COA Transfer/Replacement

[Harryc]

If you replace the base on a Thinkpad can you get a replacement COA from Lenovo or elsewhere?

[draco2527]

If you replace the base on a Thinkpad can you get a replacement COA from Lenovo or elsewhere?

Lenovo will not replace the COA on the base, since it is tied to that machine/serial for the life cycle of the device (it would not be legal to copy another COA either) SOMETIMES they will transfer the COA but most times they do not; in that case they will give you a SHEET of paper with the information of the machine and the COA written in pen AND THAT IS THE PROOF of your "License"

Dell USED to issue NEW COA's with bases, but they recently stopped that as well, now giving you a CHEAP COA label that you can write the serial of the COA on......

However some OEM's (including Lenovo) have started to put the COA on the lower access memory door/cover if available.

[ryengineer]

If you replace the base on a Thinkpad can you get a replacement COA from Lenovo or elsewhere?

I had a thinkpad once, IBM changed the Planar card under warranty, replaced the old COA base with a blank one. I bought it used and this was what the seller told me. Upon contacting IBM regarding this matter, they said they couldn't change it but sent a set of Product Recovery Disks and was told that's the only thing I would ever need.

[carbon_unit]

I sent one in for warranty work and they replaced the base plastics. When I got it back it looked like they peeled the COA sticker off the old base and put it on the new base. It was all wrinkled up and didn't stick very well. I just put some box tape over it and went on. I never recorded the numbers before I sent it in so I don't know if it is the same sticker or not. I know that even I can do a better job of peeling a sticker than that. I was surprised that they reused a sticker.

[Harryc]

It sounds like IBM and their Maintenance vendor also have no real idea how to handle that situation . Some googling revealed that a heatgun might come in handy ...

[jdhurst]

I had the base changed on my T41 under warranty. The vendor carefully removed the COA from the old base and carefully applied it to the new base. Same for the serial number label. The COA is a bit wrinkly as a result, but it remains affixed a couple of years later.

I admit I was surprised the technician could do this, but I was standing there at the time. The technician in question remains with the vendor and is one of my very favourite technicians.
... JDH