[Tfug] A stupid Windows question that somebody...

[George Cohn]

Jim March wrote:
> ...will know the answer to :).
> 
> I've got a consulting client with a Dell P4, came stock with WinXP,
> she's got the CD.  Her motherboard just blew up, and it's pretty much
> all-in-one.
> 
> Can I shoehorn a new MB in there and expect Windows to still work in
> terms of activation/registration?  Sure, I'll have to mess with
> drivers for miles, but...what's the odds I can get it to work at all?
>

As others have mentioned, it probably won't work.  Windows XP keys 
itself to the hardware and if you change something major like a hard 
drive, you will usually get a chance to re-activate it once or twice 
after reinstalling.

The version that is supplied with the computers usually is some sort of 
OEM restore image and if the MB hardware isn't exactly the same,it won't 
load.

Your options are to get an identical MB for the Dell or use a generic MB 
if the PS can be adapted and buy another full copy of XP Pro.  Current 
prices for XP Pro are over $250 for the full version because a lot of 
Vista users are "downgrading" and MS knows a good market when it sees one.

I saw an academic "upgrade" version for $89 at one of the academic 
software sites but you would have to install win 98 then upgrade to XP Pro.

And folks wonder why we like open source?  ;-)

George Cohn