Installing 7 to an new drive

gregrocker said:

You can reinstall either bit version with any Win7 license. The installer and steps are in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

I would try reactivating on the new hardware. You haven't said how long the OEM ran before the mobo failed but the shorter the time the more likely they'll allow you to move the key to a new mobo.

And as I said we have repeat reports that MS makes exceptions when asked during the activation process to allow retail OEM to migrate. Kari reported about a year ago they allowed him to move several in a year's time.

Let us know what happens. Kari might have some pointers for you too since he has been able to do it every time he asked.

Thanks Greg I have reinstalled via your tut before and it was easy as but this one wasn't a factory install and I honestly can't remember how long ago I used it may have been a year ago as I was playing with beta 8 on a dual 7/8 boot back then.

I was trying to be a bit smart I suppose by using some old recycled parts and obviously picked a board that I thought was good - it looked good but ready to let go.

If they don't let me have it I'll just get the 64bit version instead anyway.

But thanks again for the heads up

Glad to report that I phoned Microsoft in ? somewhere and they got me to type in slui or something like that up popped the activation screen - I entered the code and it activated

So it has restored a lot of my faith in Microsoft

gregrocker said:

It reactivated with the old key? Did they do something to reset it? Did they acknowledge they were allowing it to be used on a changed mobo?

No Greg the operator at Microsoft wanted to know what the problem was I told her and she just told me to type in that slu i or something like that in search - it brought up the activation screen I entered the code from the retail OEM box - it took about a minute and a half and then it told me it was activated!

It's downloading heaps of updates as I type.

gregrocker said:

ICit2lol said:

It's downloading heaps of updates as I type.

Did you use the latest official installer with SP1? Saves about an hour's worth of Updates.

Be sure to do all Important and Optional. Set Updates to Install Automatically, treating Recommended same as Important.

Update failure is greater than one in a million while the security, performance and Driver updates can be critical to performance.

No I didn't Greg I used the OEM disk and the only optional/s I haven't done is the Bing Desktop and the Synaptics touch pad only because I don't - or I didn't think I needed either as I avoid the touch pad and that Bing is kinda irritating.

But I think I know what you mean so I shall do both to be sure I suppose I can disable them in msconfig startup / services?

I have now also done what you said and set the auto to a time that I know the machine will be on (I don't leave machines on while not at home - power costs / fire risk) and ticked all of the boxes in the update set up window.

gregrocker said:

No you don't need either unless there's a feature from touchpad that isn't working, or you want Bing instead of Google. I would use Google in the stable browser search box keeping all others out.

Ok Greg actually I prefer Google over anything else so no dramas:)