I read this article from Maximum PC: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/windows_7_upgrade_guide_all_your_questions_answered?page=0%2C0In it it talks about the fact that you will no longer be able to call MS and re-activate Windows if you change major hardware. Is this true? What will happen if I change out my motherboard let's say and need to re-activate either the Win 7 upgrade from XP or a full version of Win 7? What if I buy a new hard drive and want to put Win 7 on it?I'm a gamer and change out hardware quite often as I need to upgrade hardware often to keep up with the latest games and hardware. Am I going to have to buy a new copy of Win 7 everytime I upgrade my computer? My machines have at most a one year lifespan. And in that one year I will usualy swap out at least one video card. A video card swap does not require OS reinstall. But one year is the outside, most of my machines only last about 6-8 months before upgrading.Will I have to buy a volume license or something that will allow me to install over and over?No one seems to have an aswer for this!! jj

No one has answers to your questions, because no one knows. Microsoft, to my knowledge, has not issued any sort of FAQ or other documentation explaining the activation process,upgrade procedures or any other information whenusing the Upgradeeditions. Right now, it's all speculation on everyone's part. What we do know, officially,is what you can read for yourself at the Microsoft Store.

No one has answers to your questions, because no one knows. Microsoft, to my knowledge, has not issued any sort of FAQ or other documentation explaining the activation process,upgrade procedures or any other information whenusing the Upgradeeditions. Right now, it's all speculation on everyone's part. What we do know, officially,is what you can read for yourself at the Microsoft Store. Then possibly someone can comment on Full Versions of Win 7. I will buy what ever I need to in order to be able to re-install and re-activate when I build a new computer. So if that means buying a full version, so be it, and I will cancel my order for the Upgrade Version.BTW, the info on the MS Store site is vague, at best.jj

Thanks, The white paper clears up some questions, but as you say leaves some open. The quotes and points I speak to hereassumes that you have read the white paper. The quote below is from page 13 speaking about Activation Policies and RFM.Quote from the white paper: Failure to activate within three days of switch to non-OEM motherboardIt seems clear that you must re-activate within 3 days even after changing out an OEM motherboard for non OEM. I am not an OEM user, but from what I have read, OEM is the most restrictive as far as licenses being locked to the first machine the OS is installed on and activated on. An OEM machine usually constitutes what motherboard is installed, and more correctly and specifically, the BIOS chip on that board. If you change out OEM motherboard for non-OEM, you no longer have an OEM machine save for the case and other components in the system. But as seen by Windows and the registration servers in Redmond, this computer is no longeran OEM machine. So unless when activated, all the registered components, in the configuration they were in, inthe machinebefore the switch consituted the OEM machine, and just changing the motherboard still leaves this machine to be considered the same OEM machine, by Windows and more importantly, by the registration servers in Redmond - Re-activation over the internatwill fail. I would bet money on it failing.So the question that remains here is: Will the telephone option still be available to re-activate the above mentioned machine?This next quote is what I'm most interested in: Failure to renew activation within three days of a major hardware replacement The above quote from the white paper speaks to non-OEM Retail user. But again, all of what I said above applies to me and other retail users. Just as above, if I build a machine and install Win 7 and activate it, all of the components withing the machine are registered. However the motherboardwith the OEM BIOS chip in theexample above is more specifically what constitutes the OEM machine. And from my experience and what I have read about OEM licensing, I beleive this to be true, and the machine I built is more of a collection and assemblyof components. The registration on the machine I builtis not tied to the BIOS chip on the motherboard.But the major components, i,e.; the motherboard is really what constitutes this machine as being what was registered. Oh I agree that the CPU, HDD and Memory are major components and if they were all to be switched out at the same time would trigger a re-activation. But I have switched out CPUs, Memory and HDDs (after cloning the image taken previously, not a fresh install), and never triggered re-activation.But if the motherboard alone is switched, re-activation is for sure triggered. So again, what constituted this machine I built when I registered Win 7 has changed and it is no longer the same machine. Internet re-activation will fail.So again, the same question remains: Will the telephone option still be available to re-activate the above mentioned machine?If however, re-activation does not fail in either scenario above, then MS is stupid beyond belief. But if it does fail and no option is given to re-activate by phone or other method, again, MS is stupid.But my point here is this: MS must provide some way other than the internet to re-activate Wndows. When I purchase a copy of Windows, I am purchasing an operating system. This operatiing system is the same as other components in the system in so far as it should be able to be used over and over again. Same as a video card.I bought it, payed for it, and expect to be able to use it forever. For my own use on my own machine in my own house.The thought that if for some reason, I would not be able to re-activate Windows and would be forced to buy another copy for simply switching out a motherboard ticks me off to no end.jj

