Win7 Licence Key following PC Hardware Modifications

[Grey Beard]

Looking for some advice here. My Dell Studio 1557 NoteBook has died after suffering well documented overheating of the Graphics Chip.

I am replacing this with a Dell Inspiration NoteBook, which will have a 250GB Solid State Disk (SSD). This is the biggest that Dell will supply but is much too small, so I will swap this out for a Samsung 1TB SSD. (I know this will risk voiding the warranty). The laptop will come preinstalled with Win8.1. I remember Microsoft has some system of checking the operating system isn't installed on multiple machines, although I think you were allowed to get a new code from Microsoft for maybe 4 hardware mods.

Anyone know what the Microsoft hardware check is based on? i.e. Motherboard, HDD, or something else?

I may replace the motherboard on the Studio and run into the same problem with Win7 Home Premium. Free Microsoft support for Win7 finished a couple of months ago I think.

Appreciate any help.

Grey Beard

 

[Pukmeister]

A piece of software called a WAT removal tool could be just what you need if installing Win 7.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Technically your not replacing a few bits of hardware, your replacing the whole machine. As far as MS is concerned this isn't allowed on an OEM license which is most likely what you have. The main things checked are processor and motherboard. There are of course ways round it.

 

[Grey Beard]

Technically your not replacing a few bits of hardware, your replacing the whole machine. As far as MS is concerned this isn't allowed on an OEM license which is most likely what you have. The main things checked are processor and motherboard. There are of course ways round it.

Both machines would be OEM versions.

In the case of the Dell Studio, I would be replacing only the Motherboard, though I have recently replaced the RAM. That is not a new machine, but I think Microsoft say you can re activate within 3 days. I could try having the Graphics Chip reballed, but I don't know if the chip and or motherboard are still OK.

In the case of the Dell Inspiration, it is a HDD change, although I think I may run into some problems because I would have to use the 250GB SSD card to make an image onto the new 1TB SSD. Win7 doesn't sound so bad as VISTA before SP1, but it is still a pest.

Although both these machines will be legal before I make any changes, I have seen an illegal copy of Win7 Enterprise that was knobbled by installing some mod to stop the activation countdown timer. However, if Windows updates were applied, this would have defeated the activation timer bodge. But without regular Windows Updates, the system is rather insecure and it wouldn't be safe for Internet Banking or On-line purchases.

My son had to upgrade his computer at his French military university because the computer ran a legal copy of WinXP, which no longer received security updates and his Internet access was blocked by his military university for security reasons. I bought him a new Lenovo so that would have solved that problem.

At least there will be a free upgrade to Win10 for Win7 and Win8 users shortly.

Thanks for the replies so far.

Grey Beard

 

[leedude03]

if you are doing an image of the 250 ssd to the 1tb ssd, as far as i am aware this should work with no issues depending on the software used to create the image, i use acronis and have no problems doing this.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

if you are doing an image of the 250 ssd to the 1tb ssd, as far as i am aware this should work with no issues depending on the software used to create the image, i use acronis and have no problems doing this.

+1

I recently replaced my hard disk as the original was dying. Used Acronis (came with the replacement disk IIRC) to clone the original. Windows didn't blink and has been fine since.

 

[Grey Beard]

Thanks for all the replies

I have done a bit of reading on the Internet last night. The Activation check seems to be based on Motherboard, HDD, CPU, Graphics Card and RAM, but the weighting analogue is a secret apparently to Microsoft. That is the case for non OEM versions of the Win7 operating system.

One thing I read on a ZDF magazine article in connection with piracy, was that some of the large computer manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, etc. use a specific licence code, which is linked to the BIOS of the Motherboard of that specific manufacturer. That being the case, there may be no problem if I make other changes. I did flash upgrade the BIOS on the Dell Studio a couple of years back with another Dell BIOS and that was problem free.

I expect the new NoteBook today, so will see how I get on.

Thanks once again

Grey Beard

 

[Grey Beard]

+1

I recently replaced my hard disk as the original was dying. Used Acronis (came with the replacement disk IIRC) to clone the original. Windows didn't blink and has been fine since.

When I change to the 1TB Samsung SSD I will use Samsung's Magician Software. I don't know what SSD manufacturer Dell use but I guess it will be compatible with the Samsung software.

Not sure what I will do with the 250GB SSD. Probably use it for the Windows operating system on my Desktop machine to give a faster boot up.

Grey Beard