Activation of an OEM version after changing the mainboard.

Matthew Wai said:

The computer in question is an assembled one rather than a branded one.
The mainboard, the CPU, the display card, and the RAM stick(s) have all been replaced.

In that instance, as far as I know, it should have failed activation. And required the troubleshooter to re activate.

Matthew Wai said:

But the fact is that it has been activated without Activation Troubleshooter, so the following should be true.

They "claim" it activated without the trouble shooter. Don't believe everything you read on the Internat. I'm just going by what I know to be true. You can judge for yourself.

NavyLCDR said:

The thing with OEM product keys and licenses - you can always try the product key to activate Windows. Sometimes it will just work over the internet. Sometimes it will work only via phone activation. Sometimes the product key won't work at all and, now with Windows 10 you have the activation troubleshooter to fall back on. It seems like there are no absolute hard and fast rules regarding what will actually happen when a certain product key/license is tried, regardless of whether or not that particular use of the product key and activation violates the EULA.

Clear as mud, I gave up trying rationalize it all out when my Enterprise installs all got DL's.

In this instance, we need to know how the original hardware was activated in the first place. And if it was in fact an OEM system builders key, and not a Retail key. Then how the hardware was swapped. All at once, or one piece at a time. Was windows reinstalled on the new hardware or was the original install used. Plus was the replacement motherboard the same make model etc. It all factors into whether activation fails or not. If Windows was reinstalled, what key, if any was entered?

lx07 said:

Yes. But if you phone them (or use the transfer tutorial here) MS are more relaxed about it than they were in the past.

That is, if you are moving your own OEM license they seem more than happy to activate it for you on new hardware.

Perhaps that is because I'm European where resale of OEM is legal in any case - I don't know. You would need some feedback from people in a country with more restrictive laws.

Something to be said for the EU!

Matthew Wai said:

If you are implying that he was lying to me, I can't think of a reason why he had to tell such a lie.

I'm not making any accusations, apologies if that's how I sounded. But with no proof, I highly doubt it activated all on its own after swapping the motherboard. Like I said, if you believe it fine, I don't. Not with out more info.

A motherboard swap, as far as activation goes makes that PC a new PC. The hardware ID will change and won't match what is stored on the activation server for that product code. If no match is found no activation.