Failure to activate within three days of switch to non-OEM motherboardFailure to renew activation within three days of a major hardware replacementjj I don't know how thiscan possibly be interpreted two ways. The way I read it, we will be provided an opportunity to re-activate if the change is detected.On a less significant topic, I don't know how an OEM-board is determined, or if it really can be distinguished. Large OEM partners have been using pre-built systemboards (or even complete systems) direct from even Intel since at least 1995. I think Intel's first Pentium boards were named Zappa and Morrison, as amusingexamples. But that really doesn't seem to matter. What does matter is that we'll be inconvenienced to re-activate if its change is detected. And since most people do use OEM systems, most people are subject to that additional condition, vague as it is.Assuming my view is correct, the most concerning thing is still unanswered. It is among your concerns too. Suppose you have daisy-chained several upgrades. Are you going to have to reload from the bottom-most full (or OEM) version duringre-installation? Less likely but still of interest, how might you revert back to a previous level if you wished? I sure don't think it would be fair or expected that an upgrade causes you to forfeit the right to use a previously paid-for version. In fact, I would assert it cannot mean that.Fine, then just what does Microsoft mean, and how do we do it? They don't seem to want to say.They must know this makes us anxious. I read it the same way, we will be able to re-activate. What I'm saying is that I will bet you dollars to donuts that if a change is made especially on an OEM motherboard swap to non-OEM, internet registration will fail. How are the registration servers to know that the machine you just swapped the motherboard on, especially now that it no longer contains the OEM BIOS chip, is the same machine? Answer is they wont, and internetregistration will fail. It has to fail because otherwise unscrupulous people could keep installing the sameOS license on machine after machine. To a point, because I'm sure that after a certainnumber of activations, you wouldn't be able to activate at all unles you had a volume license copy.And if there is no other method to re-activate, you're done. You now have to buy another copy of Windows.An OEM board as I said is determined by the BIOS chip. The BIOS chip is flashed with a BIOS version and canfiguration determind by the OEM (Hp, DELL, etc.). It doesn't matter if they get a "Zappa" board from Intel or whoever. The OEM or the manufacturer of the board flashes the BIOS to whatever configuration they want and usually brand it as such. That's why to get into BIOS you hit different keys for different OEMs and the options once inside the BIOS are specifically setup per the OEM specifications. BIOSes on aftermarket boards are either usually either made by AMI or Phoenix, and are unlocked as to what settings you may change inside the BIOS where as OEM BIOSes are usually locked to where only a few settings can be changed. Software that the OEM distributes with the systemand sofwareaftermarket manufacturersgive you with some aftermarket boards will sometimes only work on that board and nowhere else. Case in point: I have an Intel brand aftermarket board that comes with a driver disc that also contains some other software (Diskeeper, etc.) that can only be used on that board. The software determines that the boardhas the IntelBIOS, and if not, will not install. Trust me, I tried on another board. Sorry about the lengthy explanation here, but what I'm trying to get across is that OEM motherboards are very specific in thier makeup and configuration. So, since the motherboard is the what identifies an OEM system as such, if it is swapped with anything except the exact same board, internetre-activation, unless determined by other factors than just the motherboard will fail.And I agree with you that those who use OEM PCs and those of us aftermaket retail users are inconvenienced by re-activation and the vauge conditions inthelicensing language.And speaking to your last paragraph: From what I read in the article I linked to in my first post, you will need to roll back to the bottom most OEM or full version after a re-install. And furthermore what I read is that the license from the previous OS is assumed by Win 7 and is rendered unusable for future activation. This wouldmean that if you did severalhardware upgrades over time, you would need several copies of eitherXP or Vista lying around in order to re-install and re-activate. That to me is absurd in the least. "I sure don't think it would be fair or expected that an upgrade causes you to forfeit the right to use a previously paid-for version." Absolutely that wouldn't be fair or expected, I agree in the utmost and I agree with youin that it cannot mean that. Think about the hapless OEM buyer who for whatever reason has to do a re-install and is forcedto go out andbuy a copy of XP or Vista because his OEM license has been swallowed up by his Win 7 Upgrade, can you imagine? Can you imagine the anger and sheer rage all these folks would have if forced to do this? And I venture there would be many forced to do this. Think of all the people who everydaythrough lack of knowledge, by accident or by not having anti-virus installed, get worms or viruses that force a re-install. They might as well buy a couple of copies of XP, when they pre-order thier Win 7Upgrade.Unless, and don't quote me here, but I read in another forum that after the first time you register the Upgradevesrsion, you will be able to re-install cleanly without a previous OS being present on the drive."Fine, then just what does Microsoft mean, and how do we do it? They don't seem to want to say." Indeed, they don't want to say or don't know what they are going to do yet."They must know this makes us anxious." They know, they don't care, or again don't know just what they are going to do with licensing. And have a feeling it will change, but just like everything they do,it wont change before it become a malestrom of problems and complaints.Yes I am anxious, but am getting angry as well.jj