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Do I need to re-install windows if Mobo upgrade is from same brand?

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  • Asus
  • Windows
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Motherboards
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September 8, 2014 2:26:16 PM

Hi, I am about to upgrade my computer, as I got blessed with the FM2+ socket with this crappy A10 7700K. I am upgrading from an ASUS A78M-E to an ASUS H81M-DGS. Will I still need to re-activate windows? I've hard you cannot reinstall on a different motherboard and my copy of Windows 7 is OEM. Will I even have to re-install windows, because its still an ASUS mobo, also changing CPU.
Specs:
Mobo: ASUS A78M-E (Upgrading to ASUS H81M-E)
CPU: A10 7700K @4.1 GHz (Upgrading to i5 4590)
PSU: Corsair VS650
RAM: 2x 4GB Mushkin Radioactive 1600 MHz
GPU: Gigabyte Windforce R9 280X
HDD: Western Digital 1TB
(I didnt know if I had to list all my specs so there yah go :p )
Thanks in advance!

More about : install windows mobo upgrade brand

a b Ĉ ASUS
a c 258 V Motherboard
September 8, 2014 2:34:00 PM

Reactivate - Yes.
Reinstall - Maybe.

For an OEM license, you'll probably have to go through Microsoft to reactivate. An OEM license is tied to that initial motherboard, and they are under no obligation to allow reactivation on new equipment.
However, they are generally lenient.
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a c 115 Ĉ ASUS
a c 242 V Motherboard
September 8, 2014 2:45:23 PM

I have reinstalled Windows several times from one socket to another socket MoBo w/o issue.... did it electronically no problem. I am not sure what chipsets are on tho e boards and how much the on board stuff differs will determine whether or not the installation is cluttered up with potentially conflicting drivers.

As said above, the license is tied to the original equipment, however, MS has to give some leeway .... if the old MoBo dies there is a reasonable possibility that the old chipset MoBos will not be 'current" at the time of failure and there will be none available to replace it with. So you do what you can do and buy the next gen MoBo chipset and sometimes, this even requires a new CPU as it did in two of the upgrades I did (1156 => 1155).

So, here's how I'd approach it .....

1. Look at the drivers for the new MoBo (Chipset, on board LAN, sound whatever that are different) ....download them
2. Do the rebuild
3. Boot .... assuming you can get into windows
4. Uninstall all the things that are no longer there and that you have new drivers for.
5. Reboot and install the new things.
6. Activate windows electronically..... my guess is it's going to work with same CPU and same brand MoBo..... if not call MS as indicated above.

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September 8, 2014 2:59:44 PM

JackNaylorPE said:
I have reinstalled Windows several times from one socket to another socket MoBo w/o issue.... did it electronically no problem. I am not sure what chipsets are on tho e boards and how much the on board stuff differs will determine whether or not the installation is cluttered up with potentially conflicting drivers.

As said above, the license is tied to the original equipment, however, MS has to give some leeway .... if the old MoBo dies there is a reasonable possibility that the old chipset MoBos will not be 'current" at the time of failure and there will be none available to replace it with. So you do what you can do and buy the next gen MoBo chipset and sometimes, this even requires a new CPU as it did in two of the upgrades I did (1156 => 1155).

So, here's how I'd approach it .....

1. Look at the drivers for the new MoBo (Chipset, on board LAN, sound whatever that are different) ....download them
2. Do the rebuild
3. Boot .... assuming you can get into windows
4. Uninstall all the things that are no longer there and that you have new drivers for.
5. Reboot and install the new things.
6. Activate windows electronically..... my guess is it's going to work with same CPU and same brand MoBo..... if not call MS as indicated above.



Thanks, if I were to call MS, what exactly would I tell them though? I just changed out a motherboard because previous one failed or because hardware change? I've never once had to call MS so I honestly don't know what to say to them, if I told them I changed out my motherboard because I needed an upgrade would they refuse to help me?
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a c 115 Ĉ ASUS
a c 242 V Motherboard
September 8, 2014 3:03:50 PM

I would have told theme exactly what happened..... old one broke, I couldn't find same model as it was no longer for sale so replaced it with closest thing I could fine on sale anywhere ..... but didn't have to, it just worked electronically
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Best solution

a b Ĉ ASUS
a c 258 V Motherboard
September 8, 2014 3:04:17 PM

NGX said:
JackNaylorPE said:
I have reinstalled Windows several times from one socket to another socket MoBo w/o issue.... did it electronically no problem. I am not sure what chipsets are on tho e boards and how much the on board stuff differs will determine whether or not the installation is cluttered up with potentially conflicting drivers.

As said above, the license is tied to the original equipment, however, MS has to give some leeway .... if the old MoBo dies there is a reasonable possibility that the old chipset MoBos will not be 'current" at the time of failure and there will be none available to replace it with. So you do what you can do and buy the next gen MoBo chipset and sometimes, this even requires a new CPU as it did in two of the upgrades I did (1156 => 1155).

So, here's how I'd approach it .....

1. Look at the drivers for the new MoBo (Chipset, on board LAN, sound whatever that are different) ....download them
2. Do the rebuild
3. Boot .... assuming you can get into windows
4. Uninstall all the things that are no longer there and that you have new drivers for.
5. Reboot and install the new things.
6. Activate windows electronically..... my guess is it's going to work with same CPU and same brand MoBo..... if not call MS as indicated above.



Thanks, if I were to call MS, what exactly would I tell them though? I just changed out a motherboard because previous one failed or because hardware change? I've never once had to call MS so I honestly don't know what to say to them, if I told them I changed out my motherboard because I needed an upgrade would they refuse to help me?


If and only if it fails online activation, it should give you a phone number to call. This is the phone robot, rather than a human.
Click, click, you read a bunch of numbers into the phone. It reads a series of numbers back, which you enter into the relevant boxes.
It then will ask "How many PC's is this installed on?"
Takes about 5 mins.

After that, it should activate.
If that fails, then it should give you a phone number to talk to a human.

I've only had to go that far once.
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a c 115 Ĉ ASUS
a c 242 V Motherboard
September 8, 2014 3:08:39 PM

Once for me too ..... built a new box..... wasn't working right, reinstalled the next day and it wouldn't re-activate :)  .... phone bot said no too .... phone lady said no. They finally gave up when I sent them the receipt via e-mail that showed all the stuff on same newegg order.
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