows 7 hardware
drivers comes to mind. But easy enough to check. Go to the MB
manufacturer's web site and see if the MB is W7 compatible. Check your
other hardware similarly.

Stef

The hardware is the least of OP's worries. If it's an OEM licence (if W7
came with the computer), MS will not allow registration on a different
computer. A new motherboard + new CPU is a different computer. You're
building a new machine, even if you reuse some of the old machine's
other parts.

Maybe. Maybe not.

I did what the OP was talking about, but with XP. The original
machine's motherboard had died. It came with an install CD of XP Home
SP1. No Restore Partition then. You got a CD with the manuals and such.
After it died, I gave away or cannabalized the hardware, but removed
the key sticker from the box, and put it, the CD and manuals away for a
rainy day.

A few years later, when the need for a Windows system arose, I decided
to try to install XP in VirtualBox on my Linux box instead of buying a
new Windows machine. I called MS customer service (or was it tech
support?), explained what I wanted to do. The tech asked if I still
had the "key" sticker from the original machine. Of course. He said
just to install XP normally, enter the key, and the system would
authenticate on line. It did. I upgraded to SP3 and installed what
apps I needed. I'm still using it. Been running fine ever since.

Now, I'm sure this wouldn't work with W10, but we"re talking 7. Maybe,
the OP should check with MS. Never hurts to ask.

Stef


I will be using a real key sticker, not a bulk key

On 2017-04-07 16:09, T wrote:


Did it do to you what it did to me? I had to restore to my very first
backup of Xp once, but since the backup had been taken I'd changed some
hardware inside the PC. The damn thing would boot, let me enter
username/password, make as tho it was logging me in, and then go back to
the Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to Login. It just would NOT let me login anymore.
Curious if it was an activation problem; I couldn't log in so
troubleshooting was difficult, and it was a restore from a fresh
install, so doubtful something was broken...

Thank you.
Best Regards,

Hi B00ze,

My memory was something similar. I still have notes
on how to get around it. Ping (subject: Ping Todd)
and I will post the for you. It was a real trip
to figure out.

-T

You're right here, why do I need to ping you? lol. As far as Xp goes I
don't really need the solution, but if Windows 7 does the same thing
then yes, a workaround would be quite welcomed.

Best Regards,

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Memberavid-Suzuki-Fdn/EFF/Red+Cross/SPCA/Planetary-Society
oO-( )-Oo A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.