OEM Win7 and a new Motherboard

[GilaStomper]

So long story short I want to get a new motherboard but I have a OEM copy of Windows 7 so when I do a re-install of Win7 there is a good chance it won't install. Basically is there a way around this at all? I have heard going to MS support may help. My Current MOBO is a ASUSTeK Computer INC. M5A78L-M/USB3 (AM3R2) and i want to get an ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard along with a new CPU. This is because i want to switch from AMD to Intel

 

[USAFRet]

The reinstall will work.
Your OEM license key, however, will not work.

OEM Win 7 is tied to that original motherboard.

 

[Onus]

...furthermore, since it is an entirely different platform (rather than a simple replacement), Microsoft will probably not be willing to re-activate it. Each machine needs its own license.

 

[GilaStomper]

The reinstall will work.
Your OEM license key, however, will not work.

OEM Win 7 is tied to that original motherboard.

Hmmm is there any way around this I have heard going to MS 'my mobo broke and I needed a new one' may work......

 

[Onus]

For an identical (or at least same-platform), they may do that. For what is obviously an entirely new machine, I would guess not.

 

[Entomber]

you're free to try it but don't expect to succeed

 

[geofelt]

The license agreement says the oem copy is tied to the original motherboard.
But, it is worth a try to reactivate.
You will need to call MS, and assure them that this windows copy is not used on any other pc.
They mostly care that you are not a pirate.
You have a reasonable chance of success; it can't hurt to try.

 

[USAFRet]

The reinstall will work.
Your OEM license key, however, will not work.

OEM Win 7 is tied to that original motherboard.

Hmmm is there any way around this I have heard going to MS 'my mobo broke and I needed a new one' may work......

A direct replacement of the same make/model would work. A whole new platform? That is completely up to whoever you talk to at MS.

 

[GilaStomper]

For an identical (or at least same-platform), they may do that. For what is obviously an entirely new machine, I would guess not.

The license agreement says the oem copy is tied to the original motherboard.
But, it is worth a try to reactivate.
You will need to call MS, and assure them that this windows copy is not used on any other pc.
They mostly care that you are not a pirate.
You have a reasonable chance of success; it can't hurt to try.

Yes But how would i prove I'm not that scurvy sort of person....its a shame as if I need to buy a new OS I might as well wait for 10 and my MOBO desperately needs a replacement if I want to upgrade my PC any further,,,,,

 

[GilaStomper]

The reinstall will work.
Your OEM license key, however, will not work.

OEM Win 7 is tied to that original motherboard.

Hmmm is there any way around this I have heard going to MS 'my mobo broke and I needed a new one' may work......

A direct replacement of the same make/model would work. A whole new platform? That is completely up to whoever you talk to at MS.

So your saying depending on how nice the guy on the end of the telephone is will determine wether i get a reactivation of my Win7.....

 

[Entomber]

if you buy Windows 8 or 7, you will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 in the first year after it comes out anyways. It'll be the same thing as buying Windows 10.

 

[USAFRet]

What are you doing with the old motherboard?

Possibly sell it, along with the Windows OEM license, to fund a new OS buy for the new motherboard.

 

[Onus]

You can't; you're at the mercy of Microsoft. Honesty can't hurt. "I'm replacing my PC and want to re-use my Windows license" beats some kind of outright lie. They'll know the platform is different.

 

[GilaStomper]

What are you doing with the old motherboard?

Possibly sell it, along with the Windows OEM license, to fund a new OS buy for the new motherboard.

Hmm...well I'd probably do that but I really want to get my Win7 reactivated on a new MOBO as i do own it and the PC it is on. Otherwise I'd rather wait for Windows X and who knows when that is arriving....

 

[GilaStomper]

You can't; you're at the mercy of Microsoft. Honesty can't hurt. "I'm replacing my PC and want to re-use my Windows license" beats some kind of outright lie. They'll know the platform is different.

Dare i say i may go with my old MOBO broke as a excuse to get a reactivation of my Win7 if this is up to MS and i heard that is the only was around the license agreement.

 

[USAFRet]

What are you doing with the old motherboard?

Possibly sell it, along with the Windows OEM license, to fund a new OS buy for the new motherboard.

