Replace motherboard in windows 8.1 oem system without reinstalling windows

[dumpertreeten]

Okay, so i bought my computer when my knowledge about them was for from the point where i am at now, and now i have a problem with upgrading it. The model i bought back in 2013 is a medion akoya P5230 D and it has served me well for these past years. However, i hardly ever use it anymore and would like to turn it into a storage server. This server does not have to be on all the time but i need quite a lot of space (hobby videographer) and i would like to access them when i'm away. I already got a system set up for that on it now, but i would like to have the option of Wake On Lan, which my current motherboard (ms-7797) does not support.

Since my cpu is still rocking (an i7-3770) i would like to replace just the motherboard (which is still hard to find because LGA1155 but that will be fine). The only problem i have now is that i only have a recovery disc that came with the pc and nothing else, like an activation code or sth. My pc came with an OEM version of windows 8, which was upgraded to 8.1 when it was available for free. This means i cannot do Sysprep with a generalized version of my windows install or something like that. I am reading on some websites that windows 8.1 oem systems allow for component swaps indefinetly (compared to windows 7 oem systems) and that i only have to delete my motherboard drivers beforehand. However, i also read on other websites that it is not possible at all.

So can someone clarify for me wether it is possible for me to replace my motherboard without reinstalling windows?

I am fine with reinstalling all of the programs i have on it now so no worries about keeping those during the swap.

[Belezeebub]

First off I am not saying to do this, but if you "Google" there are tools to find the license key but if all you have is an OEM chances are it will not reinstall on a non matching board while some recovery disks have a full OS with a OEM front end there are others that basiclly put an Image of the system disk on the recovery and call it good.

 

If you could provide some details as make model and version I could see what I can find for you.

 

[Tabs]

2 minutes ago, dumpertreeten said:

Okay, so i bought my computer when my knowledge about them was for from the point where i am at now, and now i have a problem with upgrading it. The model i bought back in 2013 is a medion akoya P5230 D and it has served me well for these past years. However, i hardly ever use it anymore and would like to turn it into a storage server. This server does not have to be on all the time but i need quite a lot of space (hobby videographer) and i would like to access them when i'm away. I already got a system set up for that on it now, but i would like to have the option of Wake On Lan, which my current motherboard (ms-7797) does not support.

Since my cpu is still rocking (an i7-3770) i would like to replace just the motherboard (which is still hard to find because LGA1155 but that will be fine). The only problem i have now is that i only have a recovery disc that came with the pc and nothing else, like an activation code or sth. My pc came with an OEM version of windows 8, which was upgraded to 8.1 when it was available for free. This means i cannot do Sysprep with a generalized version of my windows install or something like that. I am reading on some websites that windows 8.1 oem systems allow for component swaps indefinetly (compared to windows 7 oem systems) and that i only have to delete my motherboard drivers beforehand. However, i also read on other websites that it is not possible at all.

So can someone clarify for me wether it is possible for me to replace my motherboard without reinstalling windows?

I am fine with reinstalling all of the programs i have on it now so no worries about keeping those during the swap.

The Windows 8 activation is handled between two things - a key stored in the bios (SLIC acpi table), and an OEM certificate included in the operating system. Even if you image windows to a new motherboard or reinstall, the new board won't have the key in the bios. If you reinstall windows from different media, you'll lose the certificate.

 

Extracting the table and utilising the certificate file is possible, but illegal, since it's the definition of piracy. OEM keys (especially the VLK ones used by OEM's that are installed in the acpi table) are tied to hardware that the manufacturer is supposed to supply. 

 

You could image the machine to new hardware, and try phoning Microsoft. They may be willing to reactivate if you tell them you had to replace the motherboard. It's the only way I can consider this doable without resorting to flat-out piracy, or buying a new license.