- Jun 30, 2004
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Already mentioned it in other threads -- including a thread I created in "Motherboards".
The USB controller and/or chipset is borked on my Z170 mobo -- my best and most important system.
I'm replacing the board and decided to replace the processor as well -- from Skylake to Kaby Lake. I have all the parts I need; the Kaby will arrive sometime this week from Silicon Lottery. I've investigated in advance the problem of re-activation, but there are differences of opinion. Without admitting to carelessness, I've spent more than absolutely necessary to assure I can have this system up and running within the next couple weeks. I picked up a couple spare surplus boards in addition to the Kaby processor. In fact, I decided to replace a 4x8GB RAM configuration with a 2x16 kit. The surplus parts will go into another system I can build later this year.
Call me needlessly spendthrifty, but I haven't spent more than $100 on computer parts since 2017 -- until now. Under the current pandemic crisis, call my cash outlays "stimulus".
But I want to sensibly minimize further software outlays.
My OS, of course, is Windows 10 Pro, installed originally from a Win 7 OEM license under Microsoft's "Freebie" upgrade back in 2016/2017. I still have the original license key, disc and USB Win10 media creation files. The hardware upgrade will absolutely -- surely -- trigger the activation error message, and the OS will need to be re-activated.
Keep in mind it is absolutely essential to save the entire software configuration on the system. I do not want to start from scratch. Eventually, I will want to remove the Win7 system boot partition on the system, which is currently configured for dual-boot. I'll ask questions about that in another thread.
My web-searches turned up a Microsoft web-page explaining how to re-activate after hardware changes. However, other parties in the forums here, and my experience with a licensing problem (resolved) with a reseller of MS Office 2013-Pro-Plus last month, implies that MS no longer "does" telephone reactivation -- at least for the Office software.
OK -- but I should at least try to reactivate the current installation. If it's impossible, my first fall-back is a brand-new unopened "white-box" OEM Win 10 Pro, with a different license key. I know that the activation window offers an "add a license key" option. Yet, other "second opinions" suggest that this also might not work.
The second and last fall-back would be purchase of a "retail-box" license. Consider that I bought the unopened OEM white-box a few years back, and would prefer using it on the machine I build later this year from the surplus parts I have. And for the $200-plus price tag on a retail-box license, I would like to avoid making that outlay if I can. I also know there are some unscrupulous sources of "valid" license keys, but this system is so important that I want to avoid anything other than "Microsoft Partners". For instance, "MyChoice" software, a reseller, is quite trustworthy and reliable, but you pay more than you would with the unscrupulous sources, yet less than you might from the Microsoft Store.
What are my prospects? First -- for re-activating my original installation? Second, for using the unused or new white-box license key?
Somebody here might have the most current experience and information about these prospects, so I eagerly await some useful responses. I'm awaiting return of the new processor, and the old board is almost ready for packing and mailing to ASUS. ASUS would be likely to simply replace the board with another for this type of hardware failure, so waiting for the RMA return won't help. And I could install the new board with the old RAM and processor, but I don't think that will make a difference pertaining to re-activation or avoiding it: the motherboard is the key factor here.
The USB controller and/or chipset is borked on my Z170 mobo -- my best and most important system.
I'm replacing the board and decided to replace the processor as well -- from Skylake to Kaby Lake. I have all the parts I need; the Kaby will arrive sometime this week from Silicon Lottery. I've investigated in advance the problem of re-activation, but there are differences of opinion. Without admitting to carelessness, I've spent more than absolutely necessary to assure I can have this system up and running within the next couple weeks. I picked up a couple spare surplus boards in addition to the Kaby processor. In fact, I decided to replace a 4x8GB RAM configuration with a 2x16 kit. The surplus parts will go into another system I can build later this year.
Call me needlessly spendthrifty, but I haven't spent more than $100 on computer parts since 2017 -- until now. Under the current pandemic crisis, call my cash outlays "stimulus".
But I want to sensibly minimize further software outlays.
My OS, of course, is Windows 10 Pro, installed originally from a Win 7 OEM license under Microsoft's "Freebie" upgrade back in 2016/2017. I still have the original license key, disc and USB Win10 media creation files. The hardware upgrade will absolutely -- surely -- trigger the activation error message, and the OS will need to be re-activated.
Keep in mind it is absolutely essential to save the entire software configuration on the system. I do not want to start from scratch. Eventually, I will want to remove the Win7 system boot partition on the system, which is currently configured for dual-boot. I'll ask questions about that in another thread.
My web-searches turned up a Microsoft web-page explaining how to re-activate after hardware changes. However, other parties in the forums here, and my experience with a licensing problem (resolved) with a reseller of MS Office 2013-Pro-Plus last month, implies that MS no longer "does" telephone reactivation -- at least for the Office software.
OK -- but I should at least try to reactivate the current installation. If it's impossible, my first fall-back is a brand-new unopened "white-box" OEM Win 10 Pro, with a different license key. I know that the activation window offers an "add a license key" option. Yet, other "second opinions" suggest that this also might not work.
The second and last fall-back would be purchase of a "retail-box" license. Consider that I bought the unopened OEM white-box a few years back, and would prefer using it on the machine I build later this year from the surplus parts I have. And for the $200-plus price tag on a retail-box license, I would like to avoid making that outlay if I can. I also know there are some unscrupulous sources of "valid" license keys, but this system is so important that I want to avoid anything other than "Microsoft Partners". For instance, "MyChoice" software, a reseller, is quite trustworthy and reliable, but you pay more than you would with the unscrupulous sources, yet less than you might from the Microsoft Store.
What are my prospects? First -- for re-activating my original installation? Second, for using the unused or new white-box license key?
Somebody here might have the most current experience and information about these prospects, so I eagerly await some useful responses. I'm awaiting return of the new processor, and the old board is almost ready for packing and mailing to ASUS. ASUS would be likely to simply replace the board with another for this type of hardware failure, so waiting for the RMA return won't help. And I could install the new board with the old RAM and processor, but I don't think that will make a difference pertaining to re-activation or avoiding it: the motherboard is the key factor here.
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