Hmm...well I'd probably do that but I really want to get my Win7 reactivated on a new MOBO as i do own it and the PC it is on. Otherwise I'd rather wait for Windows X and who knows when that is arriving....

Windows 10 is probably sometime in the Fall of this year.
But overall, it's not 'your Win 7 license', it is 'a Win 7 license'. Doesn't matter if it is this one or a different license key. It works exactly the same.

And since you have to do a whole reinstall anyway.....

 

[geofelt]

MS allows a replacement for a failed motherboard.
Sometimes an exact replacement is no longer available, so they allow for that.
With the OEM restriction going away with 8.1 and onward, I think they are not about to alienate customers who are not scamming them with multiple copies.

I might say something like " my old motherboard is no longer working for me"
It would not be logical to replace it with an obsolete motherboard.

It is worth a try.

 

[GilaStomper]

MS allows a replacement for a failed motherboard.
Sometimes an exact replacement is no longer available, so they allow for that.
With the OEM restriction going away with 8.1 and onward, I think they are not about to alienate customers who are not scamming them with multiple copies.

I might say something like " my old motherboard is no longer working for me"
It would not be logical to replace it with an obsolete motherboard.

It is worth a try.

Yes this is the only route i suppose i can see. Well then if they DO reactivate my OEM will that allow it to work on a new MOBO but ill have X amount of days to do it in?

 

[USAFRet]

MS allows a replacement for a failed motherboard.
Sometimes an exact replacement is no longer available, so they allow for that.
With the OEM restriction going away with 8.1 and onward, I think they are not about to alienate customers who are not scamming them with multiple copies.

I might say something like " my old motherboard is no longer working for me"
It would not be logical to replace it with an obsolete motherboard.

It is worth a try.

Yes this is the only route i suppose i can see. Well then if they DO reactivate my OEM will that allow it to work on a new MOBO but ill have X amount of days to do it in?

You do the 'activation' after it is installed, and the activation fails. Online, phone robot, or human.

 

[GilaStomper]

MS allows a replacement for a failed motherboard.
Sometimes an exact replacement is no longer available, so they allow for that.
With the OEM restriction going away with 8.1 and onward, I think they are not about to alienate customers who are not scamming them with multiple copies.

I might say something like " my old motherboard is no longer working for me"
It would not be logical to replace it with an obsolete motherboard.

It is worth a try.

Yes this is the only route i suppose i can see. Well then if they DO reactivate my OEM will that allow it to work on a new MOBO but ill have X amount of days to do it in?

You do the 'activation' after it is installed, and the activation fails. Online, phone robot, or human.

Right so I install everything new parts and such and then call MS. Great, yay once again anti piracy harms the consumer.

 

[Onus]

So long story short...

You will be at the mercy of whomever you reach at Microsoft. Good luck.

 

[GilaStomper]

So long story short...

You will be at the mercy of whomever you reach at Microsoft. Good luck.

Thanks, I'll be needing that. PS: How do I even uninstall windows?

 

[USAFRet]

So long story short...

You will be at the mercy of whomever you reach at Microsoft. Good luck.

Thanks, I'll be needing that. PS: How do I even uninstall windows?

There is no 'uninstall'. You just cease using it and wipe the drive.

 

[GilaStomper]

So long story short...

You will be at the mercy of whomever you reach at Microsoft. Good luck.

Thanks, I'll be needing that. PS: How do I even uninstall windows?

There is no 'uninstall'. You just cease using it and wipe the drive.

Soooo A format...well that's great I'm gonna lose all my files.....and have to redownload EVERYTHING all 1 TERBYTE of it....sorry...

 

[geofelt]

You will have 3 days to activate.
Try to do the online activation.
If it fails, you will be given a phone number and you will see a series of 5 digit numbers.
A computer will ask you to enter the numbers you see.
If the computer passes you, you will enter the digits the computer tells you to and you will activate.
This may be based on who knows what, like your internet address which might confirm the same location as the old license.
If the computer does not pass you, you will get a number to call, and a human will go through it again.
The KEY question to answer to how many computers is this copy being used on is "none".
That is not a stupid question since there were some family pack licenses that were valid for 3 computers.