New License Required for new Mobo running Windows

[christopher_wolf]

Well, it seems as though this might have a considerable effect on quite a few systems; then again, reading through a Microsoft Site License Agreement is no easy task.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/17 ... m_shocker/

The good news is that there is a "hole" of sorts in it; going through, it makes an exception for any "cases of failure" that might occur. So if a Service Center for IBM/Lenovo marks it as a system board "failure" then no new OEM license is needed.

I don't think, however, that this is anything astoundingly new in terms of the Microsoft Windows EULAs.

Ah, well...

[tfflivemb2]

Wow, sounds to me like a lot of people that change out their motherboards for upgrades will suddenly have "failures".

I had to replace my wife's motherboard on her PC almost 2 years ago, and it was pretty easy to work around, with calling MS. I just told them that the board died (true) and the say ok and gave me a new number.

[dsvochak]

Two quotes from the EULA on a T23 with IBM XP Preload:

This End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single legal entity) and the manufacturer ("Manufacturer") of the computer system or computer system component ("HARDWARE") with which you acquired the Microsoft software product(s) identified above ("SOFTWARE").

The term "COMPUTER" as used herein shall mean the HARDWARE, if the HARDWARE is a single computer system, or shall mean the computer system with which the HARDWARE operates, if the HARDWARE is a computer system component.

Together these provisions imply that, for people running the IBM preloaded XP, it's licensed to their "computer" not to a particular hardware component, eg. a motherboard. If MS tried to tell people who replaced components in a "computer" that they need a new license, they would run into problems.

Besides, according to the first sentence in the first quote, the EULA is "a legal agreement" between "you...and the manufacturer" (IBM). As part of the purchase price, "you" got a license from IBM to use whatever OS came with the machine and the license should continue regardless of how many parts are swapped out. Remember, computer and hardware are the same thing "if the hardware is a single computer system"

Which is not to say that tfflivemb2's experience of having to call wouldn't happen. But one should never need to buy a new license for the original OS on the same "computer"

[GomJabbar]

I ran across the following link awhile back regarding when you need to reactivate Windows. It is very interesting.

Windows Product Activation (WPA)
on Windows XP
Version 3.2 — Last Updated Novemnber 15, 2005
Hold mouse here for list of most recent changes.

FWIW, I once flashed the BIOS on a desktop PC and had to call in to reactivate Windows. Windows thought it was a new motherboard with the BIOS flash!

[dsvochak]

GomJabbar, thanks for the link. The article is a pretty good explanation of why tfflivemb2 (and others have had to call to get reactivated).

I had forgotten that restoring the original IBM preload of XP doesn't require activation, which is a further reason for those us using ThinkPads not to be concerned about needing a "new" license after component changes.

[wolfman]

Makes you want to start donating time to you friendly neighborhood "linux on the desktop" project...jeesh - if they wish to crack down, then why allow folks like www.newegg.com to sell an OEM copy of the OS with a $1 cd-rom audio cable ($5 for shipping of course)...