Can I continue to use Windows XP OEM if I change only the motherboard in my computer?

OK, Noel

Let's recap then.....

Some years ago I bought a Windows XP Home OEM kit.

As a hobbyist, I installed it on a computer that I built from individual components.

At no stage did I enter into any OEM license agreement (because nothing alerted me to the fact that I was supposed to), but I did accept the conditions of the EULA.

I activated the installation successfully and it has been working fine for years.

I recently used the MGADiag tool at your request, and it happily verified that I had a GENUINE copy of Windows XP Home.

In your previous post, you say that if I didn't enter into an OEM license agreement, Microsoft would deem my installation to be non-genuine, and yet their tool is saying that it is genuine.

Would you care to explain this discrepancy?

The tool checks the *technical aspects* of Activation and vaidation only - it has no knowledge of how you acquired the system or the license. e.g. is the Key on the list of Blocked Keys; is it an OEM_SLP Key, and if so, do the certificates in the OS match the BIOS? etc. etc.

As I said, I've never known MS to enforce the SB License terms where hobbyists are concerned - it's simply not worth their time or money. That doesn't change the facts, and they reserve the right to do so in the future.

It's also a fact hat using an OEM license reduces your options considerably (as you've found out) and also means that you are not entitled to MS support for most issues (Virus infections and Windows Update problems being two main exceptions)

Noel .....

Thank you so much for your patience and continuing assistance with this problem.

I now believe I understand the relevant issues, and that I have been fully informed of the facts surrounding them.

As you say, I have limited options.

One option is to try to repair my ailing motherboard, and continue to use the "genuine" copy of Windows XP Home OEM. I suspect my motherboard has bad power supply capacitors - I have studied this issue on the badcaps.net website, and I believe I have the expertise to attempt to replace the suspect caps.

Another option is to try replacing the motherboard (it is impossible for me to replace it with the same make and model, as that motherboard is no longer available), and see if I am asked to reactivate. I could then try to reactivate. If successful, well-and-good. If not successful, I will need to buy a retail version of Win XP Home or Win XP Pro and either reactivate Win XP Home with a new key, or upgrade to Win XP Pro. I could also consider ditching Microsoft products altogether, and change to Linux. This option is not as drastic as it sounds. I have been thinking about ditching Microsoft for some years now, due to multiple issues. I already run Linux on another computer, and I am quite happy with it - clearly Linux does have some limitations and disadvantages, and would not suit many computer users - but it may well be all that I need.

I now need to think seriously about these options before deciding what to do next.

Good, one object achieved then - that of making you think!  :)

What's your objection to Windows 7 (apart from cost, of course)? I can appreciate a reluctance to move without good reason (That's why this machine is still Vista, rather than WIn7, after all), but if you have to change anyway, like it seems you're going to have to, then it would make sense to get the best possible replacement, rather than stick with technology (and a security model) that's nearly ten years out of date (quite apart from the difficulty of finding genuine copies of XP nowadays!).

I have to admit to never having seriously used Linux  - so I have no real idea of the comparison, but you need to think about things like driver availability for your existing and future hardware. Almost no hardware is produced without Windows drivers - but Linux drivers can be some time coming if they are not producd by the manufacturer, as you have to wait for someone who wants the hardware badly enough to write the drivers (or attempt to write them yourself), and by that time the hardware may have been superceded!. Depending on your system, this could be a severe limitation, or no limitation at all.

How often have you opted lately to do something in Windows because you didn't have the right software or drivers to be able to do it in Linux? (and how often has the reverse been true?, and would that still be the case for Windows 7)

Just something else for you to think about :)