want to cry about my new pc...

kenny1999kenny1999
edited October 2011 in Hardware
i got cheated by a local computer shop last month on my motherboard and harddisk because I am not very familar with computer stuff, I know that my motherboard is going dead very soon but I　have installed windows 7 home premium which is an original licensed true copy (not pirate one) bought at over a thousand (not in US)
, i have read some forums people saying that lt is not possible to change motherboard (or harddisk) something like .... I know the cost and time of sending my motherboard / harddisk those stuff to the warranty willl be very high in my country and wouldn't necessarily have a satisfactory answer / solution . .....

i think i will change the motherboard/ harddisk...but I hope to keep the window 7 ,which had cost me a fortune..... I am very confused now i can't afford buying a new win7

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    Sorry for your trouble.

    I know from personal experience that Microsoft is pretty forgiving the first time if you call to have them re-activate your OEM key. They'll ask you why you've changed hardware, and you can explain that you bought a defective motherboard, had trouble with the seller, and were forced to buy a new motherboard. They'll give you a new activation key over the phone.
  • kenny1999kenny1999
    edited October 2011
    primesuspect wrote:
    Sorry for your trouble.

    I know from personal experience that Microsoft is pretty forgiving the first time if you call to have them re-activate your OEM key. They'll ask you why you've changed hardware, and you can explain that you bought a defective motherboard, had trouble with the seller, and were forced to buy a new motherboard. They'll give you a new activation key over the phone.


    thanks for your reply..

    however, does the OEM relate to my motherboard or my hardisk? cpu? because i heard somebody saying that each OEM is only related to each particular MODEL of motherboard (but I am not sure if that's true...) In fact, the problem is very much due to the retail shop only but not the problem of the brand... so if it only connects to particular model of motherboard , i will think of buying another motherboard of the same model... to save one the "first time" in case I am extremely unlucky enough to buy from another shit shops again in my local areas.

    will it be the case as I think? thanks
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    kenny1999 wrote:
    thanks for your reply..

    however, does the OEM relate to my motherboard or my hardisk?

    Both as a set with Windows 7-- change either hard drive or motherboard as to brand and/or model, set changes, and the workaround is to call Microsoft as Primesuspect said.

    John.
  • kenny1999kenny1999
    edited October 2011
    Straight_Man wrote:
    Both as a set with Windows 7-- change either hard drive or motherboard as to brand and/or model, set changes, and the workaround is to call Microsoft as Primesuspect said.

    John.

    how about box set win7 ? i see some shops selling windows 7 at box set , but the price is much higher (around 50%). what's their difference/ thanks i am newbie
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    OEM is original equipment manufacturer. This is the version of Windows you get if you buy, for instance, a Dell laptop. If you buy Windows yourself from a shop, that's usually not the OEM version.

    If you have a pre-built computer and you need to get Windows reinstalled on it, you usually have to find the system restore media provided with the computer or create it yourself from within Windows (usually a "create restore media" option in control panel).
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    kenny1999 wrote:
    how about box set win7 ? i see some shops selling windows 7 at box set , but the price is much higher (around 50%). what's their difference/ thanks i am newbie

    Well, box set has a repair mode. Have not tried a repair in an OEM Win7 set as we think of it over here as a custom set of Win7 set up to only work with particular hardware and only being driver-custom for the hardware the OEM uses-- using something called slip-streaming. If the OEM shop is honest, they will use one unique install key per OEM set-- Microsoft will sell just license keys to OEMs.

    The boxed set is something else-- don't buy the Win7 upgrade though, as the repair fixing gets complex if you ever have to from upgrade. I have a Win7 upgrade here, Vista then Win7 upgraded over it. To fix some problems with older programs breaking things in Win7, I first ended up repairing Vista, rebooting, then reinstalling Win7., then reinstalling all my programs.

    In your case, Win7 upgrade willl not install right over an OEM Win7 install either. Some may yell about system images (a full backup of your hard drive, ideally) being nice, but it is easy to get things that work in Vista as they are preloaded again and have them not really work in Win 7. If you want to use older programs with Win7, please do a system image BEFORE you load each one.

    John.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    kenny1999 wrote:
    i got cheated by a local computer shop last month on my motherboard and harddisk because I am not very familar with computer stuff, I know that my motherboard is going dead very soon but I　have installed windows 7 home premium which is an original licensed true copy (not pirate one) bought at over a thousand (not in US)
    , i have read some forums people saying that lt is not possible to change motherboard (or harddisk) something like .... I know the cost and time of sending my motherboard / harddisk those stuff to the warranty willl be very high in my country and wouldn't necessarily have a satisfactory answer / solution . .....

    i think i will change the motherboard/ harddisk...but I hope to keep the window 7 ,which had cost me a fortune..... I am very confused now i can't afford buying a new win7

    Kenny, when you repair your PC, you'll probably just have to call Microsoft. Regardless of your version of Windows, they will happily re-activate your copy.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    You only have to call Microsoft if your computer fails to reactivate Windows automatically after performing the repair. I've only ever had to make that call when I was repairing a computer with a dying but not dead hard drive and had three activations in as many days. I had to call them for activations four and five. I was using an OEM key. Technically speaking, the OEM key is licensed for only the machine that it was purchased with. Microsoft has an explicit definition for how much change you can have before it's no longer considered the same machine for these purposes but realistically speaking it shouldn't matter for you. The retail box version is licensed for one active machine per license so that if you build a totally different PC later and throw away your current one, you don't need to buy a new Windows license.

    When you reinstall Windows you will need install media and a valid license key. If the shop built your machine from parts then it should have come with both a Windows 7 install DVD and a Windows Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) with the license key printed on it. The CoA is usually a sticker with some holograms on it about the size of an address label affixed to the outside of your PC chassis somewhere, usually on the rear or underside. If you don't have the install DVD then you can always find a disc image on the Internet and make one, but if you don't have a valid license key then you're screwed.
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