MSDNAA Windows 7 reactivation and PC upgrade

I

iron2000

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Been having thoughts of changing the motherboard, CPU, RAM and PSU of my PC.
Will be using the same HDD.

If I change those parts do I need to reactivate Windows?
And as I'm using a MSDNAA copy, can I still reactivate Windows?

What are the official limitations of MSDNAA Windows 7?

Had to ask before I spend money on the hardware.
Don't want to buy the hardware, fail the online reactivation, fail the phone activation then talk to an MS rep telling me I can't activate anymore.

Thanks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Pro x64C2D E6550DDR2 PC2-5300 4x1GBAsus ENGT430 (NVidia 430GT)
OS
Windows 7 Pro x64
CPU
C2D E6550
Motherboard
Asus P5K-SE
Memory
DDR2 PC2-5300 4x1GB
Graphics Card(s)
Asus ENGT430 (NVidia 430GT)
Sound Card
Xonar DX
Monitor(s) Displays
LG W2241T
Screen Resolution
1680x1050
Hard Drives
80GB and 1TB from WD
250GB from Seagate
PSU
CM eXtreme Power 430W
Case
elite 330
Cooling
Stock
Keyboard
Powerlogic ZEN Z200
Mouse
MS Basic Optical Mouse 2.0
iron2000 said:
Been having thoughts of changing the motherboard, CPU, RAM and PSU of my PC.
Will be using the same HDD.

.
Click to expand...
What you're talking about there is effectively a new computer.
Yes you will need to reactivate.
The problem will come because of the fact that MSDNAA Licenses are Volume Upgrades.
If your old machine came pre-installed then the original License is OEM, and cannot be transferred to a new motherboard.

I'm not sure about the situation once a Volume License comes into play - the waters are rather muddy on this. If your current MSDNAA Key is a KMS one, then it will fail activation, because it relies on the BIOS SLIC table to prove validity of the base license. An MAK Key may work - but may not be legal.

You'd probably be best to talk to a Volume Licensing specialist either at the place you got your MSDNAA from, or MS itself - Microsoft Volume Licensing - Activation Centers - the guys here are usually more knowledgeable than the run-of-the-mill Activation operators, and should be able to give you the detail you need.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 7 x64 Home Premium (and x86 VirtualBox VM...i3 370M/i7 6500U8GB - finally :)/8GBit's an i3, dude!/dual Intel&nVidia
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Asus K52F or Lenovo B51-80
OS
Win 7 x64 Home Premium (and x86 VirtualBox VM)/Win10
CPU
i3 370M/i7 6500U
Motherboard
Asus/Lenovo
Memory
8GB - finally :)/8GB
Graphics Card(s)
it's an i3, dude!/dual Intel&nVidia
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
15.6" built-in
Screen Resolution
1366x768/1920x1080
Hard Drives
750GB Seagate internal
Sundry external drives attached to other computers on the local network
1TB SSD on the Lenovo
PSU
n/a
Internet Speed
as much as I can get - usually on a dongle/phone, so <1MB/s
Antivirus
MSE/Defender
Browser
IE11/12/Edge/Chrome/FF(if I must)
Someone else can confirm, but pretty sure that the license given to students under MSDNAA is retail,

MSDNAA Membership Software and Usage FAQs

Q. What is the difference between the retail and volume license versions of Windows?

A. The volume license version of Windows does not require product activation and should only be used to install the software on departmental lab machines. A single volume license key (VLK) is given to each member department, and the program administrator is responsible for keeping the volume license key safe. It is extremely important that the VLK be kept secure and out of the hands of unauthorized individuals.

The retail versions of Windows are meant to be checked out to students and faculty for installation on their personal machines. Unique product keys may be downloaded from MSDN Subscriber Downloads, and should be provided to each student or faculty member who checks out or downloads Windows XP or newer Windows releases. Keys are distributed in blocks of 25. You may request additional keys via MSDN Subscriber Downloads..

Please do not distribute the volume license versions of software to students. We appreciate your cooperation.
Click to expand...

Student Resources

Whether your school department has chosen an Online (downloads-only) subscription or an Online+Media subscription, you are able to obtain free Microsoft software with a license that never expires—even after you graduate!
Click to expand...
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 7 Ultimate x64FX-8350 @ 4.6 GHz so farADATA XPG V1 Series Black 8GB DDR3 1600Sapphire R9 270x Dual-X
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Me
OS
Win 7 Ultimate x64
CPU
FX-8350 @ 4.6 GHz so far
Motherboard
Asus M5A97 EVO
Memory
ADATA XPG V1 Series Black 8GB DDR3 1600
Graphics Card(s)
Sapphire R9 270x Dual-X
Sound Card
Xonar DGX w/ Corsair Vengence 1300
Monitor(s) Displays
Acer S232HL Abid
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
120 GB OCZ Vertex 3
500 GB Seagate 7200.12
PSU
Antec Earthwatts 650W Green
Case
Antec Three Hundred
Cooling
Cooler Master 212 EVO
Keyboard
Logitech G510
Mouse
Logitech G500s
Internet Speed
35000/3000
Either way the OP needs to talk to the faculty, and/or MS to determine exactly what their licensing stance is.

I know that some MSDNAA Keys are one-shot Keys, which cannot be activated on a new machine, and that others are Volume Keys. It's important to understand exactly what type of Key he has, and the exact terms of the license under which he got it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 7 x64 Home Premium (and x86 VirtualBox VM...i3 370M/i7 6500U8GB - finally :)/8GBit's an i3, dude!/dual Intel&nVidia
Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Asus K52F or Lenovo B51-80
OS
Win 7 x64 Home Premium (and x86 VirtualBox VM)/Win10
CPU
i3 370M/i7 6500U
Motherboard
Asus/Lenovo
Memory
8GB - finally :)/8GB
Graphics Card(s)
it's an i3, dude!/dual Intel&nVidia
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
15.6" built-in
Screen Resolution
1366x768/1920x1080
Hard Drives
750GB Seagate internal
Sundry external drives attached to other computers on the local network
1TB SSD on the Lenovo
PSU
n/a
Internet Speed
as much as I can get - usually on a dongle/phone, so <1MB/s
Antivirus
MSE/Defender
Browser
IE11/12/Edge/Chrome/FF(if I must)
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